150 Amp Alternator upgrade from Amazon

Hello Friends.
We are making great progress on our van. Hopefully soon we will have enough for a build post to help others.
I would like to upgrade the alternator on a 2002 T1N.

I found two listed on Amazon that appear to be the same but with a very different price.
$138 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005D93DKW
$192 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZII30

Are these both the same 150 amp alternator? In addition to the serpentine belt is there anything else I should update while I'm in there?

Thank you,
Nolan
 

220629

Well-known member
:idunno:

One says Bosch in the heading. The cheaper one mentions Bosch somewhere in the description.

Using the info from the cheaper unit I did the Google on the internets.

There is an eBay listing which has almost identical information.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-150AMP-...2-7L-0124615019-AL0791N-AL0798X-/120996840185

It lists: PRODUCT BRAND: RAREELECTRICAL with no mention of Bosch.

Based upon the Amazon price difference, lack of real brand specification on that cheaper listing, the searched similar eBay brand info, and member comments here giving mixed reviews on non-Bosch alternators, I would go for the part which includes Bosch in the product listing header.

That is mostly conjecture and opinion. I really cannot support anything that I've posted about this.

:2cents:

vic
 

mendonsy

Member
Well, almost!! The $192 version is the original Bosch 150 amp alternator. The $138 version appears to be an aftermarket clone, probably Chinese.
 
Thank you Vic,
I have been looking at these and others on Amazon until my eyes have gotten fuzzy. Your skill and fresh set of eyes spotted things I had not.

I will order the real Bosch.

Best regards,
Nolan
 

cloead

Active member
Check the 2 idler pulleys at the top of the serpentine belt. They don't cost much but will sure mess things up if they fail!
One of my idler pulleys broke on the road.. took the other one out and shredded the belt. That was fun to fix on the side of the road.


And how fitting for this thread. My battery light came on yesterday while driving. Thought I broke the belt again, but the van never overheated. So I checked the scan gauge and it's reading a steady 11.8-12 volts. Checked the battery with a meter later in the day and it's matching up with the ScanGauge. Sooo I just ordered the bosch 150 amp from this thread. Hope that fixes it.
 

cloead

Active member
So my alternator came today.. looks like a legit Bosch 150 unit, comes in a bosch box. I believe that the pulley is supposed to spin freely in one direction and not in another, is this true? Because the pulley on my new alternator spins both ways freely.
 

cloead

Active member
Well new alt is on. I have 14 volts again. Old alternator pulley behaved the same way, spins freely in both directions.
 

220629

Well-known member
Well new alt is on. I have 14 volts again. Old alternator pulley behaved the same way, spins freely in both directions.
:idunno:

:idunno:

It can't spin freely in both directions and produce 14 volts. Keep an eye on the gauges and an ear out for noises. I suspect it will be ok.

A chirp upon shutdown is one indication of a stuck clutch pulley.

The removed alternator was working when removed? Keep that and tools necessary to install with you for a while.

vic
 

cloead

Active member
:idunno:

:idunno:

It can't spin freely in both directions and produce 14 volts. Keep an eye on the gauges and an ear out for noises. I suspect it will be ok.

A chirp upon shutdown is one indication of a stuck clutch pulley.

The removed alternator was working when removed? Keep that and tools necessary to install with you for a while.

vic
Why can't it? I've never had an alternator that didn't spin in both directions.

I'm assuming that both the alt that was on there and the one I installed have non-clutching pulleys?? Not sure.

The removed alternator was not working correctly. I was driving on Saturday and the battery light came on. I assumed the worst happened again (broken belt/idler pulleys) but when the van didn't overheat, I figured the alternator was dying. It was putting out 11.8-12 volts. I made it to my destination and back (about 100 miles round trip) with it like this.

Battery was still holding 12.4 volts when I checked it today before starting it up on the new alt. It went to 14.2 and stayed there @ idle with the new Bosch 150 amp alt.
 

220629

Well-known member
Why can't it? I've never had an alternator that didn't spin in both directions.

I'm assuming that both the alt that was on there and the one I installed have non-clutching pulleys?? Not sure.
....
Whoa. Hold on there pardner.

I interpreted "spins freely" as the clutch not coupling with the alternator rotor.

With my alternators (90 and 150 amp) if I spin the alternator rotor assembly one direction it locks in and spins the rotor. When I quickly stop the pulley the rotor continues to "spin freely" in the original direction without jerking it out of my fingers.

So did you spin the rotor one direction and jerk it to a stop to have it spin free or did you just rotate it and it spun both ways? Without enough force and jerk to stop it will "spin" both directions.

I'm thinking your new alternator is ok. vic
 

cloead

Active member
Whoa. Hold on there pardner.

I interpreted "spins freely" as the clutch not coupling with the alternator rotor.

With my alternators (90 and 150 amp) if I spin the alternator rotor assembly one direction it locks in and spins the rotor. When I quickly stop the pulley the rotor continues to "spin freely" in the original direction without jerking it out of my fingers.

So did you spin the rotor one direction and jerk it to a stop to have it spin free or did you just rotate it and it spun both ways? Without enough force and jerk to stop it will "spin" both directions.

I'm thinking your new alternator is ok. vic
:bounce::bounce: I'll have to check that out. I was just turning, stopping, then turning the other way. Thanks for the explanation.
 

cloead

Active member
Well I messed with the old alternator today before I left for work. Spinning the pulley and then abruptly stopping in (in either direction) stops everything inside. No clutching/disengaging going on there.
 

220629

Well-known member
Well I messed with the old alternator today before I left for work. Spinning the pulley and then abruptly stopping in (in either direction) stops everything inside. No clutching/disengaging going on there.
Your old alternator may have a bad clutch. :idunno:

A bit of clarification on how I do the check. I grasp the pulley firmly, give it a quick flip, and immediately try stopping the pulley. I never let the pulley loose and don't really get the alternator rotor spinning. I just give a quick flip while keeping the pulley in my grasp. The clutch decouples on both my new 150 amp and the removed 90 amp when I do it that way.

My recollection is that I flip the pulley in a clockwise direction. I'd need to verify that with my spare alternator though.

vic

Added:

With my alternator removed I was able to check for alternator clutch action. I have not tried my rough test with the alternator in place. Access for a proper "quick flip" may be an issue.
 
Last edited:

cloead

Active member
Your old alternator may have a bad clutch. :idunno:

A bit of clarification on how I do the check. I grasp the pulley firmly, give it a quick flip, and immediately try stopping the pulley. I never let the pulley loose and don't really get the alternator rotor spinning. I just give a quick flip while keeping the pulley in my grasp. The clutch decouples on both my new 150 amp and the removed 90 amp when I do it that way.

My recollection is that I flip the pulley in a clockwise direction. I'd need to verify that with my spare alternator though.

vic

I would assume so.. it was only putting out ~11.8 volts and was completely covered in black gunk on the outside. I'll pull the belt off again and see how the new alternator acts.


Thanks for the help again Vic
 
Hello Friends.
I did order the more expensive unit from Amazon. It is the real Bosch 150 amp alternator and not a copy:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZII30 . I did the clutch spin test and it works perfectly. Thanks to the discussion on this thread I now recognize what the squeal is in other vehicles when the ignition is turned off.

I have read through the tensioner thread that was linked to in this thread. I am wondering if anyone can send a link to the correct tensioner for a 2002 Sprinter so I don't get the wrong part.

Thank you,
Nolan
 

cloead

Active member
Popped the belt off last night and the new alternator does in fact pass the test. But then my transmission messed up. SPRINTER AHhhhh
 

Coast2Coast

2006 158 Cargo
Hey Nolan next time you need a 150 amp alternator go to autopartstomorrow.com
Use coupon code GON and you can get a new 150 amp BOSCH for $159 shipped. :smilewink:

They also have the 90 amp Bosch new in box for $138. Stock may be low.
 

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