Alternator Rebuild Shops

[SL113fan]

Can anyone cite a quality shop that can rebuild Bosch alternators--and one that has rebuilt hundreds of them?  Preferably one east of the Mississippi to minimize shipping.

Thanks much guys!!

[mdsalemi]

Fan,

Most any auto electric shop can rebuild these.  More often than not, it is a diode set that goes bad, sometimes bearings.  If you are looking for a specific place, contact your local independent that services German cars and ask them where.

Alternatively search out a Bosch distributor locally, such as your local foreign auto parts store.  If you get a rebuilt, you can be sure that it went through a "remanufacturing" process at Bosch as opposed to a "repair" procedure.  You just swap your old unit for a remanufactured unit.

[jeffc280sl]

I agree with Michael.  There is nothing unusual or special about rebuilding Bosch alternators.  Bosch mfi, that's another matter.

[RickM]

I second (or third) the recommendation to seek a local independent to do the rebuild. From personal experience I can state, without reservation, that Bosch certified remanufactured units have a relatively high failure rate. There are articles floating around from individuals. in the industry, that can back my claim.

Here is an article I read many years ago that stuck in my head..http://www.idavette.net/hib/reman.html

Snippet from the above-mentioned link, The Aftermarket Giant section:  

"I disassembled a Bosch remanufactured 10SI and ran the same Overhaul Manual tests with the Mac ET332. The parts tested met specifications. Some of what I saw in the 10SI was up to our expectations. However, I was surprised at a few deficiencies.

I saw more used hardware than I would have expected. Two of four housing bolts had damaged threads. If this alternator were disassembled during its life, it is possible that the stripped bolts could cause failure of the threads in the drive-end housing.

Both insulated bolts holding the voltage regulator and brush holder to the slip-ring end housing were used. One had cracked insulation which surprised us as grounding of this bolt causes failure of the alternator.

The rotor was originally manufactured with what appeared to be resin-coated paper surrounding its windings. The paper was breaking apart in "flakes" which I could pull away with our fingers. I wondered if a large piece of the stuff breaking loose while the unit is running at high speed could damage the alternator in some way.

I road-tested a Bosch Premium Reman 15SI alternator on an ’82 Collector’s Edition. The installation was trouble-free with connections, and mounts being identical to the OE part I removed. So far this ’82 has gone about 2500 miles with no problems.

I disassembled a Bosch Reman SD-300 starter used on Corvette up to 1987. The quality was not what I expected. Both armature bushings, while new parts, were not sufficiently lubricated. The commutator’s diameter was inconsistent enough that its "hour-glass" shape was visually apparent. It varied .018-in. across the width traversed by the brushes. In press information, Bosch lists a specification of .05-mm (.0019-in.) for accuracy in machining of commutators. The unit I examined missed that figure by a considerable margin. "



From a DIY perspective... a thread from a BMW forum that, at least, will shed some light on what's involved.... http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=454325


Bottom line, and at minimum, you want before and after bench testing, high quality bearings (bushes, sleeves, slip rings etc) and the brush/assemblies with associated electronics replaced.

[mdsalemi]

You just have to be ready for anything these days...here's a story I found interesting from the RENNlist.com website:

I had very poor experience with "Bosch Remanufactured" alternators on a Mercedes I owned for many years. Two alternator failures in less than 40,000 miles was bad enough, but the third unit had a bearing noise right from the start.

I complained to the shop that sold them. When I threatened to complain to Bosch, the owner confessed that someone in a town named Sleepy Hollow (I am not making this up) rebuilt them in his basement. What he actually did was get them working again and clean them. He had evidently repaired an electrical failure on a ~300,000 mile unit, and that is why the bearing made noise.

The units came in brand new Bosch boxes with credible-looking instructions, evidently from new or Bosch-reman units the fellow had sold. I am afraid it is caveat emptor in the rebuilt parts business. There is a lot of money there, and anywhere there is money, the scams follow.

Even new parts can fail, so buy whatever from a reputable place.  If you do not trust rebuilts, go and purchase a brand new one from a Mercedes dealer.  If that is too expensive, the independent shops that service the high-end makes will tell you where to get it done.  Far too often, however, people balk at the price of quality work, and then seek out the least costly alternative and shop by price alone, not warranty or service.  And that is where the trouble begins!

I had the alternator replaced with a remanufactured unit in 1999, not a problem since.  The starter was rebuilt locally too, but caused problems that we finally sorted out.  May you just have good luck with the endeavor!

You also can, if buying something over the counter, inspect it right then and there: if you see things you don't like, get a different box.  If that offers a marginal looking product, try a third.  If you are not satisfied there, walk away.

Local places will not "remanufacture" but rather "rebuild" alternators.  Aside from fixing the obvious broken parts, you can tell them what else to do.  Maybe you have a Pagoda with 300K+ miles on it; new bearings might be in order.  The only challenge you might find is if your alternator is totally trashed the cost to rebuild might exceed the cost of a reman unit.  Let's hope you do not run into anything like that, but if a screw or foreign object got inside, it is trashed.

[SL113fan]

Thanks for the replies, but some of these stories are exactly why I was interested in a specific shop recommendation.  No telling what the true skill set is of any of the local shops that happen to have a Bosch window sign.  For all I know they may have bought the sign at a flea market.  
I prefer to patronize businesses based on referral.  If you ask a given business whether they can perform such and such, they'll typically respond "yes" regardless of how many they've done or their certification.  A customer is a customer, especially in hard times.
Unlike some of the people mentioned in these stories, I want this alternator rebuilt right the first time.

Cheers

[mdsalemi]

Well, Fan--

If you have not given us your specific location, how can anyone reply?  Based on the generic information "east of the Mississippi" the best anyone can offer you is to check with someone who does it regularly, such as an independent shop that services BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, etc.  They would have a place they go to regularly and can guide you best.

If you tell us you live in New York City, well maybe someone from the tri-state area can help you out.  Ditto, of course, for any other locale.  How about contacting Gernold at SL Tech?  Maine is east certainly, and he would have little tolerance for sub-par work of any kind.  How about Black Forest in Wisconsin?  They too, have a good reputation and would not tolerate poor quality.  Paul Russell, Hatch and Sons--these are all restorers with a good reputation and I'm sure if you make these 4 phone calls you will get at least one good referral.  That's all it takes.

I think it is a given that everybody wants it done right the first time.

[RickM]

To add, I have a reputable place (or two) in NJ but I'm sure they don't do the shipping thing. They are business-to-business operations that will occasionally work with an enthusiast.

As suggested it's best to talk to local mechanics, enthusiasts, etc to see who does it in your aree.

That said, if I find a experienced Bosch rebuilder that'll ship I'll be sure to post contact info.