What alternators are (relatively) compatible?

[BenKenobi]

The alt in my car died Sunday, and I'm hoping to find a replacement in a junkyard. Unfortunately, there are no S13s at my local pull a part.

I'm looking at other vehicles that have the KA24E, but I'm not 100% sure on compatibility. So far, the 90-92 stanza is looking like a NO.

I'd imagine whatever I find will require me to swap out the pulley.

[upsdude]

i think you can use a nissan quest alternator...but it requires some modding at the bracket...but i can't confirm this 100%

[moso]

i use autozone's website and compare part numbers

[BenKenobi]

Right. I did something similar using rockauto's catalog. You can click on the part number and it'll bring up a list of other vehicles that share that part.

Unfortunately, it tells me that only:

NISSAN 240SX (1989 - 1993)NISSAN 240SX LE (1991 - 1992)NISSAN 240SX SE (1989 - 1994)

share it. Of course, I'm betting that's out of the box. I was hoping there'd be some way to swap out a pulley or something easy.

I may just suck it up and shell out the $100 for a new one.

... or learn how to rebuild one

What confuses me is I called a place that rebuilds alts. They wanted $160 to do it though! How can it cost me $160 to rebuild something that costs $100 remanufactured?

[BenKenobi]

So I think my plan of attack is going to be to remove the alternator, check the brushes. If they look badly worn, I'll replace them and see if that helps. If not, I'll just replace the whole thing.

[BenKenobi]

Finally got the thing off... and I noticed something odd.

There was an "E" (exciter?) marked on the rear cover, and a corresponding hole, but no post/nut for a wire. There was also a wire with a ring terminal on the end near the alt that was not connected to it.

Could this be the problem?

[PyR0NiAk]

There was also a wire with a ring terminal on the end near the alt that was not connected to it.

Could this be the problem?

Sounds like your ground...

[BenKenobi]

Well there was the "BAT" terminal. That had a wire hooked up to it.

[PyR0NiAk]

Take that wire with the ring terminal and hook it up to where another ground is in your engine bay. (Such as a thick black wire)

[BenKenobi]

Here's the thing. That wire is wrapped up with other wires. It comes out of the wrapping right by the alt and has very little room to move around.



Zooming in on the right side, you can see where the "BAT" terminal is and directly below it is the "E" one... This one doesn't seem to have a post either.

The problems onset pretty quickly. I first start noticing at 1am on Saturday and by noon Sunday I was out of commission.

I suppose bringing it to Autozone for testing would be the next step.

*edit* ah-ha! The picture from Autozone's website shows a SCREW in the hole near the E. I think I've got this mystery solved.
Modified by BenKenobi at 3:47 PM 11/9/2009

[PyR0NiAk]

Glad you solved it.

[BenKenobi]

Weird I saw a reply in my email saying that the E was a ground... It, in fact, is.

BAT however is for a constant 12v from the battery. I wound up just running a new wire, but wonder if I should put an in-line fuse on it just in case... and if so, what amperage?

[PyR0NiAk]

Told you it was the ground...