OE alternator lifespan?

My alternator has 145K on it, running voltage looks good when driving, but I like to get ahead of things because we are frequently in the middle of nowhere. How long do these tend to run before they need brushes or a rebuild?

 

I put new brushes in around 200k i think, they stll had some life left. 255k now and still ticking

 

213k here (original)
you STU AutoX guy!

I was worried about the same
Found some thread that changes your clock to a V meter
$3 China mod
I’m not that confident with soldiering, made it happen ….3 leads only

 

Generally 150,000 miles or 7 years. Some last much longer. No way to know how long it’ll last. Since your truck is 24 years old and 246000 miles it’s probably a good idea to be proactive and replace or rebuild it now.

 

I have a 2nd Gen, but my original alternator shit the bed at a little after 140K miles, when the truck was a little over 12 years old.

 

Thanks for the info everyone. I found a well regarded local rebuilder that has been in business for decades, I am gonna snag a cheap alt from AutoZone to use for a while and have them rebuild my original with an amperage bump.

 

Original still running at well over 300k

 

Do you have a link to that mod?

 

same here... 359k at 27.5 years
BUT!!
the battery just up and starts crapping out the other day... barely can crank it over
put it on a charger for 1/4 day
battery IS 9 1/2 years old (stamped 1/15) so yes it needs a new one and now i gotta shop around or keep waiting for that special AAP bonus sale

i think i can have AAP test the alternator to see how healthy it still is or is not

 

Holy crap buddy, that's a lot of miles. OP check the voltage with it running. Should be about 14+V.

 

replaced the brushes on this one and cleaned it up. Was working great with 365,000 miles. Wouldn’t have been much longer and the brushes would have been completely worn. Still working great after brush replacement.

 

taco's love the miles buddy

 

Apparently you took good care of her. Cheers to you, my friend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIxgBMNhsKU

 

I got 224k out of my original brushes. Now at 230k with the replacements. OEM for the win.

 

I think my OEM alternator went 20 years before the brushes wore out. I replaced the brushes for $10, but then the voltage regulator failed not long after. Unfortunately it costs more to rebuild it yourself with new compnents than to swap the whole unit for a remanufactured one.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...clock-into-voltage-meter.269631/#post-6634469

 

I Replaced mine last year at 380,000. I’m not even sure it was bad, because when the new one started acting up in December I found that the 3-pin connector was making intermittent contact. I then replaced the connector, which might have been the only problem the first time.

 

When you have a 10+ year old truck or 200000+ miles on it I believe in proactive maintenance. I’m not impressed that some fairly easily replaceable part lasted a zillion miles. When they take a shit (for me at least) it’s usually at a bad time or a really bad place. I do some long hunting and fishing trips in the western US where the closest town, gas station, repair shop etc. may be a hundred or more miles away. I don’t want to have some simple part fail when I’m 20 miles off road from the closest paved highway because oh boy I got 250,000 miles on that part until it failed. So the OP who states he is frequently in the middle of nowhere with a 24 year old truck should replace/rebuild his alternator now.
For example I replace my battery every 5 years. I don’t wait for it to not start. If I was the OP I’d replace the hoses on a 24 year old truck. If the water pump is original then it’s time to replace that too. Other stuff too, use your judgement.
I understand you can’t replace everything so you just have to use good judgement and replace the things that aren’t that expensive and may leave you stranded if they fail.

 

Mine died at 170,000. As with anything electrical it's almost impossible to predict. Some die young, some run forever.

 

Ok, you guys have convinced me to replace mine too. Looks like a pretty easy job, and I can blast out some of the gunk in that area where I've avoided spraying the alternator.