Anyone still on their orginal alternator?

[ROSENDO SANCHEZ]

My car has 25k miles and In still on the original alternator. Lately when I start my car up on the weekends, the gauge needles do the "batter's swing" when I turn the key. Is this the first sign on the alt going out?

Also what the longest has anyone been on their original alternator?

 

[Goose17]

14,000 miles with an unmodded engine... No problems thus far.

I believe many failures are a result of over-spinning (higher RPM's) them.

 

[Riddick]

I'm still on stock alternator but only have 32k miles on car. However, at wot my voltage is dropping to 12.5-12.6. Its still holding on for now but I think its starting to go. Hopefully it will get me through this year.

 

[Zemedici]

14,000 miles with an unmodded engine... No problems thus far.

I believe many failures are a result of over-spinning (higher RPM's) them.

My car's gone through 3 alternators in the 2 years I've owned it, and it's got the factory pulley still on it at 105k.

I think its more about heat and the location of these alternators, they just burn up, and they're rated at rather low amperage for all the stuff they've got to 'power'

 

[01yellercobra]

Gauge swing at start up is battery. Your battery will be completely dead soon.

 

[03cobra#694]

Almost 20K, and still ok. Original battery lasted almost 9 years.
<-----Knocks on wood, lol.

 

[Posi]

Still on mine but only 10,500 miles. Been pullied hard at least since 1,800 miles and probably since 2,500 or 3,000 it's had a 6lb lower on it. I do have the proper Metco alt pulley...

 

[MBoyle1]

Original 6800. Miles

 

[bigmoose]

I'm on the original at 27k miles. However, I just installed a new fuel system with two AEM 320E pumps in return. My battery light has came on a few times and my voltage drop to high 12's on a WOT run. Needless to say its days are numbered. I have a mechman on order.

 

[Black2010]

Crazy to read this thread and see just how many low mileage cobra's are still out there. I thought mine was fairly rare but it looks more common than rare. I've got 23K miles on mine and it's on it's stock alternator. Stock under the hood.

<-----Knocks on wood, lol.

I wonder if ours are holding up better since our cars don't appear to be daily drivers.

And, holy crap, alternators are expensive for our car. I can get one for all my other cars for less than $150... I gotta ask. Are they just stupid hard to change on a cobra? I see I could get one from Autozone for $200 with a lifetime warrantee. This is what I have on my vette. I have to get a new one every other year but they are replaced free of charge. Are these $500 replacements just needed because people don't want to change them more often or are necessary due to running extra boost/fuel mods?

 

[whitedevil95]

Stock alt here. 28k on the clock. Through my Aeroforce gauge i can see on cold start i see 13.6-13.9 then as the car warms up it will go down to 12.5-13.0. Car runs and starts just fine as of now. No battery light on during WOT. New Motorcraft battery two years ago.

 

[bads]

39,500 miles with the original . Original battery just went out 6 months ago.

 

[VENMS04]

Mine is still on the original alternator 88,XXX and still racking those miles up. Altough i did have to replace the AC compresor due to leaking. Mods are 2.7 pulley tune, intake and exhaust, bought the car new in aug of 2004

 

[EYG03COBRA]

30k and still on stock alternator.

 

[NastyNate420]

Stock alternator on my Mach ....over 170k miles on it voltage reads 13.9 as of yesterday.

 

[wudy]

Still on the stocker with 25kms or to you folk to the south of me 15mi.

 

[04ScSaleen325]

03 here. 10k miles completely stock except for exhaust. even the original tires!!!!!

 

[R.D.P.]

22k, still stock, but just went with a BAP and wire upgrade to feed it - so I'll probably kill it. Compared to a 2v it looks hard to change, but hopefully not that bad, just have to do it on your back if no lift. I think I am going to run a duct up to mine now like some people do to help blow air directly on it.

 

[Rambro]

45k on the stock alt. I think I remember reading on here to keep the stock alt and have it rebuilt if possible. Something about the windings and the shaft in the stocker being superior to the auto parts stores alts.

 

[Bdubbs]

27k on my car. I bought it with 20k miles so it's hard to say if it's still original, but I'm guessing so. It probably the dirtiest part under the hood. I have a Ford Racing one sitting on the shelf for my next one.