On Wed, 13 May 2009 18:48:10 -0400, Nate Nagel wrote:

> Anumber1 wrote:
>> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Here is an ignorant question I'm hoping there is an easy answer to:
>>> who makes the decisions when it comes to which brand of starter motor
>>> or alternator?
>>>
>>> Is it the auto electrician himself? Do they have preferred suppliers
>>> and are they incentivised to stick with them?
>>>
>>> Do consumers have any say in which brand they should choose from?
>>>
>>> Stu
>>
>> Rebuild the OEM part. An alternator or starter is cheap to have rebuilt
>> at a local auto electric re-builder (there are three in my neck of the
>> woods in a fairly small town).
>>
>> Brushes and diodes are cheap and a good auto electric shop will make the
>> original part good as new for half the price of the off-shore "rebuild"
>> that you buy from a chain autoparts store (that may or may not have been
>> done "well")
>>
>> It is not as convenient as going to autozone but will outlast anything
>> they offer, lifetime warranty or not.
>> Al
>
> Around here an in house rebuild is about 2x the cost of an OTC reman.
> That said I still would second your advice.
>
> nate

Not around here. i do 'em myself. Voltage regulator/rectifiers are about
$45, and brushes run all of $3 each. Bearings are in the $20 ballpark. As
long as the rotor/commutator are good, you're good to go.