Update: my $22 junkyard Ford alternator has lasted 8,000 miles and I found a trick to keep them cheap

Faith Mason · 2026-10-06T17:30:03.750726+00:00

Last Saturday I pulled a 130 amp alternator off a wrecked 2006 Taurus at Pick Your Part in Ontario, CA for $22 out the door with the core charge waived. I tested it in the parking lot with a $15 multimeter and it read 14.2 volts so I grabbed it and bolted it onto my 2003 Civic that afternoon. The trick was grabbing the belt with it since mine was glazed and slipping anyway, and a guy walking by said he always pulls the harness pigtail too so you don't need to splice. 8,000 miles later it still charges fine and my dash lights stopped flickering. Anybody else got a go-to junk car model they pull alternators from, or do you just roll the dice on whatever's in the yard?

Rigidtalk

Loading…

Update: my $22 junkyard Ford alternator has lasted 8,000 miles and I found a trick to keep them cheap | Car Mod Budget Builds - Rigidtalk