Noah911

I am looking to replace the alternator in my 2004 WJ come the end of next month. I figure it is time to start searching for a replacement. I am planning on keeping the one that is in it now for repairs to it eventually some day down the line. I do not want to be getting a rebuilt one from any of the chain stores. I want to rebuild the old one myself. So, I want to keep it and not have to give it up in a core exchange.

I want to be able and just pull the old one off and put in the replacement due to time restraints. My WJ is in poor shape at the moment. The immediate needs are a new battery and replacement alternator in order for it to be able and run. I would like to start there with it. It will run good for now with those two things done to it. The rest of what needs done can wait until next time.

I want to get it running good for my sisters kid. She is in her third year of college, and she just got her license in December of last year. My niece is a straight A's kid who prided herself on never missing a single day being absent back when she was in high school. She is a good kid and she now needs a reliable vehicle. I want to get the WJ up and running for her so she can get herself back and forth to class and clinicals.

Does anybody know which vehicles to look at for a replacement alternator coming from a junkyard? I am going to try searching a few junkyards this weekend, and would like to be able and expand my search if possible to vehicles other than just the WJs... I am not sure if there is or not? Even if it needs an ear or some metal ground down to get it to fit would be okay. I would obviously prefer a direct fit. Maybe I will get lucky and find another one from a WJ?

Over the next few weeks I should have the opportunity to expand my search at several junkyards in different locations. I enjoy looking through junkyards. So, this is a good reason to get out there and go look through a few of them for me.

Thanks

dave1123

99-02 Dodge Durango 130 or 160 amp alternators work perfectly with only a plug rewiring. The Dodge 5.2 V8 is usually a 130 amp and the 5.9 is a 160 amp. Check out "D&E in the Garage" on YouTube.

Noah911

I just watched the D&E YouTube guys swap the Durango one into a plow ZJ. That was cool to see how they matched the wiring from the old alternator to the replacement. It looked easy to do on the ZJ.

I do not need the extra juice from a bigger alternator. It is good to know now the Durango one will work in case there are no Jeep alternators out there. That 160 AMP one is a huge upgrade! The fusible link needs reworked for the bigger one. At full load the 160 can put out 180 AMPS!

I'm going to watch a few more videos on it.

Noah911

You know, I have seen people here recommending to upgrade going to better battery cables and such. These guys on D&E are giving me some ideas. They explained some of the differences between the wires for the battery, alternator, and starter... like the stranding etc.. of the Jeep stock cables compared to some of the other upgrade options. Jeep used weak wires...

dave1123

Yeah, tell me about it! Some of the wiring in my XJ is only 20 gauge and it's a 2000! If it was a GM car, it would be 16 gauge.

97grand4.0

I did the same thing to my xj, got a junkyard alt and rebuilt it. 4 times in and out before getting it right. Biggest problem is putting the case back together without the rotor dragging on the stator. You know this happened when you start it and the alternator locks up and the belt screams. It is reallllly close tolerances. Have fun. And yes, if Jeep built your jeep with a certain size alt, you can bet that chrysler did not go a single bit oversize for the wiring of the alternator they selected. So if you do go oversize, and if you add a single fog light, you will need to go oversize, and then upsize the alternator B+ wire and install a 1xx amp fuse link.
I was more pleased with my zj external regulator upgrade, and a rebuilt (90 amp?)alt, more 'bang for the buck' imo, although, id doesn't quite support my hi amp headlights when idling with the blower on hi and the fog lights on. Adding the higher draw headlights wasn't on the drawing board at Chrysler. So I make sure not to have all 3 on if coming to a stop. But if I wanted to I could also do the higher amp alt upgrade.

Noah911

I am in Northern, North Dakota for the remainder of this next week. I do not think I am going to find an alternator for it anytime soon this weekend. There is a little town about 40 miles or so distance from me. It may possibly have a junkyard? There should be.. but, I am not too sure how great of a selection there will be? The only thing I found so far was the 2010 census saying there was a population of 66 people. I did see a Jeep driving around up this way over the past week though.

I will be driving 1,700 miles on my way to Kentucky come the end of this week. I think it may provide me with an opportunity to look for one somewhere. I did call a friend of mine in Youngstown OH about it though, which is where my WJ is at right now. He is going to look for the 130 AMP Durango alternator from the U-Pull where he works. I bet he finds me something good to work. The junkyard there in Y-Town is a good size yard. I will probably just leave it to him, as he knows exactly what to be looking at for it.

I think the 130 AMP Durango alternator is the one I want to go with for it.

I wonder if the old WJ alternator could fit my ZJ and vice versa with either of the Durango ones? I think they should be compatible. Not sure? I'll have to look into it.