Took the remains of a suspension ladder in the front of the Focus yesterday
- middle of the M1 and it got spat out the back of a truck after falling
off the one in front of that.

By some miracle it missed the radiator but got a direct hit on the
alternator (how...??) and sliced the aux drivebelt.

Magneti Marelli are crap. The alu spar managed to punch off the rear cover,
smash the coil wiring off the connector and wedge a bit in the brush
housing. Limped home before the lights died.

Ford spoare dept, bless their cotton socks could do an alternator at 400
plus notes. No brush packs available full stop. Sod it. Everywhere else is
outside of walking range so it's Phone-a-Freind or submit to the Leeds bus
service. I chose P-a-F

Most places upon being told that I had Magneti Marelli either died
laughing, commiserated with me for having such a lump fo junk or offered to
sell me a brush pack and rectifier pack for something like 90.

Eventually found a place in Wakefield called Auto Generators. Twenty
minutes work and he had the smashed brushes out and nice new ones in.
Fiver. Excellent.

Also does a good line in remanufactured alternators on site and the
trainees that he had all knew their stuff and seemed to be more than
competent. Cheap prices as well. If you need anything like that round this
way I'd recommend them.

Chris Street  wrote:


> Took the remains of a suspension ladder in the front of the Focus yesterday
> - middle of the M1 and it got spat out the back of a truck after falling
> off the one in front of that.
> 
> By some miracle it missed the radiator but got a direct hit on the
> alternator (how...??) and sliced the aux drivebelt.
> 
> Magneti Marelli are crap. The alu spar managed to punch off the rear cover,
> smash the coil wiring off the connector and wedge a bit in the brush
> housing.


I fail to see how something can be 'crap' because it broke when
something rather large and quite heavy hit it at high speed.
-- 
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE -  COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 22:47:45 +0100, SteveH wrote:


> Chris Street  wrote:
> 
>> Took the remains of a suspension ladder in the front of the Focus yesterday
>> - middle of the M1 and it got spat out the back of a truck after falling
>> off the one in front of that.
>> 
>> By some miracle it missed the radiator but got a direct hit on the
>> alternator (how...??) and sliced the aux drivebelt.
>> 
>> Magneti Marelli are crap. The alu spar managed to punch off the rear cover,
>> smash the coil wiring off the connector and wedge a bit in the brush
>> housing.
> 
> I fail to see how something can be 'crap' because it broke when
> something rather large and quite heavy hit it at high speed.


I didn't make it very clear and you are correct (although a Lucas design
*probably* would have survived). It's the way that the entire thing is
assembled and the distinct lack of parts (and the price of those parts)
that really got my goat.

Chris Street  wrote:


> >> Magneti Marelli are crap. The alu spar managed to punch off the rear cover,
> >> smash the coil wiring off the connector and wedge a bit in the brush
> >> housing.
> > 
> > I fail to see how something can be 'crap' because it broke when
> > something rather large and quite heavy hit it at high speed.
> 
> I didn't make it very clear and you are correct (although a Lucas design
> *probably* would have survived). It's the way that the entire thing is
> assembled and the distinct lack of parts (and the price of those parts)
> that really got my goat.


It's the modern way, innit?

Doesn't matter who made it, the parts supply is going to be the same.
-- 
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE -  COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

The message 
from Chris Street  contains these words:


> Ford spoare dept, bless their cotton socks could do an alternator at 400
> plus notes.


That's scary. How much for really fancy bits?

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:02:55 +0100, SteveH wrote:


> Chris Street  wrote:
> 
>>>> Magneti Marelli are crap. The alu spar managed to punch off the rear cover,
>>>> smash the coil wiring off the connector and wedge a bit in the brush
>>>> housing.
>>> 
>>> I fail to see how something can be 'crap' because it broke when
>>> something rather large and quite heavy hit it at high speed.
>> 
>> I didn't make it very clear and you are correct (although a Lucas design
>> *probably* would have survived). It's the way that the entire thing is
>> assembled and the distinct lack of parts (and the price of those parts)
>> that really got my goat.
> 
> It's the modern way, innit?
> 
> Doesn't matter who made it, the parts supply is going to be the same.


I bought a Lucas brushpack and regulator for 13 when doing a mates Rover a
fortnight ago though!

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:04:34 +0100, Guy King wrote:


> The message 
> from Chris Street  contains these words:
> 
>> Ford spoare dept, bless their cotton socks could do an alternator at 400
>> plus notes.
> 
> That's scary. How much for really fancy bits?


I've never dared ask. They are quite reasonble for some things like cambelt
and tensioner (38) but silly for others, like 14 for the nut and retainer
clip for the end of the handbrake cable. Yes, fourteen notes for an M8 nut
and a bent tin clip. 

Hate to think what something like a rack or driveshaft would be.

In article ,
   Chris Street  wrote:

> Ford spoare dept, bless their cotton socks could do an alternator at 400
> plus notes.


*How* much? Had an alternator replaced on a BMW 525 at a main dealer, and
it 'only' cost 200 quid. Plus labour, of course. ;-(

-- 
*Sleep with a photographer and watch things develop

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:12:00 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)" 
wrote:


>In article ,
>   Chris Street  wrote:
>> Ford spoare dept, bless their cotton socks could do an alternator at 400
>> plus notes.
>
>*How* much? Had an alternator replaced on a BMW 525 at a main dealer, and
>it 'only' cost 200 quid. Plus labour, of course. ;-(


DIY changing an alternator is easy enough on a BMW.

In article ,
   dave  wrote:

> >*How* much? Had an alternator replaced on a BMW 525 at a main dealer,
> >and it 'only' cost 200 quid. Plus labour, of course. ;-(

> DIY changing an alternator is easy enough on a BMW.


Not when the car has broken down on the way to work on a very busy main
road, and the RAC has to tow it away. They wouldn't take it to my home
unless I was accompanying it, but only to a garage.

-- 
*Can atheists get insurance for acts of God? *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 22:38:34 +0100, Chris Street
 wrote:


>
>Eventually found a place in Wakefield called Auto Generators. Twenty
>minutes work and he had the smashed brushes out and nice new ones in.
>Fiver. Excellent.


I'll bear them in mind.


>
>Also does a good line in remanufactured alternators on site and the
>trainees that he had all knew their stuff and seemed to be more than
>competent. Cheap prices as well. If you need anything like that round this
>way I'd recommend them.


You could also try Aaron Auto Electrics on Tong Road at Wingate
junction.

I wouldn't be surprised if your Magnetti Spaghetti alternator was
originally made in Poland  by Polmot.

DG