Nutz Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Hi guys. My 95 is too reliable and its got me a bit worried. I've got about 180K on it and I have never changed the fuel pump or altnernator on it. Just wondering what your experience with these parts are. Is this typical, or are they long overdue for failure? I've changed the T-belt and water pump (worked fine) at about 120K, as preventative maintainance, but I'm not sure if I should change out the fuel pump and alternator soon, just in case. I'd hate to waste money, but I want to make sure I can continue to trust the truck to hell and back. (its only left me on the road once, due to a broken fan belt - too old,my fault entirely). Also, I'm wondering if the alternator brushes are easily replacable (and if so, where is a good place to buy the brushes/rebuild kit). Thanks, appreciate your comments. Nutz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLApathy Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 ive gone through 3 alts, but something tells me that u dont do what i do with my truck these parts dont normally fail unless ur truck doubles as a submarine, like mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 When? Only and always at the least opportune time! And age seems to be a relatively insignificant factor. If they don't die within the first month, they tend to last a very, very long time. My personal approach is to not change as PM - and especially never before a big trip! The first month is when you find all the manufacturing defects and is the most common failure time. If I were in your shoes, I would buy a replacement fuel pump, seal it in a bag, wrap in a rag and stuff under the rear seat or similar... Just for peace of mind. Changing on the side of the road is a pain, but extremely unlikely to happen. And getting one out of a known good runner with lowish miles that is being parted out is arguably BETTER than brand new - it has been proven good with no inherant manufacturing defects or gremlins! Alternator? I don't change until it makes noise or dies. Even if it dies, you can get home if you have a buddy. Just swap batteries back and forth so his recharges one while you run the other as total loss. If you leave all lights, fans, and stereos off, you can run total loss off a good battery for at least an hour with no ill effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v6engine Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 call me lucky but those are the results i have with my 1990. original alternator died at around 255k. original fuel pump replaced at 268k (last year). It started making a noticeable hissing sound but the car was running fine. Unlike you mws, I had two belts broken (AC and steering) while driving and they somehow managed to cut my transmission cooling hoses. The result was an expansive transmission replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Good idea if the batteries are compatable, but as I understand it, the EFI on the WD21's shuts down at or before 10 volts... That probably means not too long of a run time. I don't change either until they fail. Personally, I'd rather carry a spare alt than fuel pump as I have never had one go out, but have had a few alts fail. I have had fuel filter issues in a few cars so that would be good, cheap spare part to carry... My 95 is too reliable and its got me a bit worried For some reason, that cracks me up ! Don't question it, just enjoy it ! Do the 'regular' maintanence and call it good. My last Nissan truck ran 10 years virtually trouble free even though it was driven most the time and was used hard on many occasions. One of the reasons I bought a Pathy... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutz Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Thanks guys. I guess since it aint broken, I'll leave them alone for now, but shopping around for spares sounds like a good idea. Just can't believe how insanely reliable these trucks are. I guess I just want to keep it that way. I found a set of brushes but it looks like they are internal, so changing them requires taking the whole alternator apart. Not sure it make sense to do that, unless I rebuild the thing with new bearings etc. Sounds like you guys replaced the entire alternator when it quit. Anyway, here's the link if anyone is interested. link - alternator brushes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Unlike you mws, I had two belts broken (AC and steering) while driving and they somehow managed to cut my transmission cooling hoses. The result was an expansive transmission replacement. Please allow me to clarify: I wouldn't change alternator or fuel pump as PM. Belts, hoses, u-joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, spark plugs, filters, fluids, tire air, and many other things are RELIGIOUSLY changed as PM, per the factory recommendations or based on what I've learned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Yeah, change the cheap parts (belt, hoses, fluids, etc.) but let the expensive ones die before touching 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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