The Cal-look Lounge

I am in the market for an alternator for my 67.  I am quite aware of the price jump in genuine bosch parts recently, so while at a local volkswagen shop who deals primarily in off road, I asked about the chinese knock off AL82N.  While he carries the genuine bosch, I was rather surprised to hear that in the last year 3 bosch alternators we were returned.  He also told me that in the same time 0 of the chinese ones were returned.  Not that that means much but I was wondering if anyone else uses the chinese version? I usually only buy bosch but I am just curious. 

I've only had 1 returned in 2 years, I talked with German Auto a couple weeks ago and he said hes never had 1 come back. I'm not endorsing them, just stating facts, you do want you want with the info

Someone should build an alternator inside a generator case like the flathead guys can get.

I've seen the bearings in the Chinese ones go bad in a few months.

I put a genuine Bosch on my 2110 3 1/2 years ago and have had no problems with it.

i am and have been using the german Bosch ones that came from German vehicles in the 70s, both internal and external regulator. in this part of the world, i am lucky i can still find them.

I have also tried the Brazilian Bosch AL82N, it lasted about 45K mms before the internal voltage regulator ( 2 wires) gave way and was causing low charge. that time, i could not get any spares for it.

the original german ones are and have been great, still using them, only thing is i can't find anyone selling any spare parts for them. only parts i can change and available new are the bearings and voltage regulator. i managed to buy 2 diode plates over the years.

if you can find a used German Bosch in good condition, not sure how easy it is in the USA, i would go with those.

having said the above, these are my findings on chinese alternators.


they came into the market maybe 6 or 7 years ago, the early ones are thrash. all sort of issues you can think of. bearing hosting not machined properly, stator incorrect length, you name it.

now, for the past 2 years, i have been in a country where they circuit race VW Beetles. this country is also a home to many rare VWs.  i couldn't help to notice a lot the guys here use the same type of alternator, including race cars.

so i asked one of the shops i always get my NOS parts from, he has sold this particular alternator, 75A, about 600 pieces and had 4 returns so far.  he told me he ordered his stock from the US.

i asked him to show me the alternator.  i figured 4 out of 600 is a good number, since it wasn't expensive, i just bought 1.  it is still in my apartment and i haven't used it or tested it yet.

i will post pics later.

the other thing i recently found out is the cost to manufacture these alternators in China. less than USD30 depending on the quantity.

a few shop owners, mostly ethinic chinese businessmen in Asia dealing with VW parts for generations i know have personally gone to china and witness their so called government sponsored "home industry"

while the name is home, but these home industries are in fact huge factories, or should i say plant, mostly located in the same area and they all make the same stuff. you can go and order anything, put your brand on it, the only thing they want from you is quantity. it is possible to get quality from them, but you need to be really specific and tell them exactly what you want.

this is the reason why there are a lot of junk from China, IMO. the person ordering them couldn't be bothered about quality. they had no choice but to improve on the quality of the alternators or else they won't sell and end up losing money.

now, how durable and lasting these alternators are, i don't know, only time will tell. but i will be taking apart mine just to check and play around.

I've had a Chinese alternator in my car for over three years now.  My Bosch failed and at the time I was unwilling to pay what it cost to replace it with another Bosch unit.  To this point I have had no issues with the Chinese alternator.

(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070067.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070068.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070069.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070070.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070071.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070072.jpg)

(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070024.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/vw%20parts%20indonesia/P1070025.jpg)


the pics above is the alternator i was talking about, made in china, imported into Indonesia from the USA. they come in various brands, but this brand is what the shop owner told me he has sold 600 pieces with 4 returns.

I have a Bosch AL78X that I got for $45 at a old parts store. I'm saving it just in case my 20 year old Bosch AL78 takes a dump.

(http://glenn-ring.com/temp/al78.jpg)

What's the difference between the AL82 and the AL78?

The bearings will go bad in a Bosch as well. It's not the bearings, it's the cheapo pulleys that people put on the gen/alt. They are not centered and it wears the bearings prematurely. My Bosch alternator on my car went bad in 2 weeks because of this, now I have a billet pulley and have had no problems in 5 years.

i believe they mean internal regulator and external regulator for the Brazilian style Bosch.

i couldn't find the number on any German alternators.


i also would like to know why Bosch Brazil would change the design to those.

AL78 has a external regulator and was used late 73 to early 74.

AL82 has a internal regulator.

Glenn, you mean the AL78X pic you posted is a German Bosch?

(http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb452/pupjoint2/Alt.jpg)

this is the internal regulator alternator fitted to beetles made in 73?? above and all EFI Beetles.

this is the german made Bosch alternator with external regulator

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/472434.jpg)

they are my preference, if i can find good ones and parts to rebuild them. if you can find them in the US, i would use them also.

can anyone confirm the parts are interchangable with the Brazilian style alternators?

The alternator in the pic directly above is exactly what my car came from VW with 37 years ago.  It now has ¼ million miles on it and works just fine.  I tested it's output a few years ago and it was giving just under 50A.

Thanks Guys

I just took delivery of a few new Bosch alternators from a Bosch dealer and asked him
about the quality. He said that he had sold more that 50 and likely 100 new chinese
Bosch type 1 alternators and only had two returned. One was due to misalignment of
the key and pulley nut was tighten with an impact wrench, then the threaded end broke of
The other rejected item was due to a bad bearing.

I alwas keep at least one new alternator in stock in my workshop and stopped rebuliding
old stock ones due to increase in spareparts prices.


/Rolf

rolf, can you still get parts for those german alternators? or brazilian ones?

Spareparts are hard to get for german units, but I have a friend at the Bosch dealer and he have helped me alot.
He have found some NOS spareparts but sources are drying out... It's easier to take a new chinese Bosch unit from
the shelf and the customer are back on the street in no time. It's more expensive to rebuild (proper rebuild) an old
unit comepared to the costs for a new unit.


/Rolf