Try to establish the solenoid is both new and a good brand if possible on a rebuild. The ones rebuilt in Mexico in my experience often have the old solenoid on them. Perhaps this is why the bosh rebuilt units cost more.


It is a pretty trouble prone part. The rebuilders have a major issue with rebuilding starters and alternators. There are really cheap replacement parts that do have many issues. Some if not most good rebuilders refuse to use them. So it makes them costly to repair at the rebuilders end when doing it properly.

A large rebuilder went out of business. Being an opportunist I went through their replacement parts inventory. There was little doubt why their returns put them out of business. After hours of looking I only purchased a very few things as 90 percent of their inventory consisted of just cheap junk parts. Also picked up a very large vice from them. It was an older firm that had not even properly equipped to check the comparative strength of each phase in the alternators . A twenty dollar expenditure on ebay as technically the scope can be pretty crude or obsolete for this function.

At the cost of some alternators today especially. If you can locate a good local rebuilder it is probably worth using them. I do not know how they stay in business though with all the cheap inferior junk in the auto stores as competition.

I have a growler and a multi horsepower alternator tester. Just for my own use though. Actually one of my daughters boyfriends many years ago was the supervisor of a very large chains rebuilding operation. They closed up their Canadian shop and moved it to Mexico a long time ago now. The product that chains sells today is really hit and miss.

Anyways. On the five cylinder 617. Make sure your hex socket on the bolt is bottomed by the tool. Especially the top one. Use only 1/2 inch extensions. Plus a good power bar. That top bolt in my experience will just snap loose a lot of times. You cannot do so if the extensions are torque twisting as the 3/8 ones sometimes do.

It may be a misteak but I put a little blue lock tight on the bolts and do not really torque them too heavily on re installation. A fair amount but not excessive. I never want to have to deal with a stripped head top bolt..