Volkswagen Alternator Rebuild / Restoration

[@RRCRestoration]

Hey Guys, As you have probably noticed already i have updated the channel name and logo. The channel is no longer Really Random Channel it is now RRC Restoration. Just incase you were wondering why the water marks in the video still say Really Random Channel. Enjoy.

[@DarkFilmDirector]

5:19 is brilliant. No one else I've watched actually labels what parts we are looking at on screen. Really helps with understanding the process and how the parts work.

[@Fractal_CZ]

Besides the amazing work, I truly admire the amount of talking.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@jameznm]

It was nice not to hear crappy back ground music too.

[@Fractal_CZ]

James Mitchell indeed!

[@jasonphillips3865]

Your skills, patience and attention to detail embarrasses us lesser mortals.

[@RRCRestoration]

Aww shucks your too kind :)

[@PeteBeardsley]

@@RRCRestoration What Jason said! ^^^^^

[@ulrichpawlak5438]

@@RRCRestoration no

[@whiskeybluez]

I was going to buy new but after watching this vid I stripped mine. Got new Bosch regulator and bearings. Could have never done it without you ✌️✌️✌️

[@RonaldFinger]

Chucking the pulley into the drill press is a great trick! I wish I would’ve done that when I restored my crank and water pump pulleys

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you, Im glad i could share my knowledge with you. I like your channel lots of interesting content.

[@klave8511]

Ronald Finger. I recently had to replace a belt that was “stretched”. Turns out that one pulley had a rough surface and was eroding the belt. I now have to take it off to either replace the pulley or clean up the inside surface as was done her, it’s good to see a simple way to do it!

[@DustyPearl-13]

Did I tell you Sir that you are an ARTIST! This alternator is now better than original...it will produce higher voltage...! You deserve an OSCAR for restoration! Cheers from Montreal!

[@Tmrfe0962]

Wow....you always out do yourself and as a minor restoration guy, mostly cleaning...lol...I am in awe of your attention to detail and authenticity. Thank you

[@williamlee1429]

Your initiative to tear into that thing is incredible. I haven't restored one in 40 years I just buy a new one outright. They seem to be so common anymore they won't even take a core in. The 6 volt generator for my tractor oh, well that's an entirely different story.

[@djpat5998]

The damn alternator probably look better than the car it's going on.

[@RRCRestoration]

Not going to lie your totally correct its going on an old VW van haha

[@chrismoule1]

Most probably worth more than the van as well

[@keithameerali9474]

The inner core looks new because he did no t show if he replaced the commutator. Finally he should say or show if it works because the title mentioned :restoration : Do not your leave your viewers to wonder since you are asking for subscribers.

[@MrBlue-ib7oi]

@@keithameerali9474 you would ruin a wet dream, wouldn't you?

[@keithameerali9474]

@@MrBlue-ib7oi Hope you are not Martin Luther King reincarnated.

[@jaiprakashn9686]

You are amazing RRC, Restoration, no one given Demo like this, your equipment's superb to restoration any thing in machineries, excellent learning concept, 👍🏿

[@coolissimo69]

I never though an alternator could be so pretty. Great job.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much :)

[@garymucher9590]

I did the exact same thing to a GM alternator. And it looks like new also. I even changed the commutator rings as well. But I don't have anything to put it on now. So I may try to use it to build a AC generator with a gas engine. Thumbs Up for your project!

[@cosmicallyderived]

Superb restoration. I would have really enjoyed a bit more pedagogical annotations like you had with the acid bath and rinse captions. Some demonstration of testing the alternator as failed and which parts were failed would have been great too. I'm not too familiar with alternator design but you certainly seem to know your way around one. Good stuff.

[@jimflaherty2678]

A light coat of a poly clear will keep the die castings bright and shiny for years.

[@jameznm]

Would have been great to see you spin it up connected to a multi meter :)

[@Portfelio]

Yea. Curious to see how much life it has in it.

[@macvanbus142]

Thank you for the in-depth details video, also what make it special is absence of background music. Good professional work.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much! :)

[@persona83]

Thanks for the parts overview, and with part names. Most restorations videos forget this little detail.

[@RRCRestoration]

No problem, Glad you liked it :)

[@gus6rocks]

Wow, you put that back together with new brushes on SERIOUSLY worn slip rings. Good job spoilt.

[@alexreeve]

its the paint and polish youtube thing. no one cares if it is gonna work or not, just has to look pretty :D

[@vonfleppestein]

the slip rings on those old bosch alternators are 6mm thick and only worn like 3mm it will last longer than the vw mk2 golf it will go on

[@CrazyCat229]

Yup, people watch youtube. Oh I can do that. I dont need no mechanic. Brings it to me on tow truck. I dont understand why it doesnt run, I did everything just like the youtube guy did... ?!?!

[@JohnMcMahon.]

So satisfying to watch. It’s like watching the Germans with their attention to detail. I love it.

[@RRCRestoration]

High praise indeed ;)

[@another1commenter770]

Wow good restore. Overall 10/10. If you ever do one again however replace the slipring while you are at it. Also when reassembling the alternator fit the bearing to the drive end housing and fit its retaining plate and screws. then press the assembled drive end housing onto the rotor by supporting the inner race with the press fit washer that sits between the bearing and the fan. on disassembly if not too rusted its easier to press the rotor out of the bearing while its retained in the drive bracket then it is to pull it off after however if its rusted then deformation of the bearing retaining plate is at risk with the force of the press. The alternator is a bosch N1 series from the late 80's and fits a lot of 1985-1995 VW's and Audi's. The pulley changes between a lot of models but the core alternator is the same. They can charge when spun in both directions however the fan is directional and cooling efficiency will suffer when spun counter clockwise (when looking from the pulley side).

[@mavos1211]

Such a great video, In a throw away society it’s great to see someone promoting Restoration.

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again, glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@timbarnes2884]

While I think your videos are amazing. I love your self confidence and how the guys with low self confidence try and shoot down your videos and it does not even generate a reaction from you! Your a machine!

[@michaelmontgomery5818]

Clicked on it right away. This is the first alternator rebuild I've seen in any restorations vids. Beautiful, meticulous work from you, as always.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much, Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@haithamkittana5411]

Good job man. I like watching people fixing and rebuilding things which has a huge benefits on my carrier. Thanks man a keep going forward.

[@damiancristin1790]

The electric coil you placed directly on the metal when washing. Affects the insulating lake of wires

[@bradleyleben7785]

Great restoration! That’s the way this old mechanic likes to see it done!👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@wetdedstuocm]

Now this to me was very interesting. I have refurbished generators, and magnetos, in my time but never a alternator.. Nice Work.. Peace

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you, Im very glad you found it interesting :)

[@MrLuigi77047]

Beautiful job at restoration. But I would have loved to see some amperage coming out of that masterpiece on a test jig. After all functionality is more important than beauty.

[@Oberkommando]

Yessss car parts restoration are the ones I like the most. Keep up the amazing work

[@RRCRestoration]

More car parts coming soon ;) Glad you enjoyed this one :)

[@michaelmontgomery5818]

I'm with you. I know jack about mechanics. I really love watching guys who know this stuff.

[@SE45CX]

It take some time to get there considering equipment, skill and good judgement what is best to do next.

[@chriswills9530]

As ever, intrigued and interested by the zinc plating and passivating to save the bolts and nuts. Interesting as well to see some pretty anonymous, work-a-day tools and plastic tubs and then a Snap On torque wrench. Interesting.

[@truegrip2281]

Please make a dedicated detailed video about your zinc plating process ! I'm really interested about the composition of your zinc bath

[@RRCRestoration]

Hi, Im planning on doing a plating video soon ;)

[@ww321]

Use Mother's Back to Black on your plastic parts. I've been using it for years and it's the best I've ever found for bringing new life to plastic..

[@waterheaterservices]

Thank you. Will give it a try.

[@willieessmann780]

Well done! The first person on the restoration channels I saw to actually use a bearing press!!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you, If a jobs worth doing it worth doing well :)

[@ronaldyoungberg9933]

@@RRCRestoration that is a value my father taught me it is not taught to today's students at all.

[@rotor676]

I worked at an alternator rebuild shop for 25 years and can tell you that maybe 5% of bosch alternator like that one would ever come apart that easy. So good luck to anyone thinking of rebuilding one. Save yourself a headache and just go buy a rebuilt one, this particular alternator is old and thus cheap.

[@AlanMedina314]

Excellent restoration. To the point and in detail.

[@robozstarrr8930]

nice, from years of owning air & water cooled VWs, helps to add 2 or 3 extra ground wires ( 10/12 AWG ) to the chassis/engine and alternator, expecially if alternator " iso-mounted "( rabbits/golf vintage ) with that crappy single braided wire on the bottom of the Alternator exposed to road dirt/water, salt/ etc. ... ( design flaw ) Cheers

[@Ermakof]

Всё здорово, НО... Медные втулки (токоприёмники) нужно было выровнять. Щётки будут неплотно прилегать. А вообще их лучше заменить.

[@romanshmel6755]

и это самое важное, помимо проверки изоляции на сопротивление и замены щеток. не реставрация, а оцередное отмыл-покрасил

[@ИванАнтонов-г4ч]

Хомячки схавают

[@fargogemini694]

Did this for a living before I started training as a mechanic and never seen a pulley come off that easy

[@RRCRestoration]

I know exactly what you mean i was anticipating a fight with it but it genuinely came off that easy, Im as shocked as you are haha

[@another1commenter770]

The bosch alternators when made to suit a keyway and not using the key will tend to be easy to remove the pully. The washer that sits under the fan (above the bearing) is a different story, its a press fit component that acts as a space and dust/oil thrower. Most the time a press or puller depending on method is required for removal.

[@bubblehead78]

Superb video! Very relaxing and well made; great camera work; no artificial sounds. I've subscribed and will be watching for more like this. Thank you.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you so much for subscribing it means a lot to me :)

[@jimbinger]

What was the solution that you used to soak/clean the screws?

[@motorbikesandhacks]

Bilt Hamber Deox C

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Looked like Cocaine & Gin.

[@therealgaragegirls]

I'm going to guess muriatic acid?

[@jimbinger]

@@therealgaragegirls Thanks!

[@johnperry5396]

Kind of wondering why you didn't pull out a meter to check your windings before going through this elaborate level of restoration.

[@rvandijk65]

beautiful. compliments!!! . better than new. regulator hopefully new as they are a common breakdown part.

[@spinnetti]

You can get a much more accurate aluminum finish by glass beading rather than wire brushing - easier too.

[@jerryalexander3515]

I really learned a lot by watching your video. Great job!

[@gringoM]

Just one recomendation, if you sand the colector to 2000 grain, you get much more lifetime for the motor brushes. That alternator can Last til 15 years

[@zafs3005]

Really enjoyed the video as I will be doing same shortly big help also if you could give us a bit more info on the zinc plating method ie: solution Degreasing Which acid for etching And which yellow passivate you used Would be great help because I have watched a few video on zinc plating but your finish is by far better. Thanks again

[@cg9542]

I wish I had your equipment, knowledge and confidence. I am currently working on a 2.0 conversion on my mk2 golf valver. But I always seem to have such little confidence although I know I can do it I always wonder if I will remember where every nut bolt and washer goes lol. Great job man your videos are awsome 🤘👍🍺

[@goodideas5659]

Nice job. As an ex auto electrician with hundreds of reconditioned Bosch alternators we used to machine the slip rings so as to reduce brush wear and possible contact issues. You didnt do that I noticed. Also as good as it looks, would be even better looking if you painted the aluminium housing silver as you cant buff out all the sections...

[@EasternNCSportbikes]

Great video, glad to see someone else using some quality tools in these restoration videos lol.

[@bobtoh2285]

Lovely video. Great job. Can share what are the specs for the bearings please.

[@pedrowalter]

Excellent. I see people painting the case. It will reduce heat dissipation by 15% !!!!!

[@briangreen6602]

Love the work, but consider sending the ally parts out for vapour blasting ; the finish is like a just-cast fresh from the foundry look and would make it indistinguishable from a new item.

[@cheriachenthoppil916]

Like your tool kit and neat handling of them

[@McTroyd]

Very nice! Did you also happen to check the rectifier diodes (on the backplate you soldered to)? I understand those will burn out in a rough-used alternator.

[@davidlodge32]

Excellent! No distracting voice-over or moronic heavy-metal soundtrack! Three things, though. Is it safe to assume that the diodes are OK (I didn't see any testing of them), and also all the manuals say to use pliers as heat-sinks when soldering them; can we ignore that? And I didn't see any dressing of the slip-sings, although they looked shiny on re-assembly!

[@johnblanton9969]

Excellent job....I always look forward to your videos....There are only a handful of "restorers" on youtube that I consider "craftsmen". You are one of them.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much for your kind comment :)

[@nikitazak291]

A little bit confused. Contact rings of rotor have deep grooves. Are you sure that alternator is completely rebuilded?

[@javajav3004]

probably should have spun them with some sandpaper

[@eduardomendoza6411]

I thought the same thing... those slip rings are WASTED. And... did he test the rectifier?

[@adriannesz3508]

My car MK2 (VW Golf in Mexico) uses that alternator.😃 Great job.

[@danielcobbins9050]

Isn't there a test stand or something to find out if that alternator is putting out correct voltage?

[@eddypagan8675]

That is called a oscilloscope it will show a wave form that will tell me if rectifier( 4 diodes ) are working or not and the regulator also. but also this can be done with a very high resistance multimeter also the stand running can check regulator also with Voltmeter

[@milczorek4781]

Looks nice , nothing else ;) From an electrical point of view repair is done improperly . You didn't check the windings , you left slip rings that are almost worn , pulley is better to replace as it is worn and you haven't checked the alternator's efficiency after repair ;) I do not write this maliciously, but when fixing such a thing you need to do it professionally, so that the alternator doesn't break in the middle of anything in a short time . Regards to you ;)

[@BaoBao-yu5bu]

I have noticed in all his videos he doesn't take care of the repair quality, only the esthetic. Beautiful painting, metal plating, but nothing about real repair, just a show on YT to get some oh!, ah! wonderful!...

[@horstszibulski19]

Oh yes, there is always one stubborn bolt, so true! :-D These regulators...I had one on a VW T3 diesel bus, always one of the flat copper lines broke from vibrations, left me with uncharged battery...check for it, if the generator light won`t come on by turning the key...easy fix with some soldering! Thx for the vid, great job! :-D

[@pyro323]

I noticed a lot of these channels use an etch primer when painting their projects, and they say it etches the metal and prevents rust.

[@lukeromeril]

Excellent video, superb calm approach. What was the solution used to clean up the bolts?

[@emilebal1287]

C'est beau , mais dommage de ne pas avoir changé le collecteur ! (vu son état avancé d'usure ) Reste plus qu'a vérifier les performances de cet alternateur maintenant avec un banc de contrôle en principe , ou au minimum un Métrix (voltmètre ) . Pour info: un régulateur défaillant peut faire bruler la batterie , voir la voiture , donc un contrôle du point de coupure d'après les spécifications fabriquant doit être absolument fait .D'ailleurs lors d'une une vraie rénovation on change les composants électronique ( chez les pro !)

[@BaoBao-yu5bu]

Il ne le fera pas. Si vous regardez bien toutes ses vidéos vous constaterez que, s'il soigne effectivement toujours parfaitement l'esthétique de ses réalisations, il bâcle systématiquement l'aspect mécanique et fonctionnel. Peu lui importe si l'équipement est bien réparé il lui suffit qu'il soit tout beau tout propre.

[@MrFuriousliquidity]

I want to restore my life like how he restores random things.

[@riky1113]

bonjour super travail magnifique quel professionnalisme

[@mutley748916]

I always hold my breath when you spray paint haha

[@jadrankasusac2265]

Svaka ti cast covjece, zasto nisi blizu mene upravo mi je crko alternator

[@maycogaming5180]

Que gran trabajo aquí como siempre dando mi like para que sigas creciendo amigó

[@RRCRestoration]

gracias :)

[@yvesdesrosiers2396]

Nice job! That was an empowering video. Doh!! Thanks for sharing.

[@Garth2011]

Interesting cleaning job. What was the white powder used with the hot water for the bolts? Especially liked the yellow coating to make visible parts look new.

[@gustavozorzi5691]

I think you should have painted the alternator body, however it was an really good job.

[@keithameerali9474]

A paint job would have highlighted his painstaking work. However I would have plastichromed the main body.

[@gpz550a2]

Very therapeutic to watch. 🙂👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you ,Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@alejandroosorio8651]

Un trabajo de joyería los felicito y donde se encuentra un taller así?

[@micbanand]

did you replace the diodes. and why did you not show anything, regarding the most importen parts of the alternator? but it looks very nice :)

[@leehodge2415]

i have that 3/8" torque wrench. awesome job on the restore.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@electronicamarini]

Falta cambiar anillo colector,Muy buen trabajo.

[@blko-om9gr]

DESET PLUS ZA VIDEO I PERFEKTNO URAĐENO. 😊😊

[@DaveDavis126]

Better than new , southing to watch funny enough

[@PatriqBacklund]

I'm following this superb documentation! What did you do when you snapped your fingers at 10:48...? I'm ready to do this cleaning step, but have no idea as to what to do?

[@angelgeorgiev1643]

You should test it in the final.

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I used to recon alternators at home and used a old lawnmower engine to test them. Was a bit crazy lol.

[@fila1445]

oh boy ! I'm not the only one with shelf full of scrap :P

[@RRCRestoration]

Haha,I have shelves, boxes and corners full of the stuff haha.

[@fila1445]

@@RRCRestoration and when your family goes through your stuff while they clean they want to throw everything away. "but it may come handy one day" XD

[@gengenisis4410]

its always a pleasure to see your great work man. 100

[@КошмарКошмар-й2б]

Hi bro 👋👋👋 glad to see your new restoration video, great job 👍👍👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again, I hope you enjoyed this video :)

[@MrSOUSSAN]

very nice work. why did you fix the original bosch volt regulator it's still work u just have to change the coals

[@Scott924m]

A nice restoration and what is just a common in expensive car part I wonder if an ultrasonic cleaner would have helped clean the internal parts that you couldnt get to just a thought

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you, Yeah an ultrasonic cleaner would work brilliantly on the rotor and stator windings.

[@MatthewPierce9]

Just found this. Thank you. These are awesome. Great rebuild work, editing, and camera work. What cleaning mix did you soak the nuts and bolts in?

[@peterkonitzer4410]

Man..I wish i had table like that in my dining room...

[@schorsex3562]

The Profi, so wird es gemacht und nicht anders. Allerdings hat er vergessen oder nicht gezeigt, Prüfung auf Masse-Schluss.

[@konquer247]

Probably I would have painted the outer shell as well. Just to make it look nice and protect it from ever rusting again.

[@bojidarvasilev8854]

Super restoration 👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@bareegogingenandre]

Yes. Looks nice, but does it work. You did not check for shorts circuits before you took it apart.

[@damianbutterworth2434]

The trouble with doing this with new alternators is you cannot really test them as they rely on being connected to the cars computer. You can buy a special box for £200 to mimic the computer. The newer cars don`t charge the battery when the car is accelerating so as to get full power to the wheels.

[@TheVwgolfmk1]

What a transformation, was that in a fire or something? Well done, where's the rest of the VW .

[@larrypierce2777]

Questions, Questions: Do you use what they call a growler to check for shorts in stator windings? At what point do you change the brush commutator or the even the rotor for that matter? What solution did you use for the screws? I'm guessing that the aluminum housing gets oxidized and greasey, making it really hard to clean. You did a great job there man. Very mathedical, and very orderly. What's the purpose of the Yellow solution? Why did you have zinc plate the cooling blade? Just curious. Thanks for the good video. I'm subscribing today. I've watched several of your videos and I like them. Right down me alley of taking things apart. My problem would be finding the voltage regulator of the solid state zener diodes.

[@jasoncdebussy]

Top quality work as always - love your videos! 👍😊

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank very much :)

[@habakanaba]

Looks brand new!!! Wow! Great job man!!!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much :)

[@e.a.7265]

Satisfying to watch.

[@tomnwoo]

Epic as always, have you tried Phosphoric acid for cleaning aluminium? brings it up like new..

[@RRCRestoration]

Hi, Thanks for the tip Ill be sure to give that a go, Thanks :)

[@NormanNodDunbar]

Phosphoric Acid? That's basically Coca-Cola! ;-) Cleans engines and toilets.