Sorry you are correct, I did not see that. I did read your prior posts but not that one. As for the confusion on the origin of the alternator I am sure we are dealing with a service writer who is not really even sure what an alternator is much less where it came from.
You will get no argument from me that the Delco is crap (which explains why so many aftermarket upgrades have emerged - CS-144 form factor to fit CS-130 applications, remote rectifier kits, oversized bearings, HD rectifiers, etc). The Nippondenso, while superior, also requires rebuilds if the tech threads on F-chat are any indication. Upgrading will most likely increase the mean time between failures, but I don't see it as a "put it in and forget about it" solution. I'm treating the alternator like belts, tensioner bearings, waterpump, etc - an item that requires proactive rebuild/replacement at regular intervals.
I, as I said, have been working on 348 and Mond t's since 89. I have never rebuilt or seen a failure of one of the factory retrofit or OE Nippondensos in those models. While I am sure some have failed I also know as fact that there are those that can break a steel ball.
How about carrying a spare $100 alternator in the boot whenever you take the wife 400 miles from home in the 348. You could use it to stuff in her mouth and stop her d@#$ complainin' about riding 400 miles in the F-car! I can't stop thinkin' about that 'coon.....any suggestions on 'coon removal solutions?
I had a problem with my alternator 2 years ago when I took the 348 to Ferraris 60th anniversary in Maranello. I stayed at a local farm and took the car out for a great drive in local hills, especially one with miles of great hairpin bends. I drove the nuts off it. Getting back the light was on and 1000 miles from home i needed a replacement quick. We managed to source a new one and it cost £1000 or so to buy and fit. But it got me to the event and home afterwards so pleased with it. This summer i went back, with a group of friends, but in my new 355. Stayed in same place, did same tours and on day 3 went on same hill route. got back only to find light on again and alternator shot. Again I needed a quick fix to get home. Breakdown took car to ferrari dealer in modena, managed to source a new unit and cost some £1500 this time. Lightening does strike twice! Next time I do this trip in a Ferrari of any sort I shall be taking a spare! In meantime if anyone wants a rebuilt 355 unit I have one!
Well at $100 a pop to rebuild my Nippondenso, I can rebuild it every year for the next decade and I'll still be up $4,000 compared to what is being asking for the upgrade + install. So I'm still calling bullsh!t on that price. If someone wants to spend $5000 on something that only cost $100 to fix, who am I to tell them how to spend their money? Just because Ferrari says it costs "$5000" does not mean that is the REAL cost of the part. But hey, what the heck do I know, I'm just a Stooge.
Brian Enlighten me please I thought the conversion kit included an Alternator, some brackets, and a wiring harness. That seems relatively straight forward. You say list price is 4k+ and I'll trust you on that. Finding it cheaper is not the question (although I'm betting our friend Daniel could set us up). Is $750 a realistic price for install. Seems like its about an hour for a Pro. What am I missing? Lane P.S. Cooked a Nippondenso on my 348SS this past summer. Direct short in the rotor. Total rebuild including rotor, stator, bearings, rectifier, and VR for $250
I think it costs more, labor-wise, to install the upgrade kit on cars with a front battery. Don't know the numbers. OP's car should have the rear battery, and I would THINK that the kit could be installed in less than 2 hours on such a car.
The factory ALWAYS underestimates labor times for warranty and recall jobs. Ferrari paid 10 hours to do the job. Back when the cars were new and I was doing a couple a week I could beat that by a couple of hours. Doing one cold having never done it before is a different story. Doing the job with the motor out it is not too bad a job and can be done much easier but for example the studs that hold the old mount on need to be replaced and are too long to remove in the car. They run into the fuel tank long before they are out of the block. You have to take them half way out,cut them in two and finish removing them. Routing the new harness for the alternator and making it look like no one has been there is a real PIA. It is a big job to do the conversion and cost Ferrari an arm and a leg. But the reliability of that particular series of Delco was so bad Ferrari felt they had no choice. I worked at a very large dealer at the time and we installed that kit on every one of our customers cars, all at FNA expense. Many dealers did not take Ferrari up on the offer because they made more money rebuilding the Delcos at owner expense, over and over. Over all those years I have stayed with 2 electrical rebuilders and in the case of both the first time I took one of those to them for repair their comments were the same "You dont want me to rebuild that POS, do you?" Followed by "You'll be back".
Nice concise answer as always...Thank you Sir. Not sure I would elect to upgrade if it were me but thankfully, I don't have to make that decision. The other part of the question is Insurance. Not sure they should be responsible for the upgrade either unless "replacement cost" is underwritten and OEM is no longer available.
I was thinking excatly the same thing. Maybe we can get goth to come up with a design for a Stooge "coon" cannon. Could be fun that the next Stooge BBQ at FBB's house. Heck, he'd probably eat the left overs...
I suggest we get 2 carcasses. We'll use the second to fire down FBB's huge maw just to keep him occupied while we test with the other. I'm thinkin he's gettin hungry just at the thought!
The insurance company wanted to see photographs of the damage cause by the animal. The dealer told me that a cover was bent up into the alternator, causing the major damage. I knew that it had to be related as 10 minutes after the accident the car was dead.....can't be a coincidence. The mechanic said it was obvious that the animal caused the damage and the insurance adjuster concured. The adjuster told me that the insurance company authorized the repair, however, he felt the 5k price tag was too much. His comment was "who takes a car to a dealer for an alternator anyways." He said he called several places like Autometric Collision, who repair foreign cars and they have offered other "options". I don''t really know what my standing is here with regard to an upgraded replacement. After hearing what Brian has said, I surely don't want to put another pos in. The dealer has been pretty good thus far, found some fuel lines covered by a recall and they did that on their own.
Brian is right [as usual] and on the money. Had my POS OEM rebuilt about four years ago, and it got toasted again, and Brian saved me another bill as he did mine in the T < year ago according to specs. [don't think I'll have to revisit that old chestnut (but it's a Ferrari so fingers are crossed and have a rosary on rear mirror)] The insurance company needs to be given a lesson in business. Tell him he's lucky it didn't slip a belt elsewhere, and required an engine out rebuild.....he'd LOVE that bill.
There were 2 alternators used in the 348 series. The original 348 had a Delco alternator that failed annually. For the first 4 years I pulled it out and spent $75/year having it rebuilt. Ferrari recognized the problem and updated the cars with a Nipondenso unit. There was a kit available for the older cars (which I bought) for ~$1200, that included the alternator, new wire harness and bracket. Since I did the conversion, the alternator has been bullet proof. If you have the Delco and aren't going to upgrade, just rebuild the old one, because if you get another Delco, it will fail. Listening to the new generation of cheapskate 348 owners comparing $100 to $5K, and how they can "rebuild for X years, and be ahead", drives me crazy. Once again, "There is no such thing as a cheap Ferrari". When I wanted mine to work and be reliable, I stepped up, because I wanted to use the car, and not have it fail and leave me stuck on vacation or a track event 1000 miles from home. It won't be long for all of these cars are suffering from delayed service, inferior parts and neglect because of the inability to actually afford what it takes to do things correctly.
Comedians! If you think that the Nippondenso alternators don't fail you are wrong. I had my alternator fail on me TWICE before I decided to rebuild it myself on the "CHEAP". Just because you have the newer alternator put in does not mean it will not fail. If you think I'm wrong, then just go have a look at how many guys have rebuilt their Nippon unit's in both 348's and 355's. LOTS of Nippon units getting rebuilt. So all this talk that the "upgrade" Nippondenso will solve all your alternator problems is a load. The Nippondenso units do FAIL. And when yours does, feel free to use the info in the rebuild thread so you to can be a "cheapsake" and rebuild it for $50. That is after you have wasted, er I mean, spent $5,000 on the "upgrade".
That Kit now costs $4200 which in todays market amounts to more than 10% of the cars value. Are you suggesting that one should simply fork over the money without asking why and those that consider alternatives are "cheapskates"?
Your standing is firm. You have the right to take the car to where you wish to have it properly repaired, just like a choice in body shops. The insurance co cannot dictate where you take the car for repair.
Before this is all done the car might get a salvage title....what's the usuall % (cost to repair) of value that kicks it to a total loss.... 30%?
I'm not a fan of insurance companies' repair policies, but I do think that the insurance company would only be obligated to return the car to the condition it was in before the accident. Wondering about that poor raccoon's surviving family and if they will be suing?
Received a call from the insurance company today. They are balking because the Ferrari dealer wants to purchase a BMW alternator and basically rebuild it with an update kit, new mounting brackets, wiring harness. The adjuster from Hagerty has been excellent so far.....he is saying he wants to do the right thing and doesn't understand why a Ferrari alternator isn't used, i.e. like Ricambi's sells for a '90 348. By the way, any of you guys who have Hagerty insurance. Turns out, I didn't have collision coverage. If it hadn't been for hitting an animal, which is covered, I would not have had a claim. When I purchased by insurance I asked for FULL coverage (which is what I have had on ALL my other cars with Hagerty for many years now). I also asked if they had a product that would allow me to take the collision off when the car is in storage. It turns out that when you take out that type of coverage, it isn't available in full coverage form. I just found all this out today........ Anyways, anybody know of using a BMW alternator in an early 348????
