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Replacement of the trusty 50DN
I got to spend last weekend with our coach to tinker and get it ready for our annual Disney adventure. Anytime we run through rain and have to give the bus a bath I make sure the motor gets one too. I have been noticing more and more oil gathering almost everywhere there is an oil seal on the Delco alternator. With that, it made the short list of things to get replaced sooner than later.
Just wanted to reach out and see what my best option might be for a replacement. Should I replace it with an OE model? Go with a little higher amp rating? The air cooled option sounds applealing considering that oil is the reason I’m having to consider replacement. I’m leaning toward the replacement being a Penntex PX-833.
Thoughs?
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7 Replies
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The oil leak is an easy fix. The pulley slides easily from the splined shaft because it floats to maintain belt alignment and behind it is a plate holding the seal. The seal can be purchased from Elreg. If the leak is the back plate there is a rope type seal that follows a groove on the plate. Both seals are accessed with bolt removal.
If there is nothing else wrong with the alternator I would suggest you stick with it. As an oil cooled alternator is is capable of handling heavy current draws and it is just my gut feel that an air cooled unit cannot get rid of the heat as effectively. Besides, fixing the seals can save you almost $1000.
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Im not into spending any extra money than anybody else on here but for about $850 (new unit vs. replacing seals) I could have a new alternator replacing the 18 year old one and wont have to worry about any of it again.
I know one could “what if” every piece and part on a coach until its terrifing to leave home but if it goes out on the road someday, I could have double or triple that in a service call diagnosing, replacing and/or towing the coach only to have a new one put on anyway.
The 50DN is a tank per their reputation but what is the expected life of one?
1999 XLV X-6872, liberty #440 -
My experience with the 50DN began on my 8V92 equipped coach in which they used a different oiling system integrated into the engine. When I sold the coach it had in excess of 300,000 miles and the alternator had never been touched.
Fast forward to the S60 with externally mounted 50DN. First alternator functioned to about 120,000 miles and began leaking. Replaced with NEW unit which had the bolts holding the two halves back out and shear on it’s first trip; I assume poor assembly workmanship. Almost lost the engine due to oil leakage from the alternator! Replaced it with a PX-833.
Great people to deal with, no worries of oil leaks or cross-contamination of engine oil. Unit I bought is a 24 volt, 300 amp replacing my 270 amp. No wiring changes and bolt-on.
I did have a problem with the bolts holding the alternator bracket to the engine shearing. I assume it MAY be because of the loss of some support for the alternator when the large drain hose is removed. I believe the bolts were originally about 7/16″…my solution was to drill out the 3 mountings to 1/2″ and install grade 8 bolts with no threads (only shank) in the stressed area. Now at 210,000 miles and doing fine.
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Patrick,
Where do you get a new 50dn for 8500?
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Elreg quoted me $895 for a belt drive 24V 50DN. What I was saying is there would be about an $850 differnce between me buying a new unit ($895) or spending $45 on new oil seals for the unit I have and still rolling a 16 year old alternator.
Glad to know the air cooled ones are out on the road and seem to work fine. I hadnt priced one yet. I think I may just get the direct oil cooled replacement but didnt know the useful life of them. Im good with 16 years!
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A few yrs ago I heard that the converters are taking the 50DN off the new chassis they get to put something larger on their new conversions, so they have like new 50DNs sitting on the shelf and are willing to sell them for a lot less than new
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The two places Don refered to was Country Coach which is gone now and Parliament which has been out of the conversion side of things for lond enough to have exhausted the supply they had and the new shells they have now use the smaller Bosch but the go to place now is Elreg I just delt with them on a replacemenr Neohoff 500 amp air cooled saved a ton of money.
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