Shoutout to the $25 junkyard alternator that outlasted the parts store one
I used to buy every replacement part new from the chain store near my place in Fresno because I figured cheap used stuff was asking for trouble, but the $140 reman alternator died in 8 months and left me walking. I pulled a dirty one off a wrecked Civic at Pick-n-Pull for $25 plus a $10 core, cleaned it up, and it ran fine for over a year. Is it really worth paying 5x for new when the junkyard stuff holds up, or did I just get lucky?