It worked well, but remember that it only works as long as there's fluid in the reservoir. I mainly used it going up to Idyllwild or Big Bear when I was winding out the engine. Good for a short duration cooling boost when you're under high load, not so much for extended use. If you do wanna go that route, find one of the high output Mercedes or BMW washer motors. If you ever really need to, you can do the same thing with the stock washer reservoir, just route the washer hose to spray on the radiator (I've seen race teams do this to make it through a stage).Originally Posted by Seanz0rz
well, yep, the alternator died. luckily there's a $40 rebuild kit on Amazon which comes with both bearings, voltage regulator, and new brushes in a holder. Unluckily, it doesn't come with the diode bridge, which is what went bad on mine. So, any repair is a chance to upgrade, right? The stock 97-99 LS400 alternator is rated for 100 amps. The 01-03 LS430 alternator is rated for 130 amps, uses the same oval plug, and bolts on. In 2004, the plug on the back changed and isn't a plug in swap. I got the idea from this thread. The only real difference is that the later alternator uses a 3rd bolt, which you can buy and use (p/n 90109-08298), or ignore completely. The new alternator is also slightly smaller in size. Install was easy and I didn't even have to remove anything to drop it out the bottom. Don't forget to upgrade the battery/alternator lead if necessary and upgrade the alternator fuse. Here are some comparison pics, new one on the left
While I was warming up the engine and making sure the alternator is working properly, the lower radiator hose blew off. This happened once before, and I just tightened the hose clamp a bit. The problem is that I had to cut off the bead at the end of the pipe when I trimmed it down. $5 for a Harbor Freight pair of vice grips, a thick washer, a bit of welding and some work with the cut off wheel and I had a tool to make a new bead at the end of the pipe to help keep the hose on.
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