Alternator brush question.

[Hellfish]

Hi people. Great site here and this is my first post.
Anyways, I have a problem with my vt ss. Battery or alternator light has been coming on and off for a while then yesterday all the electrics went haywire, gauges stopped working then the whole car shut down. I got a jump start and within about 2 min it all happened again, cars cactus.
Now from what I've been reading on this site it seems my alternator has pooed itself. In the last 2 weeks I have spent over $780 on this bloody thing for other problems so I have decided to tackle this one myself.
I pulled the alternator out and I was hoping it is just the brushes. My question is, I've read that the min working length is 5mm. Do I measure with the brushes in or out of the alternator? They are less than 5mm while in but more when I measure them pulled out. It's a gen3 if that helps.

[*uwishn*]

defiantly the alternator mine has done this,
btw why didn't you Just get a recondition alt for around $150 exchange, much less hassle when your alternator then decides to go.

[Pub247]

you can just replace brushes and is lot cheaper than a reco will get you by for a while before it needs a rewind

[Hellfish]

Yeah, I'll try the brushes first. If that fails I will be hunting a reco.

[Cashman_309]

I just bought a genuine bosch voltage regulator for 30 buks inc. postage with new brushes.

If your handy with a soldering iron you can do the brushes on their own for like.. 5 bucks (its real cheap)

[Hellfish]

Try buying brushes at this time of year.... Arrgghh! Looks like I won't be up and running any time soon.

[Hellfish]

If the alternator is really dirty and oily does it mean that maybe its more than just brushes?

[Cashman_309]

Try buying brushes at this time of year.... Arrgghh! Looks like I won't be up and running any time soon.

I know right!
Mines off the road until the regulator arrives in the post... At this time of year that could mean 2 weeks lolololo.

As for oily/dirty.. Is the rest of your engine dirty?.. could be related.

[Hellfish]

Yep. I couldn't get brushes and considering the state of my alternator I went and bought a new one:-( also replaced the power steering reservoir as it looked like fluid has been leaking all over the place. So I'm up and running and all is good for now... Touch wood. But for some reason I put in my radio code and the radio comes on but my speakers don't work, I swear this thing is possessed!
On a side note, don't go to tyrepower in Croydon vic for mechanical repairs, they charged me $400 to change 5 pulleys and a new belt. Surely that's a bit steep