Best Alt & Ps Pump At Best Price

[Red Ghost]

After just buying my 92 ls 400, I've been reading about the alt & ps pump issue and have decided to just go ahead and replace them BEFORE any grief. Please give me your thoughts on brand and where to buy: Ebay & the cheapest, local chain car parts store w/unlimited warranty (OKC has O'Reillys who my mechanic & I trust), or top $ new Denso ? Also, I'm the type of guy, that while you're there replace it. What else- belt, tensioner, & ???

Thanks, Michael

[landar]

Welcome to the forum, Michael.

You may not like this advice but I would not advocate replacing the alt or ps pump if they are operating properly. I realize that you are trying a preemptive strike to avert future problems but, honestly, you might just consider leaving them be for the time. It is hard to beat the original equipment quality so I usually replace with like quality or rebuild the originals. In general, I do not use auto part store parts for more critical components. For exterior belts and the like, yes, a Gates or other non-OEM would be fine. There are some places on-line such as Sewell Lexus that sell quality OEM parts. I have done just as you plan to do and then kicked myself when the replacement part performed far worse than the original. I then wish I had just left it alone until it actually failed. Wasted $$$.

Can you tell us more about your car? How many miles? What shape is it in? How was it maintained thus far? Any pics you can post?

Again, welcome!

[Red Ghost]

I am the 3rd owner of this 92 LS 400 w/119,000 miles on it with oil changes every 3000 miles. It has been owned by men who are meticulous about their cars. I actually had to wait 3 years to get the Lexus from the 2nd owner and that was only because his wife wanted a car with controls on the steering wheel. I bought it for my 34 year old daughter-in-law and she was stunned- it looks new inside and out and the chrome wheels REALLY set off the burgandy color. That's why I want to maintain it to a Lexus standard as It will become my retirement car in 10 years and I plan on AT LEAST 500,000 if not 1 million miles in it.

[landar]

Sounds like a nice car. Again, I would do the things prescribed by the Lexus maintenance schedule which would include all fluids. Some fluids that you might not even think about such as the brake fluid and power steering fluid and differential fluid. Then you have the more obvious like the engine oil, transmission fluid and coolant. Of course, many of these may already have been changed by the previous owner(s). But the power steering pump and alternator are not on the maintenance schedule. I would just check to make sure the PS pump is not leaking. If the water pump has not been changed when the timing belt was done, you *might* consider replacing the WP and T-belt, pulleys and tensioner.

Other than that, just sit back and enjoy your "new" Lexus. Or rather, watch your D-I-L enjoy it!

[curiousB]

No benefit to preventative changing of ALT or PS Pump. Fix when fail.