Clicking Noise Solved (Alternator Pulley) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

ddb · 08-19-2009, 07:34 PM

A couple of weeks ago I replaced the water pump on my 2000 2.7 with 5-speed manual. While the serpentine belt was off I inspected the pulleys and found one idler pulley loose. So I replaced both idler pulleys and the tensioner pulley. I then installed a new serpentine belt and fired the car for the first time. I immediately heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the accessory drive area. Since the access panel was off it was easy to determine the noise was coming from the alternator pulley.

I wasn't able to find much information on this forum about the alternator pulley so I'm posting this to hopefully help someone in the future. I was able to find one informative thread on Renntech with some great help and pictures from ToolPants (thanks ToolPants) and JFP in PA provided the proper torque value for me (thanks again JFP) which is 59 +- 5 ft. lbs.

I'm not positive about exactly what year models used which pulleys so please check for yourself, but I believe in 2000 Porsche introduced the free-wheel alternator pulley used on my car. In addition, I believe some, if not all of the Tip cars continued coming with fixed alternator pulleys while the 5-speed and 6-speed manuals used the free-wheel alternator pulley.

If you are not familiar with a free-wheel alternator pulley (I wasn't) it allows the alternator to free-wheel at times with a clutch like mechanism built into the pulley. Of course the more complicated pulley is probably more likely to fail, as mine did. The other tricky thing is you have to use a special tool to remove and install these pulleys. This tool uses an XZN 12-point socket to engage and hold stationary the center of the alternator shaft and a 31 spline socket to tighten or loosen the pulley on or off the shaft.

So I installed the new pulley this evening and everything sounds normal on the front of the engine. Now I can't wait to drive the car. I have a bunch of new parts on it and haven't driven it in more than a month. Tomorrow or this weekend I hope to rack up some miles and check everything out.

Here are some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. BTW, from what I can tell the free-wheel alternators have a cap covering the center of the pulley (to keep debris away from the clutch mechanism I assume) and the fixed pulleys don't have the cap.

ddb

Sputter · 08-20-2009, 07:17 AM

That's a good FYI.

You're correct, Manuals use a clutch pulley and Tips are fixed. As I understand it, manuals tend to throw the belts when used with a fixed type pulley.
When I replaced my alternator it came with a fixed type and I needed to swap pulleys.

A short stop at a local shop and for the price of a coffee it was done.

JFP in PA · 08-20-2009, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddb

A The other tricky thing is you have to use a special tool to remove and install these pulleys. This tool uses an XZN 12-point socket to engage and hold stationary the center of the alternator shaft and a 31 spline socket to tighten or loosen the pulley on or off the shaft.

Where did you find the "holding tool" to remove the pulley?

yimmy149 · 08-20-2009, 11:23 AM

Thanks for posting this... I posted a question a while back about weird noises coming from my alt pulley and never got a response. Now everything makes sense, mine is probably going bad.

What did the new pulley and tool cost?

-james

Lil bastard · 08-20-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Where did you find the "holding tool" to remove the pulley?

Alternator tools

JFP in PA · 08-20-2009, 02:30 PM

Interesting, I’ve had a used one for years that I found at a P-car swap meet, and when people see it they always ask where they can get one. Now I can tell them where to go………………..

Sputter · 08-20-2009, 03:20 PM

$23.00 seems to be a good price to me. I expected higher.

ddb · 08-20-2009, 03:57 PM

I found the tool in LB's post first for $23.50 and then found and opted for the one below which was $29.50. I chose it because it comes with a 1/2 drive where the ZDMAK tool comes with a 3/8 drive. It takes quite a bit of force to loosen and properly torque the pulley. I wanted as strong a tool as I could find.

http://www.technictool.com/merc-fan-holders-2.htm

For my 2000 2.7 the pulley part number is 997-603-154-00 (I believe this the first 997 part I've fitted on my 986). Normally I would have ordered the part from Sunset. Because my car has been down for awhile I didn't want to wait the full week it takes to receive parts from Sunset. So I called Suncoast in FL and they didn't have the part in stock. They checked and there was only one at the warehouse in Atlanta. Suncoast would have had to order the part from Atlanta and then ship it to me which would have taken longer than I wanted. So I decided to order it from my local dealership who I knew could get it to me in two days. I tell you all of this to let you know you can probably get it a lot cheaper than what I paid. The part listed for $211.79 and my local dealership charged me $144.95.

JFP in PA · 08-21-2009, 06:36 AM

Thanks for the info. I have an older unit, originally a Porsche part number but probably a Hazlet tool, which is 3/8 drive, and it has held up well over the years. At least now I have a source to send people looking when they ask where to get one, or ask to borrow mine (which isn’t going to happen)………….

Lil bastard · 08-21-2009, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Thanks for the info. I have an older unit, originally a Porsche part number but probably a Hazlet tool, which is 3/8 drive, and it has held up well over the years. At least now I have a source to send people looking when they ask where to get one, or ask to borrow mine (which isn’t going to happen)………….

Hazet Alternator Tools

BYprodriver · 08-21-2009, 11:02 AM

Good info here, I hope I can add some: my 2000 Boxster S 6 speed alt. clutch pulley found frozen @ 69,000 miles replaced with 996 603152 50 $ 90.78

this was 2 years ago

ddb · 08-21-2009, 11:33 AM

In addition they are available in the aftermarket. Gates makes one for $85 available at www.rockauto.com for $85 (Part # 37014P). I'm sure they can be found elsewhere as well.

grubinski · 02-10-2013, 05:42 PM

Thanks for this thread, I'm pretty sure I've got this problem at the moment with my car. I have the part and the tool on the way.

vheilman · 12-06-2016, 07:45 AM

I know this thread is a bit old, but I'm getting a clicking noise that sounds like a bad bearing, most likely from this pulley.. ? If I get the tools described above, can I just replace the pulley, without removing the alternator, etc.?

Hopefully this is all I need.

Thanks,

Vince

Gelbster · 12-06-2016, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sputter

$23.00 seems to be a good price to me. I expected higher.

$5 on FleaBay

Alternator Clutch Free Wheel Pulley Removal Wrench 33 Teeth Spline Tool | eBay

Gelbster · 12-06-2016, 08:40 AM

If it is just the pulley bearing -yes. But if it is a bearing in the alternator -no.see Pelican for diy?

Racer Boy · 12-06-2016, 09:23 AM

I tried replacing my clicking pulley, but it was frozen on the shaft. The special tool started to strip the splines on the shaft out, so I had to replace the entire alternator.

Just something to look out for!

NewArt · 03-18-2017, 07:32 PM

Did my search and found this thread started years ago! Always a ton of useful information to be found on this forum!