stuck in an alternator swap

[stateofidleness]

guys,
ive searched all alternator threads and am using Mike Focke's alternator swap tutorial...

im to the point where i have the belt off and the lower alternator bolt completely out, and i have the other bolt (with the pulley on it) completely loose and out of the bushing in the rear of the alternator...

i can get it to rotate clockwise only about 1mm and that's it.. seems stuck on the pulley side (when looking from inside the cabin of the car)

i keep seeing people say "hit it with a hammer" but i dont know what to hit, where to hit it, and what the purpose is..

can someone help me finish up getting this alt out? how far am i?

[stateofidleness]

i attached a picture of where im currently at...
the part that is circled in red, is that the "bushing" i keep reading about?

i put a screwdriver on it to try and tap it directly and the thing feels like metal, not rubber.. so im confused..

i also read another post where someone said they took out the pulley bolt.. there is NO WAY this bolt can come out with the alternator still in like that.. no matter how you wiggle it, bend it, rotate it, etc, it physically cannot clear the little middle firewall hump by the console...

ive tried wd40, seems useless... i tried putting that bolt back then "re-tapping" it, rather hard actually, and nothing... im lost...

[Sputter]

You're getting there man.

Yes, that's the bushing. It's a threaded metal bushing that the bolt turns in to.

You tap the bolt while it's still drawn into the bushing. (careful you don't break the idler pulley, it's nylon or somesuch, so beating on it won't be good).
On my 02 S, I found that the bushing was pretty darn frozen in place. The bushing rides in the back hole of the alternator.

The idler bolt sits in a cradle, the bushing, when torqued up, draws the bushing tight to the cradle. Tapping on the bolt pushes the bushing back by a few mm to allow the bolt/alternator to swing up out of the cradle. (counter clockwise).

It will help if you can raise the alternator clockwise (on short bolt side) clear of the threads, . This will help reduce a little pressure on the cradle section and help in swinging it clear of the cradle.

I hope this helps a bit.

Stick at it man. It's a bit of a pita but very doable.

[stateofidleness]

update!!!!

a bit a swearing, a sandwich, an energy drink, and 2 long screwdrivers as "prybars"... hour of wiggling and struggling later, and out it came!

had it tested at O'Reillys and it failed.. so i had them order a rebuilt unit which will cost me $204 so it isn't too bad.. will hopefully have her back together in the next couple of days.

any tricks for reinstallation?

[Sputter]

Hook up the wires first

Put the bolt/idler together and turn a few threads by hand. Place the alternator through the firewall with the bolt up around 2 o'clock or so, that way you should able to drop it into the cradel. Seat the short bolt end last.
It's basically reversed as the removal but easier. I don't have the torque settings for the bolts in front of me, sorry.

I don't know if you have an tip or not. Make sure you get the correct pulley on the alternator. Manuals trans use a clutch pulley.

Have fun with it.


oh yah, try to lay the wires flat in slots in the back of the alternator. ( same slots as you removed the wires) It'll make it easier rather having to force the wires to bend as you set the alternator in the cradel. You'll see what I mean.

Originally Posted by stateofidleness

update!!!!

a bit a swearing, a sandwich, an energy drink, and 2 long screwdrivers as "prybars"... hour of wiggling and struggling later, and out it came!

had it tested at O'Reillys and it failed.. so i had them order a rebuilt unit which will cost me $204 so it isn't too bad.. will hopefully have her back together in the next couple of days.

any tricks for reinstallation?

[stateofidleness]

quick question, i ordered the correct alt (for tip) but if it does not come with the pulley on it, can they swap the pulley off the old one for me?

if not, how hard is that to do?

[Sputter]

It's an easy swap.
If they are in the rebuilding business, they should have the tools. I don't recall the sizes offhand but there are 2 "splines". The outer takes a tool to hold it in place and a smaller tool reaches in deep to remove the pulley.

As I understand it, manuals use the clutch pulley type because they were tossing belts with a fixed pulley setup.

Remember to remove the plastic cap on the pulley. That way it won't go missing when the pulley gets swapped. (it just prys off with a small flatedge screwdriver)

Originally Posted by stateofidleness

quick question, i ordered the correct alt (for tip) but if it does not come with the pulley on it, can they swap the pulley off the old one for me?

if not, how hard is that to do?

[stateofidleness]

anyone have the right torque specs for the idler pulley and the short alternator bolt?

[stateofidleness]

hey guys, stupid question (but im without a manual) and dont remember how it came out... of the three wires/cables that attach to the back, there are two ring terminal wires, one big and one skinny. the big one (black) goes to the large stud on the back, and the smaller (flatter and skinnier) red cable goes to? does it go to the other nut on the back of the alt?

thanks guys

or if someone can post a pic

only thing holdin me up now!!!! come on guys!!!! lol... im dyin here... im so eager to drive it again!

need a quick answer!!

[stateofidleness]

*bump* losin' daylight

[Sputter]

The M10 bolts are 33lbs.
I don't recall how the wiring went, sorry i can't locate the pictures I took.