I plan on taking mine apart soon to paint or powdercoat black. Do you think it can be sanded smooth and if so with what grits??
How to remove alternator?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
From: Sterling Heights MI
How to remove alternator?
How to remove alternator?
I am taking my alternator off to have it rebuilt.
There are two bolts holding it on. But first do I need to take the belt off -- is there a belt tensioner? Sorry for the basic question?
I am taking my alternator off to have it rebuilt.
There are two bolts holding it on. But first do I need to take the belt off -- is there a belt tensioner? Sorry for the basic question?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 4,933
Likes: 30
From: San Rafael CA
Yes, you need to untension the srpentine belt and remove it prior to unbolting the alternator. You should also disconnect the battery before working on the alternator. (Just remove the NEG battery cable)
The tensioner pulley is the the pulley high and on the passenger side. You put a wrench on it and rotate the tensioner with a clockwise turn. You will need some leverage on it so use as long a handle (breaker bar) as you need to.
After you remove the belt You can remove the wiring. There is a wiring bundle, and also the ground cable (it is held on by a nut under a rubber boot).
Undo the two bolts and you're done.
Installing ... put two bolts in (37 Ft/lb), reattach wires (Nut for ground is 10 ft/lb), reinstall the serpentine belt and the NEG battery cable.
The tensioner pulley is the the pulley high and on the passenger side. You put a wrench on it and rotate the tensioner with a clockwise turn. You will need some leverage on it so use as long a handle (breaker bar) as you need to.
After you remove the belt You can remove the wiring. There is a wiring bundle, and also the ground cable (it is held on by a nut under a rubber boot).
Undo the two bolts and you're done.
Installing ... put two bolts in (37 Ft/lb), reattach wires (Nut for ground is 10 ft/lb), reinstall the serpentine belt and the NEG battery cable.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: http://www.mphparts.com 800-364-1975
^^^^^^^^^^^^ what he said.
The tensioner is 15mm if I remember correctly. I haven't touched my car in months though. Just put a wrench on the "bolt" at the front of the tensioner pulley and push toward the engine. The belt will come off easily at that point.
Best practice would be to disconnect the battery as stated above, but the terminal is surrounded by a rubber boot and you can easily get away with just unbolting it and wrapping it in a plastic bag until your alternator gets back (or any other method of ensuring the cable doesn't touch ground). Although, if you arc weld something together using that method, I didn't tell you about it....
The tensioner is 15mm if I remember correctly. I haven't touched my car in months though. Just put a wrench on the "bolt" at the front of the tensioner pulley and push toward the engine. The belt will come off easily at that point.
Best practice would be to disconnect the battery as stated above, but the terminal is surrounded by a rubber boot and you can easily get away with just unbolting it and wrapping it in a plastic bag until your alternator gets back (or any other method of ensuring the cable doesn't touch ground). Although, if you arc weld something together using that method, I didn't tell you about it....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,370
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From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
You may want to disconnect the battery completely, negative cable first of course.
If you only disconnect the negative cable then the main terminal on the back of the alternator is still hot and if you touch ground it'll short.
If you only disconnect the negative cable then the main terminal on the back of the alternator is still hot and if you touch ground it'll short.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Yes, you need to untension the srpentine belt and remove it prior to unbolting the alternator. You should also disconnect the battery before working on the alternator. (Just remove the NEG battery cable)
The tensioner pulley is the the pulley high and on the passenger side. You put a wrench on it and rotate the tensioner with a clockwise turn. You will need some leverage on it so use as long a handle (breaker bar) as you need to.
After you remove the belt You can remove the wiring. There is a wiring bundle, and also the ground cable (it is held on by a nut under a rubber boot).Undo the two bolts and you're done.
Installing ... put two bolts in (37 Ft/lb), reattach wires (Nut for ground is 10 ft/lb), reinstall the serpentine belt and the NEG battery cable.
The tensioner pulley is the the pulley high and on the passenger side. You put a wrench on it and rotate the tensioner with a clockwise turn. You will need some leverage on it so use as long a handle (breaker bar) as you need to.
After you remove the belt You can remove the wiring. There is a wiring bundle, and also the ground cable (it is held on by a nut under a rubber boot).Undo the two bolts and you're done.
Installing ... put two bolts in (37 Ft/lb), reattach wires (Nut for ground is 10 ft/lb), reinstall the serpentine belt and the NEG battery cable.
Either the battery (negative cable) must be dis-connected, or this positive cable at the alternator must be covered and/or well protected from grounding while removing/installing the alternator. Personally, I prefer the second method as it prevents having to deal with any potential radio codes/idle re-learns etc.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Incorrect. As long as the negative cable is dis-connected at the battery, there is no circuit back to the battery at all. There must be a complete circuit back to the battery itself in order to have a short circuit - or any other kind of complete circuit for that matter.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 4,933
Likes: 30
From: San Rafael CA
You're basically right except that the cable you refer to on the alternator as "ground", is a Positive cable and always HOT. It is connected directly to the battery.
Either the battery (negative cable) must be dis-connected, or this positive cable at the alternator must be covered and/or well protected from grounding while removing/installing the alternator. Personally, I prefer the second method as it prevents having to deal with any potential radio codes/idle re-learns etc.
Either the battery (negative cable) must be dis-connected, or this positive cable at the alternator must be covered and/or well protected from grounding while removing/installing the alternator. Personally, I prefer the second method as it prevents having to deal with any potential radio codes/idle re-learns etc.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
Incorrect. As long as the negative cable is dis-connected at the battery, there is no circuit back to the battery at all. There must be a complete circuit back to the battery itself in order to have a short circuit - or any other kind of complete circuit for that matter.
I say it doesn't matter if the negative terminal is connected or not if you let the positive terminal touch ground then you'll see a big spark.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Now if you leave the negative cable connected to the battery, then yes, you would see a mini-Fourth of July because a circuit was
completed and in that case you would get what is referred to as a "short circuit". Short circuits burn things, make smoke and/or melt things if there is no fuse in the circuit to prevent it.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Incorrect. Nothing CAN happen. As long as the battery is not connected into the circuit, via it's normal ground in this case, there IS no short circuit (aka "big spark") because there IS NO CIRCUIT. There's only two kinds of circuits; open or closed. Disconnect any part of it and it becomes an open circuit.
Now if you leave the negative cable connected to the battery, then yes, you would see a mini-Fourth of July because a circuit was
completed and in that case you would get what is referred to as a "short circuit". Short circuits burn things, make smoke and/or melt things if there is no fuse in the circuit to prevent it.
Now if you leave the negative cable connected to the battery, then yes, you would see a mini-Fourth of July because a circuit was
completed and in that case you would get what is referred to as a "short circuit". Short circuits burn things, make smoke and/or melt things if there is no fuse in the circuit to prevent it.
LoneStarFRC 1000% correct!
If you remove the NEGATIVE BATTERY terminal from the battery, theirs NOTHING for the positive battery cable to connect/short to! Nothing will happen. There is ZERO potential to the frame.
Try this. Remove the Neg cable from the battery and then, read the field terminal on the back of the alternator to ground. Bet you a cold one you read ZERO VOLTS
BC
