I'm replacing the alternator on my 99. The idler pully as well. When i got it checked at auto zone the guy said that the regulator in the alternator was going bad. I haven't had any problems ,just the squeeling. I'm out of town and a friend of a friend said he'd be glad to help. He says the harmonic galancer is going bad, and that it's not a big job. Well i heaR THAT IT IS A BIG JOB. i DONT' WANT HIM TO COB IT UP. Can u give me a link so i can see proper procedure? ps. there is a little wobble that i can see. he says might as well do it all. Just want to make sure. I'm told that it's a 6hr. job, a three hr job. WHAT IS THE TRUTH??? thanks scott

 

Its NOT a job for the Ill prepared person.

You have to jack up the car, pull the radiator shroud, radiator, pull the steering rack, Water pump, remove the alternator, front accessory mount, EBTCM Mount, be careful NOT to disturb the steering wheel/steering rack alignment, have the correct puller to remove the damper and re-install it, have a MANDITORY NEW GM DAMPER BOLT!, (I use the ARP damper bolt).
Find a way to hold the flywheel or damper as you torque the hell out of it for the proper torque, and put it all back together. YES, it will take you ALL day if you have all the parts and correct tools. You will need to get a set of flare nut wrenches for the flare nuts on the RACK and,, MAN,,, are they TIGHT!!!

If the dampener outer ring is NOT spinning on the inner hub, I personally would get it home, gather all the tools, parts, gaskets and correct down time to do it right. That damper is a serious interference fit on the crank and without the proper removal/install tool, It SUCKS getting it off. Finding a way of keeping the engine from spinning over when removing the damper bolt and re torqueing it short of purchasing the GM fly wheel holder tool SUCKS. I use a GIANT HEAVY DUTY STRAP WRENCH!

I heat the inner hub to about 200 deg and then press it off and or back on!. MUCH BETTER!

When you use a new GM MANDOTORY replacement damper bolt, you MUST use the GM Proper torque and then TORQUE TO YEIELD procedure or you will do the entire job again very soon!!!

DO NOT use the old bolt to press on the new damper. You will more than likely pull the threads out of the end of the crank snout. You do use the old bolt to properly SEAT the damper on the crank once its pressed on with the proper tool.

Me being a cheep ***, I made my own tool out of an old bolt and some ALL Thread and welded it together.



Oh,,,, you will be this far into the engine.. STRONGLY recommend chanhing the tming chain and oil pump:







Im not saying don't do it or it cant be done by the run of the mill guy.. It's just something you don't decide to do one day when your are bored.

Paint a white stripe across the FRONT of the damper. Make sure it covers the HUB, the RUBBER Elastomer strip and the outer ring. Take the car for a Fast ride and see if the white stripe is still aligned. If it is,, you are still in good shape. If the line misaligns,, you are running on borrowed time.

OEM DAMPER WITH OEM BOLT REMOVED (crank pinned with roll pin)



Bill

 

While your in there, I'd take another hour and stab a new cam in there. I used a steel rod incerted into the holes under the timing cover to hold the lifters up. Someone sells a kit for it. The only real additional work is loosening the rockers. Idk how much cam you'll get out of stock springs.

 

That would also require you to pop for.

New Springs
Pushrods
lifters, lifter buckets (if you want a quiet reliable valve train)
New PCM TUNE

MORE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Bill

 

I'm a glutton for punishment . Ls6 components can be procured for realitively cheap.

 

Wow, I don't think this guy is really equiped to do this. Think i'm gonna have williams in sumpter sc do it. I'll pass along your reccomendations. thanks tons bill You never disappoint. I'm gonna replace the alternator and the idler pully now. It's making a hell of a racket. I don't want to be on the road and have it fail, Thanks again Bill.

 

Agree--this is a laborious job, and potential do damage. There's a great youtube you should watch so you know what they will be doing. Definitely use the ARP bolt, and make sure the shop has done these before, and go by the book--properly re-torque everything.

 

Do some searching on replacing the alternator. Some have had issues with replacement units. Here is a recent thread on someone else doing the harmonic damper. Link to Harmonic Damper Thread I posted the GM procedure in post #8. There is other good information in the thread as well.

 

hey bill, i replaced the dic buttons on my 99, put everything back carefully. workrd for a day or so and now i have nothing. no head up display either.Fuse ?????

 

you don't have to drain the coolant or remove the radiator/waterpump just to change the balancer, everything else Bill said is pretty much spot on... the rack doesn't have to be totally removed, just move it to the passenger side and out of the way enough to get to the balancer... if you have a 6spd car you can put it in 4th gear, pull the parking brake up as tight as you can, and chock the front of the back wheels and that should be good enough to keep it from trying to move when torquing the bolt... I actually have to take mine off again this weekend, probably the 4th time or so I've done it since owning the car... the first time isn't fun but it isn't so bad the next time around