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?

[phillipj]

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?

PM "RFM" he will be able to help you

[stateofidleness]

not real sure how to do that...

[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...

[phillipj]

RFM is a very knowegable Porsche tech in Belgium. His screen name is RFM. If you go do a search of members at the top right of the page under the "RennTech.Org" logo you will se the members link. Type RFM in the search field. His profile will come up. Send him a message and tell him your delimma. He has helped me and others countless times. I wish I could help but I have never swaped my alternator.

Success!

Phillip

[GranburyChuck]

I did this on my 2000 back in October. The bolt you are working on has a pressed bushing that compresses to the engine housing as you tighten it. When it was originally tightened it held that side of the alternator in. I did the same as you and tapped on the screw (once it was screwed back into the bushing a little way). Took me 3 hours to get out. Best thing I did was just to rock it back and forth, kind of wedging the pressed bushing back and forth. I used a lot of WD40 and KnockRLoose. Keep working it and it will come out. Just takes a lot of work. Keep going you can do it. Cussing at it seems to help. Maybe a beer or two.

[stateofidleness]

cussing did the trick!

that, and 2 long screwdrivers as "prybars"... hour of wiggling and struggling 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]

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

[stateofidleness]

well guys i had successfully replaced the alternator that night and have been driving it trouble-free since then.

today at work, my buddy had a dead battery so i jumped it for him with no problem. shortly after though, i had left to get lunch and now i hear a horrible whining sound coming from the engine compartment area (roughly around the alternator it sounds like)

the sound gets louder as the rpms go up and if i go pretty fast, it causes another sound (closer to the driver's side of the engine compartment) that sounds like something is seizing for a short time.

as i'm still at work, i have no tools with me to remove the inside service cover to check the belt or alternator, but im too scared to drive it home with that sound. im afraid if im doing highway speeds, something might break or cause more damage...

this sound did not happen AT ALL until right after i jumped my buddy's car... what could be causing this? and is it safe to drive home?

thanks!

[RFM]

Do you have no 10 mm key in the toolbox or somewhere to remove the service cover behind the seats? It's all you need after all. Without removing the cover and potentially the poly-V belt, to take a look and check, it remains a mystery IMHO.