Alternator Disassembly How TO?

[hermitrl]

IMy alternator seized up on my wife last week and I am in dire financial straits. I figured I would fix it myself so bought the bearings and brushes. I removed it from the truck and brought it inside. I undid the 4 long bolts holding it together but can't get it apart. Does anyone know of a post here on this or know what to do? It is the bearing under the pulley but would rather replace both and brushes while at it.
I appreciate any help you may have. Thanks.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

i think you have to take the pulley off of it.... most times when we had to reclock them in the store the pulley had to be off...

 

[gijoecam]

Indeed, hit the pulley nut with an impact wrench and remove it. With it out of the way, and the 3 or 4 long screws out of the housing, you should be able to split it easily.

However........ Usually the bearing wipes out the housing.... it'll seize to the shaft and the outer race will spin. If you caught it early enough, you should be able to get it back together. Use some fully SEALED stainless steel bearings rated for the max RPM of the unit (probably somewhere around 12,000 RPM or so).

Occasionally you can find rebuild kits for them that include new brushes and bearings, but I haven't seen those in years.

Also, use a paper clip straightened-out to hold the brushes in their sleeves when you go to slip it back together. You'll slip the brush into its retainer sleeve, then push a paper clip in from the opening in the housing to hold it there. Once you get the housing back together (watch the clocking on the plug) don't forget to pull the paper clips out of the brushes (it works better that way LOL!!)

Take lots of pics for us. Good luck!

-joe

 

[Green98XLT]

Sounds like you've done this a couple times before Joe!

I'm an R&D tech for Remy Int. I can get just about any parts you guys need to rebuild your alternators or starters. I can also get you killer deals on complete new and reman units should you be interested but email me privately off list so that I don't upset anyone on here.

Anyway Hermitrl you have what was known as the "3G" alternator on your 92, this alt was pretty simple and it's only real downfall was the bearings and the regulators. I don't know if you can still get just the regulator nowadays but it should come with new brushes and brush holder since they are actually a "package" on the 3G.

Do as Joe said and get good bearings, look for something like NSK, SKF, Koyo etc. And use a soft face hammer to separate the housings when disassembling. Oh and leave the pulley on in order to remove the SRE (back half) the bearing is in whats called a tolerance ring.

 

[gijoecam]

I have done it a few times, although not recently. I sold auto parts for a couple years just out of high school.... We used to have to re-clock the GMs all the time as it seemed they were never right. I learned the tricks to putting them back together because it seemed like every time you went to separate them to spin the two halfs, it would pull apart too far.... it was easier to just pull it apart, re-set the brushes, then re-clock it when it was reassembled.

I think if I asked my local parts kid to do it now, they'd look at me like I was a nut.... they won't even swap the pullies because it voids the warranty.... :rolleyes Ridiculous!

 

[Green98XLT]

I did the same out of high school. I was actually the parts pro for the local Advance Auto Store here in town. I liked the job alot and I enjoyed helping people out with their cars. Nowadays you can't find a single knowledgable person in a parts store around here, if it doesn't have a picture in their computer then they are clueless!

I'd have never thought I'd be tearing alternators and starters apart everyday for a living! Now I can teardown and assemble most of them in my sleep...

 

[hermitrl]

Thanks for the replies guys. I played with that ******* for hours and it refused to come apart. Took it to the garage and they managed to pry it apart after much screwing with it. It must have been seixed to the bearing as they couldn't get the rest apart---even with an impact tool on the shaft. It is in the garbage heap and will have to check the wreckers when I can scrape up the cash. Thanks again for the help.

 

[Green98XLT]

Let me know if I can help you. I can get you one at a really great price through my job.

 

[Rhett]

I want to bring this thread back up. How exactly do you go about REMOVING the alternator pulley? I suspect the bearing(s)? in mine are shot because of the tweety bird noise it makes sometimes.

 

[gijoecam]

An impact wrench makes short work of it, but it's just a matter of taking the nut off, and the pulley pops right off.

-Joe

 

[BrooklynBay]

I was once at an alterantor, and starter rebuilding shop. He had a catalog from some parts supplier in Florida that had just about every part for this business really cheap. He also had exploded views of alternators, and starters on his computer that were on a CD. Does anybody have this, or know where to get this?

 

[Rhett]

An impact wrench makes short work of it, but it's just a matter of taking the nut off, and the pulley pops right off.

-Joe

I assume then, that you do NOT need to somehow hold the pulley itself in place while doing this. I assume it's like the idler pulley then...you just unscrew the nut/bolt.

Do you think greasing the bearing will fix the tweety bird sound long term? Or is it just better to replace the whole alternator?

 

[ExplorerDMB]

You could grease the bearing. But it may not last very long. It's not hard to take the alternator off, so try the grease fix first - and if it doesn't...replace it

-Drew

 

[Green98XLT]

Just get a new bearing, they use very common bearings that you can get at any bearing supply house. Should be around $2-3 tops. But if the bearings are gone, you can bet the brushes and sliprings aren't far behind

 

[Rhett]

You're probably right, it's prob about to go, because every time I start it (at night, when lights are on) the lights will blink for a split second when I first start driving away. After that, it's fine. It's about 7-8 years/50,000 miles old.

I've taken the alternator off lots of times, but never bothered to remove it's pulley.

I'll probably just get a Limited alternator (130 amp) and be done with it. Keep the old one as a spare. I've got lots of old spare parts lying around now.

I'd hate for the alternator to go out when I'm truckin across west Kansas, 50 miles to next gas station...