½cwt Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Driving to day, I had ABS warning light flash on and off a few times and briefly the battery light. Stopped for a while. Drove on OK for 4 miles or seen, the abs and airbag light came on. Eventually alarm sounded whilst driving. Stopped and not enough juice in battery to restart. Alternator? Currently waiting For the AA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieboy2608 Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Battery or alternator....sure the AA will give you direction to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 After checking, 0v charging once it was jump started by the AA (happened to be a local patrol from near where I live and had seen the car being worked on in the last few weeks) and then a boost charge got me home OK on battery only. Need to dive into the engine bay to see if is is a bad connection and then probably change the unit or send it for repair. Chance to check and change the drive belt too. Anyone had good or bad experience of drifting the threaded bush back on the long bolt though the idler puller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieboy2608 Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Ive watched a video concerning the threaded bush.....Seems to require more of a solid thump rather than a continued hammering!-like you are shocking its hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topbox Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 If its the alternator you are looking to remove there is a better way to move that tricky bolt than hitting it. Unfortunatly I dont know the proceedure, someone else will I'm sure. It involves some sort of threaded puller I believe. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Topbox said: If its the alternator you are looking to remove there is a better way to move that tricky bolt than hitting it. Unfortunatly I dont know the proceedure, someone else will I'm sure. It involves some sort of threaded puller I believe. Good luck. I'll have a look at that, as long as there is something to get on to a two or three leg puller may well be an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topbox Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Link kindly supplied by @Gutley thought I remembered he had been in there 👍 44 minutes ago, ½cwt said: I'll have a look at that, as long as there is something to get on to a two or three leg puller may well be an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Topbox said: Link kindly supplied by @Gutley thought I remembered he had been in there 👍 Thanks for you research on my behalf @Topbox 👍 Doing bits whilst WFH. So far a soak in Plusgas and some drifting on the front has made no difference. Why on earth did they design this so you can't get straight on to this bolt or even pull the bolt out before the alternator is out??? that's the sort of thin BL would have done back in the day. Hopefully a straight forward fix from @Gutley in the thread you linked above. wouldn't have got there myself! I guess access from above is a bit tight but do able. I've got options of a new NAPA (Well established US brand new into the UK market) unit for 135+VAT no exchange with 2 yr guarantee, or a factory refurb Bosch unit at £200+VAT exchange, 1 yr warranty from my local auto electrics factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Looking like I'll be taking out the induction pipes between the throttle body and two intake manifolds to access this bush from above, but it ain't shifting with traditional percussion methods from the front and don't fancy breaking the lug off the alternator. You've got to love mid engined cars.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 OK, can't get to the back in situ as the alternator lead blocks access, and I've managed to break a perished rubber vacuum pipe on the plenum butterfly for my trouble... I've been treating with Plusgas and freeze release spray. Can't see anyway to get more impact force onto the end as you can't get a straight line onto the bolt or remove the bolt to get a long drift on to the bush. I over torqued it a bit in the hope of releasing it but it is fully compressed I think. Possible get a better strike if I take the driver's seat out. Any ideas out there??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pordave Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 I tried freezer spray plus gas and a lot of hammering and never got mine out. Fortunately it was only a minor fault that flattened the battery and the alternator wasn’t at fault. However. A mechanic I spoke to told me that brake fluid is one of the best penetrating fluids you can use, but god knows how you get in to put it on that darned bush and don’t get it on the paintwork Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanky Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 You can wiggle the alternator out with a pry bar, I just the tool from the factory tool kit. Like this guy did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Sanky said: You can wiggle the alternator out with a pry bar, I just the tool from the factory tool kit. Like this guy did Thanks for that. Lots of wiggling coming up. Not sure how he got the idler bolt out though mine seem to foul pretty obviously on the surround of the engine access.. I'll keep working it though. To quote The Boss - no retreat, no surrender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanky Posted June 3, 2020 Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 9 hours ago, ½cwt said: Thanks for that. Lots of wiggling coming up. Not sure how he got the idler bolt out though mine seem to foul pretty obviously on the surround of the engine access.. I'll keep working it though. To quote The Boss - no retreat, no surrender. Once you have that bush off the clamp, you will be able to lift the alternator a bit to get the bolt out and then the bearing. Just remember that you will need to rotate the alternator clockwise to get it out, tuning anticlockwise might help get the bolt out but that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 27 minutes ago, Sanky said: Once you have that bush off the clamp, you will be able to lift the alternator a bit to get the bolt out and then the bearing. Just remember that you will need to rotate the alternator clockwise to get it out, tuning anticlockwise might help get the bolt out but that's all. Thanks for you further advice. Looks like my 'lunch break' project today whilst WFH and before it rains... Good job I enjoy problem solving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted June 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Now the weather has improved I got on with the alternator fix. First job was to replace the short section of perished vacuum hose I broke whilst investigating access to the back of the alternator which was a no go. Hose was a bit fiddly but went on OK along with the cross pipes and throttle body for the induction system. Back into the car at the front to the engine bay, first strike on the idler puller bolt and the bush moved... 120 hours in the residue of Plusgas was obviously effective. Alternator now out, Is there anyway to test if it is the regulator that has failed or is it easier to just plump for a replacement complete unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunks Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 On 6/2/2020 at 12:27 PM, ½cwt said: I've got options of a new NAPA (Well established US brand new into the UK market) unit for 135+VAT no exchange with 2 yr guarantee, or a factory refurb Bosch unit at £200+VAT exchange, 1 yr warranty from my local auto electrics factor. All napa product comes with a 3 year warranty in the uk and is very good quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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