13 replies to this topic

[LTW2]

My alternator needs replacing. Has anyone got any experience of doing this? I have read what it says in the TIS and it isn't straight forward. It says you have to remove the ECU from the engine. This is held in place by a sheer bolt which you have to drill out!!!! and a sort of star headed bolt which is raised in the centre so a standard torx socket will not fit. So is there an alternative? It nearly fits through the bottom of the car (with the floor tray off). If the engine is rotated I think it may come out that way. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks, Tim.

Edited by LTW2, 20 January 2007 - 06:09 PM.

[LTW2]

So no one has changed their alternator.

[luna_s]

Ive not changed it personally, but i have stripped the top end down, probably the reason why they want you to remove the ecu is to get at 1 bolt holding the inlet manifold on, for easier access, it looks tricky enough to remove even with the head removed and the clam off im afraid. best of luck

[error]

I have my speedster in the shed on axelstands with clam, rear suspenstion and subframe removed. And still the altenator seams a bitch to remove. It seams to be a real knuckle buster to get it out. Let me know if you need any pictures from the underside of the car.

[LTW2]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, the ECU has to be removed to get the alternator out through the top. My dad and I tried to get it out through the bottom. It is easy to get it to the side of the sump, it just needs an extra centimetre width and it would drop out. I tried jacking the engine to get it to rotate but it only increased the gap slighlty. So we now agree with Vauxhall, it has to come out through the top. I now need to figure out what sort of socket holds the ECU in place. We reckon the shear bolt is used as an anti-messing mechanism. Unless anyone knows of another reason I think I will just replace it with a standard bolt in case it has to come off again. On the positive side I can get an exchage alternator for £100 inc vat which I think is a pretty good price So I am planning to do it next Saturday. Wish me luck. Tim.

[jules_s]

I had mine replaced in the summer. The mechanic said it was a real PITA to get out, but i'm 99% certain it came out from the bottom.... Give me a second and I'll dig out the invoice

[luna_s]

Did you undo the mounts ? then try jacking up ? eg the front one and two side ones The shear bolt drills out easily, i think its alloy, and the security torx isnt a big deal either (i had a bit in my screwdriver set) took me about 5 mins to remove

[jules_s]

Did you undo the mounts ? then try jacking up ?
eg the front one and two side ones

The shear bolt drills out easily, i think its alloy,
and the security torx isnt a big deal either (i had a bit in my screwdriver set)
took me about 5 mins to remove

I guess all four mounts would need to be loosened

the chap who did mine has only ever worked on my VX, but knows the engine backwards from other vaux models....he also did my engine mounts a little while back and we had a little play then to manoevre the engine in the bay

Anyway, I will post the part numbers used. We got the alternator shipped from germany (took two days, I believe it's a Bosch part) the reason I add that is because somebody PM'd me about it and Ive deleted the message

Parts:-

Alternator: BSA4401..................£185-92
Tensioner: 24430296.................£54-50
Belt: 93182248..........................£7-20

Total :- £247-62

Labour:-

£175 (IIRC thats about 6 hours)

Total cost Inc VAT........£500

HTH

[LTW2]

I didn't try loosening the mounts, that may help. Interesting that someone else got it out through the bottom. I may try that before I try the top route it does seem the more obvious way out. Jules - why did you need to replace the tensioner? Your mechanic is good value BTW. Luna - with regards the torx head, I had a quick look on google and found some. I thought it may have been a Vauxhall special. The guy at my local motor factor reckons the alternator is the one off the Vectra with the same engine which makes sense. He said it was a 100A model which surprised him as apparently that is quite a high ampage He asked me if my car had air con, Sounds like a £100 in vat is a good price. Thanks for the adivce, much appreciated. Tim.

[GruFF]

as a new alternator a clam off? or can it be done whilst the clam is on with lots of fiddling about ?

[luna_s]

clam on with fiddling

[Mustang]

Definately Will come out from below, there is no need to remove the ECU or the clam. Been there and done it. Its a lot easier than some things to change. Martin

[GruFF]

Definately Will come out from below, there is no need to remove the ECU or the clam.
Been there and done it.
Its a lot easier than some things to change.

Martin

how do u take it out from below?? does it take very long? ive just ordered my new alternator

[14500rpm]

I found this thread whilst investigating how to change the alternator on my NA so I thought I'd update it on how I did mine for the benefit of future searchers...in the end it was pretty easy:

1. Jack car up on drivers side
2. Remove rear wheel, undertray and wheel arch liner
3. Carefully support the engine with a trolley jack (put a block of wood between it and the sump)
4. Remove the drivers side engine mount bracket and the rubber mount itself
5. Undo the electrical connectors to the alternator
6. Undo the four bolts holding the alternator to the engine and manouver it out of the gap created by the removal of the engine mount
7. Reassembly is the reverse of removal.

Pics:

The space created by the engine mount removal, alternators already been taken out:



Same again:



On the left the 100A unit, the other is a slightly wider 120A unit:



100A part number (got mine from Autovaux, very helpful they were too):