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I need to repplace my altenator, im gonna do it myself. I have the haines. and im going to be working with a friend whos done alot of work on cars. But how exactly is the process going to be like. What tools, difficulty. any tips on areas you thought where tricky. I didn't use the search cause no one else does.
-//Stefan//-
Aim: TearGasParade
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Hard-core CEG'er
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My bad, I was just doing a search for the word 'search'. HeHeHeHe 
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -George Santayana
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Originally posted by AzNHxC:
I need to repplace my altenator, im gonna do it myself. I have the haines. and im going to be working with a friend whos done alot of work on cars. But how exactly is the process going to be like. What tools, difficulty. any tips on areas you thought where tricky. I didn't use the search cause no one else does.
I need to make this a "how-to" Only cuz I have done it twice in about a year.
OK FIRST thing, go to sears and find the biggest extension you can. You will end up trying to get one of the bolts off this way and will need the length. Also, PRAY REAL HARD before you do this....you may also want to fast because when you see the excellent engineering job they did....anyway...you will want to remove something else probably like oh I don't know...a wall or something...
Ok enuff playing...Turn the wheels to the right....
1) Take the positive and negative cables off the battery and push them out of the way.
2) Remove the intake plenum (big black plastic thing on top of the Throttle body) and cover the Throttle Body with celophane (saran wrap) and use a rubberband to secure it. This will help you to move around and get more light down under the car. Take notice of a little black box looking thing behind the TB with big black wires on either side. The black box houses a 175amp mega fuse that can cause all kinds of head scratching with the charging system if it goes out. Don't change this unless your new alternator doesn't fix your problem...
3) Remove the wire harnesses from the alternator taking notes on their placement back relative to the locations of the other wires and such. If you can reduce the strain on any of these wires, do. But remember that they have been one way for probably as long as your car has been around so make sure that anything you did will be a benefit in the long run.
4) Jack up the car to a pretty decent level and make sure your friend knows he is now the spotter. If you can put jack stands under your car at this point do so. TIP Find a small piece of wood such as a 2x4 to act as a jack pad to help distribute lifting force along the cars frame rail to reduce ill effects caused from lifting.
Take note of how the accessory belt runs..just looking at a diagram is NOT enough. Know how it runs.
5) Remove the accessory belt access panel. The bottom Idler pulley is the adjustable one. DON'T MESS WITH THE TOP PULLEY. It is stationary and does not add tension. Use a boxend wrench to remove tension on your accessory belt. TIP DON'T LET THE tensioner pulley SNAP back into place! You will damage it or loose a hand...well maybe not that extreme but you get the picture.
Now for the fun...
6) Find a good fitting 13mm socket. I prefer one that does not have so many facets. It looks just like a shell of a 13mm bolt...why? Cause this applies more accurate force to the bolt to remove it and cuts down on the likelyhood that you would strip it. As I recall, you will have a bolt on the top front, rear top and bottom. These will be tight so be ready to wrestle with them.
Ahhh yes, by now you have found a slight design flaw with our ford engineer friends as the intake runners run right near the one bolt you need to reach on the bottom of the alternator and under the car. That is why you need the HUGE extension. But do wrestle with it if you can find a good combo, cool. Just remember you need to apply as much accurate torque to these as possible too. I even tried the little 90 degree swivel thingys...don't work...
7) The alternator is a bit unwieldy to move around the engine bay but, you will find that with some movement combination, you will free it.
Once it is out, you are free to act like a madman or madwoman as the case may be and act like you just made a hardcore kill. If you feel the need to run around carrying your fallen prey up in the air like a trophy, please do so without upsetting the neighbors....back to our program...
8) Installation is of course the reverse making sure that you tighten then loosen your bolts to make sure you don't cross thread and a drop of thread lock probably would not hurt as ford saw fit to put it on there...however...the last time I did, I don't think I thread locked.
Like I said before, make sure you have a good socket...and maybe a backup. I was tightening the front bolt on the alternator the first time, and went "GRRRRRRR..."!!!POP!!!! Scared me, thought I busted the bolt in the car, nope, just broke the socket!!!
9) Remember to put ALL your wires back on taking care with all of them. Tighten the lugs snugly.
10) Put your accessory belt on and remove all tools from the engine bay.
Double check your work and have your friend check with you.
Would now have been a good time to replace your accessory belt???
11) Reinstall the accessory shield and lower the car to the ground.
12) Intake plenum goes back on.
13) Negative and Positive cables next.
Recheck your work...
Start the car and let it idle for 15-20 minutes or until the radiator fan turns on to bring the car to operating temp.
Recheck your work while the car is running...
No battery light??? Good
No Contour Enthusiast Light (check engine light)??? Good
Can you hear me now???? Good
Congrats you just replaced your alternator and no you dont want to take it to someone who will charge you $300+ to do what you did in an afternoon or a couple hours!
If you should happen to get a CEL or you get a batt light, turn the car off and recheck your connections. Are they loose? ARE THEY BROKEN???? If the answer is no to both of these questions then you my friend get to run and get a 175amp megafuse.
1) Remove positive and negative cables from batt, intake plenum.
2) Find long rectangular black plastic piece connected to the top of your intake runners behind the TB. Grab, lift, pull, yank, remove that cover.
3) Remove the two bolts that hold the fuse in place, note how tight they are, you will want to get close to this tightness when you reinstall the new fuse.
4) Put in new fuse and tighten bolts. Replace cover, Intake plenum and attach Negative and positive cables on batt.
5) Start car and let idle....again 15-20 mintutes +
Not fixed still...bad batt???
shewwwww.....
got anymore questions, PM me and I will give you my cell number and I will walk you thru it...or email me at sosaudio1@earthlink.net
Have fun
Rich
'04 Ecotec Cavi 140hp/150tq Fabbed intake. Header Coming, DRL's disabled, X-Drilled/slotted rotors coming....Man you really are fast. You were hauling a$$ when I passed you
RB&LB
causing problems in Huntsville
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Joined: Apr 2003
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I just had mine replaced 2 days ago. Only charged me 1 hour labor. $70 or ten skinned knuckles and a sore back and whatever else could have gone wrong? I paid gladly. For some reason ( to get more room to work?) they took off the top motor mount and jacked the engine up a bit. Might be something to consider if you feel comfortable doing so. Good luck. Let us know how you make out. P.S. In the past I've found the projects like this are a really good opportunity(sp?) to make up new swear words. Let us know what you come up with.   
96 Teal Contour
Zetec ATX
96K's
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Originally posted by wallee:
I just had mine replaced 2 days ago.
Only charged me 1 hour labor. $70 or ten skinned knuckles and a sore back and whatever else could have gone wrong? I paid gladly.
For some reason ( to get more room to work?) they took off the top motor mount and jacked the engine up a bit. Might be something to consider if you feel comfortable doing so.
Good luck. Let us know how you make out.
P.S. In the past I've found the projects like this are a really good opportunity(sp?) to make up new swear words. Let us know what you come up with.
HAHHAHAHAAA...you know I forgot about this post. The very day I answered it, I had the battery light come on. Thought how neat that it chose NOW to turn on...so I replaced another alternator, I am getting pretty good at it now. The only reason I will never take my car to anyone, is that when it comes back it has more probs. For example, the EGR tube plumbs into the back and lower part on my intake. This is right in line of sight of the lower rear alternator bolt and causes problems when you need to get a socket on it and make sure that the socket is seated correctly. IF you don't seat the socket good enuff, you run the risk of stripping a bolt....to that answer "Not only no BUT....." I think you know what I mean.
So new and exciting ways of getting to the bolt become paramount. I never removed the wheel as some suggest, just turn it out of the way. I jack the car up pretty high so that I can get all the way under...which is fun and dangerous...but hey, you follow safety and you are good.
That being said, I found a new way to get to that bolt. You basically take your right arm and go under and around the sub frame to steady the socket on the bolt, then you use your left arm to do the tightening.
Oh and like I said, I am getting better and faster too and I didnt bust up any knuckles.
I luv these cars!
L8R
Rich
'04 Ecotec Cavi 140hp/150tq Fabbed intake. Header Coming, DRL's disabled, X-Drilled/slotted rotors coming....Man you really are fast. You were hauling a$$ when I passed you
RB&LB
causing problems in Huntsville
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