Separate alternator from housing?

[Funracer]

Got the alternator out pretty easy. Fan came off easy. How do I get separate the alternator from the shroud? Gently tapping the studs has not worked.





Also what does the blue wire go to? Checking the Bentley wiring diagram now but thought someone would know.

Bearing is definitely bad. Notice the shaft is off center and it sounds terrible.
It goes to alternator shop tomorrow.

[Noah930]

Drill press? I couldn't get mine apart either by the hammer/block of wood method. Or maybe I should have tried a bigger hammer.

[Funracer]

I don’t like those little pics. These are better.
The regulator looks like a 1982 date code. Might be the original alternator too.
Lasted 108,000 miles and 37 years so no complaints.

[Funracer]

Blue wire goes to Alternator light on the panel.
Interestingly one of the brown wires goes straight to the WUR. Getting the alternator
squared away might fix my cold start surging. We shall see.

[30westrob]

To remove the alternator you have to remove the 6 long bolts, then with a block of wood on the bearing area tap it out with a hammer. After the alternator is out reinstall a few of the long bolts so it does not come apart. Rob

[Jeff Higgins]

Don't EVER press on the alternator shaft, or beat on it with a hammer (even with a block of wood in between). You have a very good chance of damaging the bearings or, if you really go overboard, cracking the fan housing.

Place a short length of 2x4 (maybe a foot) on the garage floor. Put a folded up towel on the garage floor between you and that 2x4. With all nuts removed from the six studs, grasp the housing at 3:00 and 9:00, with the alternator down. Give it a sharp rap downward on that 2x4, striking it with the big rolled lip of the fan housing at the 12:00 position. The alternator will simply fall out onto the towel. It might take a few raps, but it will fall right out.

[Flat6pac]

+1 on Jeff’s way.
Bruce

[John W.]

Drop method worked great for me a few weeks ago. See the thread on this site for details.

[Funracer]

Confused. One of you says to “remove the six long bolts“ which would be the allen head bolts in the picture above.
The other says “with all nuts removed from the six studs” which I have already removed.
Which is it?
Thanks

[John W.]

I removed the six nuts.

[Funracer]

Turned out is was both. I removed the six nuts and could not get it out. Unscrewed the six bolts
and got to to drop by the famous “wood bonking” method. That pup was in there tight.

[Flojo]

Never separate the alternator with vivid shock!
neither by hammering on the shaft (risk of damage of bearings), nor by forcing it brutally out from the fan ring (risk of cracking it).

soak and re-soak with WD40 where the bolts stick through the fan ring (24hrs).
then apply some carful heat (induction, not open flame) on the fan ring where the bolts stick out.
place unit on two wood logs with the alternator shaft facing you.
start tapping in regular circles all aroung with a wood on the solid ring body of the alternator.

you just DONT want your fan ring to krack!

If you find cracks after cleaning (due to age and heat cycles, not your fault), relief drill these with a Dremel and JB-weld.

JB weld can be ceramic coated if you plan to do so for your unit

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Funracer

Confused. One of you says to “remove the six long bolts“ which would be the allen head bolts in the picture above.
The other says “with all nuts removed from the six studs” which I have already removed.
Which is it?
Thanks

The six allen head screws hold the alternator housing halves together. Removing them will do nothing to help free it from the fan housing.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Flojo

Never separate the alternator with vivid shock!
neither by hammering on the shaft (risk of damage of bearings), nor by forcing it brutally out from the fan ring (risk of cracking it).

soak and re-soak with WD40 where the bolts stick through the fan ring (24hrs).
then apply some carful heat (induction, not open flame) on the fan ring where the bolts stick out.
place unit on two wood logs with the alternator shaft facing you.
start tapping in regular circles all aroung with a wood on the solid ring body of the alternator.

you just DONT want your fan ring to krack!

If you find cracks after cleaning (due to age and heat cycles, not your fault), relief drill these with a Dremel and JB-weld.

JB weld can be ceramic coated if you plan to do so for your unit

There is nothing "vivid", "shocking", or "brutal" about the method I described. It's simply the easiest way to do it, with no risk of damage to any of the components. You really don't have to rap it very hard at all.

[MBAtarga]

If the 2x4 and dropping method is "good enough" for a pro mechanic like John Walker, it's good enough for me.

[Funracer]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The six allen head screws hold the alternator housing halves together. Removing them will do nothing to help free it from the fan housing.

Have to disagree there. The bolts go through the inner housing ring. Even without nuts on them the threads were binding. Once I pulled the bolts out the alternator began to separate from the housing. Your results may differ.

[Trackrash]

Drop method works fine IF there is no corrosion. The two alternators I did last year had corrosion around the alternator's ring that positions it in the housing and around the studs.

Yes, using a lot of liquid wrench and letting it soak for days mine finally came loose by tapping on the studs with a rawhide mallot with the housing adequately supported. Meaning not on the outside edges.

NO amount of dropping, banging or slamming on 2x4s did anything except rattle my nerves. I am lucky I did not crack the housing trying.

Good luck you all.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Funracer

Have to disagree there. The bolts go through the inner housing ring. Even without nuts on them the threads were binding. Once I pulled the bolts out the alternator began to separate from the housing. Your results may differ.

Yup, you are right - those long screws do go all the way through and wind up, with the nuts tightened down on them, holding the alternator into the housing. I've just never had them binding in the holes on the fan housing, so I have never had to remove them. I can definitely see where it would help to remove them if they were binding. Good tip, for any that are being really stubborn, like yours was.

[Snitzler]

May I suggest that you put some nuts on the studs so that you don't chew up the threads. Also will prevent the alt from dropping on the floor when you beat on it and it comes free.

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Don't EVER press on the alternator shaft, or beat on it with a hammer (even with a block of wood in between). You have a very good chance of damaging the bearings or, if you really go overboard, cracking the fan housing.

Place a short length of 2x4 (maybe a foot) on the garage floor. Put a folded up towel on the garage floor between you and that 2x4. With all nuts removed from the six studs, grasp the housing at 3:00 and 9:00, with the alternator down. Give it a sharp rap downward on that 2x4, striking it with the big rolled lip of the fan housing at the 12:00 position. The alternator will simply fall out onto the towel. It might take a few raps, but it will fall right out.

this way