removing alternator from fan

Buckterrier · 12-28-2007, 01:35 PM

I'm in the process of polishing the fan & housing, well in the removal stage. Does the nut pictured get removed by turning it counter clock wise looking at the fan and should it be REALLY hard to get off? The dang thing won't budge. I think I should have taken it off prior to taking the housing out.
Thanks for helping a mechanically challenged newbie.

Rot 911 · 12-28-2007, 01:49 PM

That is not a nut so quit trying to remove it. The alternator shaft is probably just stuck to the fan. Easiest way to get it off is to fold up a towel and lay it on the ground. then make two stacks of wood higher than the depth of the alternator and just a bit wider than the alternator. Lift fan housing a few inches above two stacks of wood and drop onto stack. Alternator will pop off and fall onto towel.

DUK · 12-28-2007, 01:50 PM

Thats not a nut. Its just a shaft with a keyway. Spray it with some pb blaster or like and then have someone hold the fan so you can tap the shaft carefully. Most of them are coroded and take a little persuasion.

Buckterrier · 12-28-2007, 02:01 PM

Thanks guys, see I'm not good but I am slow

Kurt, read the thread on Warren last night. I'm new here & don't know Warren but obviously he is a well respected member of this community and in need of help. The car can wait a few more months on tires, not driving anyway. Will have a check in the mail tomorrow.
Again thanks to both of you, back to the garage!!!

Buckterrier · 12-28-2007, 02:07 PM

Fer christs sakes!!!! I just pushed on the back, (LIGHTY), and it came apart, (feeling really dumb).

mthomas58 · 12-28-2007, 06:56 PM

A little inspiration for you!

BTW the speed of dark = 1/2 the speed of smell

Trog · Trog's Garage

Another one all shined up.

Akila · 12-28-2007, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mthomas58

A little inspiration for you!

BTW the speed of dark = 1/2 the speed of smell

Are those Chromed? Sure looks sweet. Can I do that to my Turbo?

Buckterrier · 12-29-2007, 03:08 AM

Thanks guys, man those look sweet. and no they are not chromed, polished!!! will post pictires when I'm done.

mthomas58 · 12-29-2007, 03:56 AM

Polishing tip........attach outer pulley half to polishing arbor and put it in the drill. Makes it real easy to polish as the drill does all the work!

Buckterrier · 12-30-2007, 10:32 AM

Howdy again. Is there any secret to removing the cooling housing strap? I've got the fan polished and the alternator out of the housing but can't get the strap out. Any words of advice ?
Thanks

911S Targa · 911S Targa's Garage

For the guys who have polished their fan and housing's, could you give us some detail in the process. Tools, sandpaper, polish, etc.

Thanks

Buckterrier · 12-30-2007, 10:45 AM

Ok ready? I probably did it the hard way but this is what I did:
180 grit paper, sanded by hand. Then I used a dremel tool with a fine grinding head on it to get into the recesses and difficult 'stains'. Then, (all by hand & wet), 320, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 grit paper. Then hand polished with Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish. Will post pictures when I'm done. But it looks like the above samples.
I thnk I'm going to have the housing bead blasted as it would take a dogs age to hand sand the whole bloody thing.

Buckterrier · 12-30-2007, 11:17 AM

Ok here's a picture

deshetlr · deshetlr's Garage

You do nice work! How do you plan on keeping it looking nice?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 12-30-2007, 01:53 PM

Truer words were never typed. Polishing is easy. Preservation is somewhere between hard and impossible.

Buckterrier · 12-30-2007, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

Truer words were never typed. Polishing is easy. Preservation is somewhere between hard and impossible.

To funny, I was going to reply to deshetlr with this, (before I saw your quote)...
In the words of Stephan Wilkinson, "Now watch it unshine" I think that's your quote from a thread on polishing last year. Thanks deshetlr but polishing the way I did it was not easy, well the polishing was the sanding is horrible. So to answer your question. I'll keep it clean now that 23 years of road grime is off it and see what happens. Now if anyone can help me with my question about removing the strap. Steven, maybe your wife could get it off for me?

mthomas58 · 12-31-2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

Truer words were never typed. Polishing is easy. Preservation is somewhere between hard and impossible.

It has been one year to the date that I polished my fan. Here it is one year later. Even though the high polish is gone, it looks infinitely better than the before pic and would be easy to bring back the shine next time. Might even be able to bring it back with the Mothers mini ball without removing the fan.

Buckterrier · 12-31-2007, 08:05 AM

Yes it does Mark, and I think you're right a bit of hand or machine rubbing and presto!! Thanks for your tips and encouragement!

Buckterrier · 01-02-2008, 03:46 PM

Done!!!

Thanks to all that replied to my REALLY rookie questions.
A little commentary on polishing... For myself this was a way of getting more intimate with Silin, (Gaelic for Cherry & pronounced Shileen). While giving her a bit of bling I became knowledgeable on tearing down the fan and will now be able to replace the fan belt, and take the alternator out when & if it needs replaced. I know really simple stuff but I've said this before, I'm mechanically challenged, lol.
Ok, a before and after, again thanks to all.