Replacing Carrera Voltage Regulator

[donagain1]

I should change my screen name to Scarhands McSoreback, as I'm well into the project of replacing the voltage regulator in my '85. I'd like to publicly thank Will Ferch for his simply written, understandable, and rather complete treatise on the topic (available though the Tech Info Center tab). I'm definitely far better off for having read through it prior to beginning the job. This isn't to say that average guys with some measure of insight into such things couldn't have figured it out for themselves, but it does indeed present an orderly approach to it by staging it into relatively minor tasks to be accomplished in order.

I used the phrase "relatively minor" because the one task step that I seem to be stuck on is the removal of the bottommost 8mm nut which secures the inner vaned duct funnel to the backside of the alternator. I've cocked, fanooged, wrestled with, and twisted the fan assembly into every conceivable postition in order to gain some measure of space for my manhands and a wrench to reach in between it and the fiberglass shroud in order to at least see the nut, but still cannot seem to make any headway accessing it, let alone manipulating a wrench to loosen the thing. I fear the loss of my immortal soul because of the dark thoughts I'm having about the scourge of humanity, scheisskopf of an individual who designed and engineered this setup in the first place, as well as those colleagues of his who hadn't been corrected the thing before 1985 rolled around... not exactly the dark ages, eh?

My question(s) to the collective is: Has anyone amongst you conceived of a work-around manner of removing/replacing that relatively inaccessible fastener? If it's simply perseverance mixed with a few cramps of the fingers and a bit of bloodletting, then I'll push on. I think enlisting the help of a kid or a woman with slender hands may indeed violate the statutes regarding abusive treatment, so I can't go with that (ain't any around here anyway).

Question #2: Has anyone left one of the nuts off during reassembly, and were there severe negative ramifications for having done so... rattles, loosening over time, any of that sort of thing?

[James Brown]

you don't speak like a mechanic, take the dang alt. off and remove the gul dang voltage thingy off and get a new one, done, drive

[rusnak]

I would describe it as a sense of fine fingertip control combined with calibrated brute force.

This "sense" is very important for all types of aircooled Porsche maintenance, and is hardly ever mentioned, yet universally required.

One more tip: get a magnetic pickup tool and a mirror, and a strong small flashlight. If you need to buy a tool, then buy it. You'll use it again later.

Stick with it, this is not a bad project.

[Nostril Cheese]

You need a midget 8mm box end wrench.

Mac Tools Online Store - 12-PC. Metric, 6 Point, Stubby, Mac Edge

This is what I use on that very nut you speak of. Be careful not to break the inner air guide. They are fragile. Do not over-torque the nuts putting them back on.

[jlcinga]

When working on the atl. I have removed the shrouds to the left of the fan in order to open things up.

Takes longer, but really makes it easier, especially if you have large hands.

[donagain1]

Success! Thanks to all. I sure picked the wrong week to give up cursing.

Mr. Ferch, if he's still among us, did not include what I feel was THE key step to getting those little bastages off, and that was to remove all the black ABS blower ductwork prior the attempt. This is what Mr. JLC in Georgia (I presume not the one that was a part of the former Soviet Union) suggested, though I read it too late. For all those who follow in my footsteps, be sure to add this step to the Ferch article and you're home free.

As for not speaking like a mechanic, I was a phone man. We used words like (#^%* and $R^@%. Come to think of it, so does a mechanic. Never mind.

Now comes the real decison... do I take a Scotchbrite pad and buffing sheel to the fan shroud and polish the *rap out of it and the fan before reassembly?

[rusnak]

I have a "help wanted" ad somewhere for someone who can hurl insults like a Frenchman and flick a lit cigarette at the face with great precision. My plan is to find the engineer who designed the door stays, and let em have it.

[kanadary]

in the course of a few months i have r&red the fan housing several times. i find using the ignition wrenches (Craftsman). it makes it easier when you use the shorter wrenches when you need the clearence between the alternator with cooling fin and the side of the fiberglass shroud/fan strap. there's only 6 small bolts holding the alternator to the fan housing so i'm not sure whether or not having one missing is going to be good, i suspect not. maybe what you could do is cut off tab for the bottom bolt from the cooling fin and just tighten the bolt like the other three that aren't connected to the cooling fin, but really its not that hard to put on.

[kidrock]

I wouldn't bother polishing the fan unless you plan to make a habit out of it. It looks fantastic, but the shine doesn't last long at all.

[James Brown]

they do look good with just scotch brite pad cleaning, along with the inside fan housing, purley for corrosion control purposes.