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SDI alternator removal - how the heck!?


ravensthorne
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Good Evening All !

 

Who here has had the pleasure of removing/replacing the alternator on an SDI?  I need to do mine at the weekend (the pulley has broken loose) and want to get my head around the process in the meantime.

 

if anyone has any advice (or better, a step-by-step guide) please let me know.

 

Thanks + Regards

 

 

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Ok, so I used the trial and error approach and eventually got it done...

 

IF ANYONE KNOWS A SIMPLER WAY, I'D LOVE TO KNOW AS I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN ?

 

jack up front on axle stands

remove OS wheel

remove arch liner (not 100% necessary, but makes it easier to see what you're doing)

remove aux belt

support engine on trolley jack using a short plank to spread the weight

remove engine cover

remove OS top engine mount

remove aluminum bracket from the side of the engine (the one that the engine mount bolts onto)

remove top cambelt cover (again, just to get a better view of the alternator bolts)

disconnect battery -ve

remove the two electrical connections from the alternator (raise and lower the engine as necessary to gain access to the bolts)

remove the two alternator bolts (one of them is hiding behind the aux tensioner pulley so need to wind back the pulley and hold the spanner in place.  I used a heavy cable-tie and secured the end of the spanner to the front lower bumper).

remove oil filter (unbelievable, i know!)

gently pry the alternator away from its mountings (do this with the engine raised)

FINALLY, if you haven't lost the will to live by now, have great fun trying to maneuver the alternator out through the bottom of the engine bay.  The radiator hose looks like it's in the way but can be pushed to one side to give just enough space.

 

IF I remember anything else that i failed to mention, I'll add to post.

 

NB. i also removed the water pump pulley but can't remember why - probably in the way of something?

 

 

I Hope this helps someone out.

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Agreed, good write up and full marks for posting.

I've not been unlucky enough to have to do this myself yet but did notice when replacing the PAS pump that the alternator looked like it would be lots of fun to remove.

Edited by JoeyEunos
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to move the slam panel, don't you need to access the bolts behind the bumper? as in you can't get to it without stripping lots out of the way? never done it, but the gap is small, like 10-12mm...

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  • 4 months later...

my turn for the same problem...

My battery light just came on. sigh. 12.4V while running, not 14.4 as it's supposed to be.

I'll post my observations while battling. My guess it's just the regulator or brushes.

I'll see if I first can remove just the back off it and pull out the assembly. so much easier than what @ravensthorne has been through.

Anyone got a spare alternator? Or at least a pic of the back of it. Hard to see what is going on down there....

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Mk2

 

I hope you're able to get the regulator off without the headache of removing the alternator.  If not, I hope you suss out a simpler way of removing the whole thing.  My method of raising/dropping the engine was necessary (in my mind at least) as one of the alternator bolts cannot be fully removed because the chassis leg is right behind it.

If you figure out a better way, let me know.

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Yeah, just ordered a voltage regulator, without actually knowing which alternator is in the car. Based purely on the two pin plug... hopefully I got the right one. I'll pull out the old one after work today- or that's the theory.

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8 hours ago, ravensthorne said:

Mk2

 

I hope you're able to get the regulator off without the headache of removing the alternator.  If not, I hope you suss out a simpler way of removing the whole thing.  My method of raising/dropping the engine was necessary (in my mind at least) as one of the alternator bolts cannot be fully removed because the chassis leg is right behind it.

If you figure out a better way, let me know.

In my slam panel, next to the rad, there's a big hole, which looks like it's just the right size to pass the alternator through. But it still means most of the front of the car has to come off. Not sure if removing it from the front or behind makes much difference. Still looks like a right pain either way. Hopefully the new regulator will sort it so i don't need to remove it.

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2 hours ago, mk2 said:

In my slam panel, next to the rad, there's a big hole, which looks like it's just the right size to pass the alternator through

Odd - Mine has no such hole - either way, I still can't see how to fully extract one of the alternator bolts with the chassis leg blocking it in (apart form lowering the engine by a few inches so the bolt clears the leg)

I hope your new regulator just snaps into place without any p!ssing about. 😀

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3 hours ago, Andrew1971 said:

Hi All

 I managed to get my alternator off with out to much trouble. the bolt just cleared the chassis. BUT for me it was easy cos i have no front end on 😀

Andrew

Pic of engine minus alternator?

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Andrew my alternator was different in the end. It was a bosch one with an oval plug. Your's is square i think.

All fixed. I've taken some pics. There's a design flaw in the regulator which in time will cause every unit to fail.

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