How difficult is it to change an alternator in a 6th gen?

 

Come on I need a honda guru here please help me out.

 

i did it in my EK when the only mechanical experience i had was lefty-loosy, righty-tighty.
Its not real hard but it would be easyer if u had a lift because it goes in from the bottom

 

Not to bad, you'll probably have to pull the driver side axle out though...

 

I have a jack and two stands I can get under the car pretty easily. What about the belt is it hard to remove?

 

(dissconect negative battery cable first, the black one) Theres a two bolts that u will need to remove. one is goten at from the bottom and the alternator pivots on it.. so i would sugest just lossening it for the time-being. then there is one bolt goten at from the top and it slides on a mounting bracket.
after thats done pivot the alternator and remove the belt. there is a main wire to the alternator, its held on with a nut and covered by a rubber cap.. also disconnect the electrical connecter that goes to the alternator. you may or may not have to remove the alternator mounting bracket, it attaches to the block and the bolt the thing pivots on goes thru it.. its a tight fit and required alot of crafty wiggling to get it out... and in.. which was the hardest part in my opinion.. other than that just bolt everything back on and have fun.

PS i like to do electrical at shops just because my car has an appetite for alternators, and guarenteed work is real nice

 

another note when the alternator is loose from the mount youll see it only has a small cavity in which it lies, and cant fall out... taking out the drive shaft would make removal much easyer, as it would just fall out then, but requires more knowhow than simply finding a good angle and wiggling the thing out

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TooManyTickets &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">another note when the alternator is loose from the mount youll see it only has a small cavity in which it lies, and cant fall out... taking out the drive shaft would make removal much easyer, as it would just fall out then, but requires more knowhow than simply finding a good angle and wiggling the thing out</TD></TR></TABLE>


i used to oumo gas at a service station, my boss was all pissed he had to take out an axle to change an alternator but instead he loosened the suspension up to have a couple more inches and it barely snuck out

 

is there DIY on this?

 

1:Remove battery cables from battery.
2:Remove chargeback wire (10mm) and the 4 pin regulator connector from the alternator. Remove the pivot arm bolt from the top of the alternator, should be a 12mm with a metal slide behind it to keep the alternator in its bracket groove.
3:Remove the 14mm through bolt on the bottom of the alternator.
4: at this point, the alternator should be free from the engine. Depending on how much room you have up top, you may be able to remove it topside. (remove strut bar if you have one)
5: if not, you will need to pull the alternator from the bottom, components may need to be removed in order for that to happen, this will all depend on how much room you have to work with.
6: Install reverse of removal.

I have been able to remove the alternator from my car with the current B16A, and the old D16Y8 from the top.

 

Thanks will do tonight

 

This is a great write up for alternator changing. Yet what does one do when the pivot bolt is seized in the alternator and in the alternator bracket. I have heated, and PB blaster for the past couple hours, and nothing. I have been smacking the end of the bolt with a BFH and nothing. I would take the entire bracket off but I am unable to get a wrench or socket around that one 14mm bracket bolt

Also, when you have to put the alternator belt on (1998) do I need to drop the AC compressor there is no way to just put the belts over the pullys there is this motor mount looking thing in the way which is attached to the AC compressor

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CBL9 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also, when you have to put the alternator belt on (1998) do I need to drop the AC compressor there is no way to just put the belts over the pullys there is this motor mount looking thing in the way which is attached to the AC compressor </TD></TR></TABLE>

you dont have to take off the compressor.......if you want to remove or replace your ac belt or alternator belt then you'll have to take off that mount.....there are two bolts holding it in. Don't worry about supporting the engine its not a motor mount, its just for the ac. If you're just changing the alternator and not replacing the belt, just let the belt hang there(that is once you're able to get the pivot bolt unseized). My bolt was seized to, i just found a foot and a half long pipe...put it over the wrench and got that SOB losened.

 

get the service manual from the link in my sig?

 

Ok this sucks. I still can't pop the pivot bolt free. It's been two days of PB blasting and torching, still nothing. The alternator atleast pivots on the bolt now if I tap it with a prybar and hammer from the top, yet that bolt is not moving. The metal the bolt is made out of is pretty malable, so it is taking on a shape that is not conducive to me hitting it with a hammer any longer. Any advice?


Modified by CBL9 at 6:58 AM 9/12/2007

 

take it to a shop and have them do it.........or sawzall the head off the bolt or with a little saw...(place a towels over as many parts as you can...you dont want to get metal shavings on your belts and stuff), buy a new bolt and put anti seize on it

just an idea...let me know....its worked for me

 

Do you think a sawzall would cut through the entire bracket? It is definitely cast so i am thinking no, but that would be the best option I think. If I cut the head off the bolt, the bolt will still be seized in there right?

 

i just did this last week on an ek
it is possible to remove it from the top you just need to remove the bolts holding in the break booster attatched to the firewall and then manuever the alternator out through the top without bending the lines of the bb
its alot easier with two people

 

Well the bolt is going to soak one more night in PB Blaster, then tomorrow I am going to torch the **** out of it again. Then I might give up. I don't even know what a shop would do, that I am not doing...