Cleaning an Alternator?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 25
Likes: 6
Cleaning an Alternator? TLDR: Power steering pump puked its guts out over winter in storage and my (2 year old) alternator is covered in oil. Can it be cleaned by me using parts cleaner or something of the sort if done carefully?
Continuation: Is the alternator trashed? I'm upgrading to a corvette style pump and remote reservoir mounted up by the Brake booster.
The current alternator was installed as a condition of my purchase as it was proven to be junk. I opted for an upgraded 165 amp powermaster for them to install, so it's a unit I'd like to reuse if possible.
TIA!
Continuation: Is the alternator trashed? I'm upgrading to a corvette style pump and remote reservoir mounted up by the Brake booster.
The current alternator was installed as a condition of my purchase as it was proven to be junk. I opted for an upgraded 165 amp powermaster for them to install, so it's a unit I'd like to reuse if possible.
TIA!
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,407
Likes: 63
From: Knappa, Oregon
You want to use this cleaner, it is expensive but works. It will sometimes disolve plastic parts but for an alternater just spray the **** out of it, let it drain and dry, and you should be good to go.
TECH Addict
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,513
Likes: 480
From: PDX-OR-USA
The brushes are carbon, if they sit in oil very log they will soak it up.
But thing is to pull the alternator, take it apart and swap the brushes and use the electroclen spray top clean the armature and case,
Try not to directly spray the bearings with the Electroclean it will get past the seals, if the alt is very old, a new set of bearings can be put in
at the same time, its a little fussy but definitely a diy possible job.
Trick, there is a pinhole in the case that matches a pinhole in the brushes holder, a paper clip slid in
will hold the brushes up while you put the thing together then pull the clip to release the brushes.
But thing is to pull the alternator, take it apart and swap the brushes and use the electroclen spray top clean the armature and case,
Try not to directly spray the bearings with the Electroclean it will get past the seals, if the alt is very old, a new set of bearings can be put in
at the same time, its a little fussy but definitely a diy possible job.
Trick, there is a pinhole in the case that matches a pinhole in the brushes holder, a paper clip slid in
will hold the brushes up while you put the thing together then pull the clip to release the brushes.
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