alternator
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 530
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If its like a 2001 Camaro, best option is to jack the front end of the car up and go at it from underneath. Undo the tensioner pully, slide off the belt, and then go underneath the car. You need to undo two connections. The one in the rear is from the postive cable of the battery. Should be a nut and a lock washer on it. The other on top you can't access unless you can wiggle in a screwdriver. Thats known as the exciter wire. Its a typical GM four prong with a thin red wire that leads directly from the CPU. Don't break this. If you can undo it while its mounted, great. If not, then your going to have to undo the three bolts holding the alternator onto the bracket, and then support the alternator with your free hand, then you can turn and twist it and do whatever you need to do to access it. Don't let the alternator hang. You'll snap the wire off and then you'll have to fix it.
You'll have to do some wiggling to get the alternator down. The fans and the sway bar tend to hold it in, but you'll have gravity working for you. If you want absolutely zero hassles, I would suggest dropping the front swaybar, though I have never done this myself. I usually just wrestle it out after I find that magic angle.
Don't use an autozone or Orielly alternator. It won't hold up to the underhood temps and youll have surging voltage. Get a good, high quality piece.
Reinstalation is a tad harder. Muscle the alternator back into the bracket, and make sure you connect the 4 prong exciter wire before getting it in position to bolt in. This is going to involve a lot of holding and twisting before you get it right, so work on your forearm muscles. Get it in, then slide the three bolts back in. Tighten, and then reattached the positive cable from the battery. Make sure all the connections are tight. Rethread the belt and you should be good.
And make sure you disconnect the battery first. If you still have the AC Delco head unit, be ready to have a locked unit unless that security feature has already been disconnected.
I think I just about got everything.
You'll have to do some wiggling to get the alternator down. The fans and the sway bar tend to hold it in, but you'll have gravity working for you. If you want absolutely zero hassles, I would suggest dropping the front swaybar, though I have never done this myself. I usually just wrestle it out after I find that magic angle.
Don't use an autozone or Orielly alternator. It won't hold up to the underhood temps and youll have surging voltage. Get a good, high quality piece.
Reinstalation is a tad harder. Muscle the alternator back into the bracket, and make sure you connect the 4 prong exciter wire before getting it in position to bolt in. This is going to involve a lot of holding and twisting before you get it right, so work on your forearm muscles. Get it in, then slide the three bolts back in. Tighten, and then reattached the positive cable from the battery. Make sure all the connections are tight. Rethread the belt and you should be good.
And make sure you disconnect the battery first. If you still have the AC Delco head unit, be ready to have a locked unit unless that security feature has already been disconnected.
I think I just about got everything.
