How To: Replace Alternator

[shnazzle]

It's unlikely you'll encounter this but in case you do....

I changed the order of instructions so you may see parts in pics which the instructions have already removed. Live and learn

I warn you, after gaining access, it's not so much pictures but descriptions as everything after that point is by feel due to restricted access.
This guide is for access from top only. If you have accesss to a lift or pit, certain parts may be easier for you.

In a nutshell this is what you'll be doing:
- undoing battery earth and lifting the engine slightly to remove pressure off the mount.
- clearing the path to the alternator by removing the evap cannister, right engine mount and auxiliary belt
- undoing two bolts that hold the alternator in place
- removing two cables and one cable clip (for A/C, so you may not have this)
- removing the alternator and refitting.

1) isolate battery. As we're working with the thing that generates current, thought it best. Off comes the negative terminal and set aside. (10mm socket or spanner).
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2) evap cannister needs to come out. Including bracket. Case of removing the two rubber pipes. The left one pulls off. The front one has a little clip you need to squeeze, move back and then pull off the tube.
The cannister itself pulls out. Stand at the driver's side, push the top towards the passenger side and pull up. Might take a wiggle and some force but it'll pop out.
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3) remove two 10mm bolts holding the evap cannister bracket
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4) this part's fun. Removing the right engine mount. Jack up the engine by using a jack under the gearbox bell housing and lifting it until it starts to lift the wheels. Put a jack stand under the sill. One big 17mm(??) bolt on the middle top of the mount needs to come out, and then 3x 14mm nuts UNDER the mount on the engine side. Takes a bit of creativity to undo those nuts by using a 14mm spanner and the breaker bar leveraged against the frame. Then a long 14mm socket on a ratchet to undo the nuts by entering from '"behind", in front of the bulkhead.
Alternatively, if you can get under the car and have a lot of extensions (about 1.5ft) you can undo these bolts from below.
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5) Once the big silver mount is out, remove the actual isolator. It's what the mount was bolted to, on the tripod. Two 14mm bolts, one under where the evap cannister was and one deeper towards the bulkhead. Then one more bolt, but this one you have to remove from inside the driver's side rear wheel arch.
Undo and remove the tripod.
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6) remove auxiliary belt from alternator by using a breaker bar with a short 19mm socket on the fake bolt on the belt tensioner. Make sure the car is solid and won't move if you push it. Lock the socket on, and with all your bodyweight, push forward to push the tensioner and slacken the belt. Use a block of something between the breaker bar and the strut tower to keep the slack.
Then remove the belt off just the alternator and then you can push the breaker bar again and remove the block.
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the rest is by feel.

7)There is a 12mm bolt that you can see from the side of the engine bay, on the top of the alternator. It goes through the engine mount bracket. Remove this first.
Then there's a 14mm bolt lower down. You can just make it out from the side of the engine bay. Feel for it, lock a big 14mm socket and spanner on it and loosen it. Whatever means necessary. Spray the mounting point behind the bolt head with penetrant/lubricant. Using your hand, push the top of the alternator away from the engine.  Pull it back.  Do this a few times to get it moving freely.  Now remove the bottom bolt and work the alternator free.

8. Removing the cables. Don't do this until the alternator is free from the engine.  Take care not to drop the alternator while positioning it in such a way that you can see and access the electrical connections. There is one on the top, left of the alternator hidden under a plastic cap pull it off. Under there is a 10mm nut holding the cable on via an eyelet connector.
Behind it is a plug. Squeeze the side until you feel/hear a little click and pull it off.  Last but not least, there's a spade connector that holds the A/C cable in place, top middle of the alternator
Get your nail in the top left of the clip. You'll feel a hole on the top left of the clip, right wide of the hole is a clip. Pull it left and slide the clip off the pole.

9)  While the alternator is off, using rough wet-and-dry, or a small flat file, clean the inner surfaces of the mounts that the bottom bolt goes though.  Do the same to the corresponding surfaces on the alternator that is going in and smear a little grease on them.  This will enable you to re-position it with some ease.

10) To refit, start by reconnecting the wiring.  Now slide the alternator into its bottom mounts. Have a screwdriver or drift handy to help lever the holes into alignment.  Insert the bottom bolt.  A bit of waggling will help it go though. Hand tighten the bottom bolt, leaving the alternator free to swing about it.  Swing the alternator so that the top bolt hole lines up, replace the top bolt.  Now tighten both bolts.


The rest is reverse of removal.

Done!