I started the car at work and heard a terrible hum/vibration, and it wasn't
the engine. I lifted the hood and it was coming from the alternator. I then
made a beeline for home, but alas did not make it. I've now got the
alternator off. Previously, on other vehicles I've just bought a rebuilt one
and threw it on, I can get a rebuilt one for $95.00 Canadian. Now I've got
it off I'm wondering if I can fix it myself. I'm not an expert at
auto-electrics, but have done fairly well so far learning along the way.
I've researched my Haynes manual, but not much info is there. Is it worth it
to try to do this, or should I just buy the rebuilt one? Is the hum that
precipitated the alternator failing an indication of the problem? If I
should rebuild/fix it where should I start?
Jim,
Was the alternator still charging, or did you even notice? It sounds to be
more of a mechanical problem than an electrical one. Typically the front
bearing is the first to go because of the fan belt load, and they are fairly
easy to replace. My guess it's self destructed. A proper size gear puller to
remove the pully and separation of the front and rear covers will give you
easy access to the front bearing. Replacement bearings can usually be had
from a local bearing supplier.
The rear bearing is a bit more of a bear to replace. The slip ring needs to
be CAREFULLY desoldered (the two wires are very fine and easy to break) and
you'll need a small bearing separator and a two jaw puller to get the bearing
itself off.
There's not room here to go into diagnosing the electrical portion, but if
you find the unit's not charging let me know. I did a full article for our
newsletter about a year ago and I can "attach" the info along with
illustrations if necessary. The units can be easily diagnosed if you have a
reasonable digital VOM. The only confusion usually comes from the voltage
regulator. They come in 2, 3, and 4 wire configurations, depending on whether
they're machine (alternator) or system (voltage available at the harness)
sensing.
Let me know,
Charlie B.
Capital Triumph Register
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