How to remove alternator pulley

rubyalpine

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After more than 50 years of working on cars, I finally got clever and figured out how to loosen the alternator pulley nut!
After damaging a few pulleys over the years, I finally discovered that I could hold the pulley with an oil filter wrench, and then remove the nut with an impact driver, easy.

Now I suppose most of you are going to say you have been doing this for years.

For information, just in case I'm not the only dumb one.

Henry
 
That can be a right pain in the dorongo. I have come across alternators so stubborn I exhausted my vocabulary on the bastard and it still didn't budge. Honda is a pain. But I think the impact driver is the deciding factor. I have an el cheapo air tool that hasn't met its match yet.
 
After more than 50 years of working on cars, I finally got clever and figured out how to loosen the alternator pulley nut!
After damaging a few pulleys over the years, I finally discovered that I could hold the pulley with an oil filter wrench, and then remove the nut with an impact driver, easy.

Now I suppose most of you are going to say you have been doing this for years.

For information, just in case I'm not the only dumb one.

Henry

I've used a rattle gun exclusively. And if the shaft still turns, I've wrapped a belt around the pulley (Vee, poly Vee , toothed) and pulled the belt tight and clamped it in the vice.

Using a rattle gun after that has never failed to loosen the nut.

FWIW check out the end of the shaft. Later Bosch and others sometime put a M8 female hex in the drive end of the shaft.

In which case I hold the alternator with a hex key in the vice. And undo the nut with a ring spanner.

Early Ducellier and some Email alternators are a pita. The pulleys are interference fit, and pressing them off can be a real pain.

A soak the night before with a spray lube helps.
 
My method is:

Remove the four bolts that hold the alternator together.

Remove brush holder/built in regulator.

Remove the non drive end bell housing and also the stator with it.

Hold the rotor in a vice with soft jaws.

Put a ring spanner on the nut and give a slight tap with a copper hammer.

If necessary use a puller to remove pulley and driven end bell housing.


I agree Rob that Email alternators are a pain to work on, and so are Lucas.
 
Yep, rattle gun. Hold the pulley with your spare hand and pull the trigger.
 
I've used a rattle gun exclusively. And if the shaft still turns, I've wrapped a belt around the pulley (Vee, poly Vee , toothed) and pulled the belt tight and clamped it in the vice.

Using a rattle gun after that has never failed to loosen the nut.

FWIW check out the end of the shaft. Later Bosch and others sometime put a M8 female hex in the drive end of the shaft.

In which case I hold the alternator with a hex key in the vice. And undo the nut with a ring spanner.

So you do in fact occasionally service alternators ? But have never had a regulator malfunction ?
 
So you do in fact occasionally service alternators ? But have never had a regulator malfunction ?

Regulators are the most reliable thing usually. Especially the Bosch custom made hybrid chip used in their most recent product. And anything Nippon Denso.

Brushes, slip rings and bearings and the occasional main/ field diode failure or intermittent are the most common failure points.

In the time I've been servicing and fitting alternators, I've probably seen less than 5 internal regulators fail.

Save the Lucas ACR-3D machines which had a design issue with the regulators.

The alternators I've serviced, reconditioned and retro fitted have been for friends and friends of friends.

My own vehicles for the last 35 years odd have all been newish and never needed service to their alternators.
However the 4YE Tarago and Egg Tarago seemed to "eat up" starter solenoid contacts.
 
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