I need to change the location of the output post on my alternator. Has anybody had any luck "clocking" (or turning, what ever you want to call it) the rear cover to move the post? What happens when I pull the 2 halves apart? Do pieces go flying? HELP! Please!!!! Thanks Tony. .
yes, just turn it. if you have to mess with the brushes , just hold them in place with a paperclip or toothpick
It's easy, or at least it was 10+ years ago when I used to do it at the parts store... used to be the worst that would happen is the brushes pop out... used to be an easy thing to correct. The above may not apply to "modern" alternators from the 90's up.
yeah its a GM one..... shoulda added that. If things go crazy on me how hard are they to put back together........ I guess I have never actually had an alternator apart. wish I had a spare right now!
Use one or two toothpicks, straightened out paper clips (preferred) or pieces of wire to hold the brushes in place - there should be a hole or holes to do just that. Sometimes I have gotten alternators from rebuilders with picks in place to keep the brushes in place for just this reason. I have never had luck doing it without pinning the brushes, as you have to take it JUST far enough apart to 'time' it. Other than that it's a piece of cake, and well worth the effort, as sometimes shtuff just doesn't line up. Just dont pull it too far apart as you might have bearing problems, etc The smallest distance you have to separate it to move it the better. erring on the side of caution will save you a shiteload of time in the long run!! Tim
Pull it apart.Push the springs and brushes back into place[easy]and hold them with one hand,push a paperclip unfolded through the hole in the back,you'll see it,reassemble in the correct position then pull the paper clip.
It worked smooth as butter! Although I now know why i never put the stock bracket back on in the first place. I think the alternator on a 472 caddy runs only from the water pump. and since I have no other acc. I now have nothing to turn the water pump...... any ideas?
OK I admit I'm kinda lost here. Are you saying you no longer have the alt where it can be used to tnsion the belt between teh crank and the h2o pump?? If that's the case - maybe just put in an adjustable idler to tension the belt. If I'm in left field - could you post a pic??
Its been a long while since this engine had ALL of the brackets and acc. stuff on it. I only need an alternator in this car, no A/C, no pwr steering. I think that the crank turned the pwr. steering, which turned the water pump. Then a pully on the water pump that is out farther thanm the crank ran the alternator. I had some nasty homemade stuff running the alternator and w/p before but it floped all over. So now im changing it back to stock brackets....... and its not going so smooth!
Crankshaft walked off on ya, huh? Yup. Hate it when that happens. Try a new set of 2 groove pulleys, if you can find 'em for that 472. Most GM pulleys should interchange.
sorry i am jumping in late here guys and gals...it is almost too easy to clock an alternator with out popping the brushes...only took me 20 plus years in the business to learn the proper way.... mark the case ( so you only havr to do it 1 time !), remove the pulley, stand the alternator on the bench pulley side down, remove the case bolts, lightly tap the front housing, it will fall to the bench....rotate it to the proper position (see marks ! ), re-insert case bolts, flip it over onto it's back, reinstall the pulley.....done... no danger of the brushes popping because the shaft stays in place relative to the back housing .. dave...
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