cdti alternator change from top
 

hi everyone
I posted a thread telling you all that I managed to change the alternator on my cdti from the top and if enough interest would write a tread on how I did it so here I go..... if a mod thinks this will make a good how to please feel free

anyway I started by placing a jack under the sump of the engine with a piece of wood to prevent any damage to the engine and raised the jack to just take the weight of the engine, I then proceeded to remove the power steering pump reservoir from the drivers side engine mount and move to one side, I don't mean disconnect just move to one side, I then removed the drivers side engine mount completely which gave me access to the aux-belt tensioner,
I then placed a 24mm ring spanner onto the nut of the tensioner and held in place while with my free hand jacked up the engine just enough not to trap the spanner allowing me to push it towards the back of the car letting you remove the belt off the steering pump, once done release the spanner.
now its time to remove the steering pump ( not disconnect ) and move to the side with the reservoir, this gave me access to the alternator and so at this point I removed the battery leads and before you say anything... I know I should have done it at the start and please do so when you do this, now I removed the plug going to the alternator just press the spring clip and it will come away, now if you follow the thick black wire which is also attached to the alternator down to were it meets the engine ( starter ) you will find a rubber cover, peel this back to reveal a nut joining the cable and another cable together remove the nut and pull the cable away replace the nut, now undo the two nuts at the front of the alternator and the back one, if you look down the back you will see it and can use a 10mm socket and an extension to remove it, you will need to slide your arm across and down to the nut and in doing so find the access hole which is your access for the socket, once all three bolts are removed wiggle the alternator back and forth until it come loose and then manoeuvre it out, its not difficult, once out you can remove the cable and fit it to your new alternator, reason for removing the cable now is that it can break at the joint if done when attached to the car.
now that you have done all that fitting is the reverse of the above, all this only took me one and a half hours and is easier than it sounds so good luck and feel free to pm me if you need any advice
regards
Andrew


disclaimer.. all work is of your own doing and the above is only meant as a guide

Good work, not seen it done from the top with the front end still attached

Seems quite straightforward and much easier than the way I did it from underneath. Well done

Thank you for the write up: it worked. :bowdown:

Only issue was the alternator I got was a freelander one (ordered for Rover 75, but they sent me this), which are higher rated and the outer casing is just a bit larger then the original.... Of course you discover this when you try to put the multibelt back on and it doesn't fit. By then it was late into the Sunday evening and I needed the car the next morning! Grinded some of the alternator casing and engine, and it fitted - just.

It is now ok for two weeks now and hope the original alternator can be overhauled. It stopped working due to ATF from the powersteering leaking on to it... Always good to check if the hoses from the reservoir are not leaking to avoid this. Put on each hose an additional clamp and all is dry now.

Rob

resurecting an old thread but once again this forum saves me a lot of grief,time and money Thankyou. A few things I would add after doing it this way, If you use a 24mm combination spanner on the tensioner (open end on the pulley) leave it on when you take the belt off or it will spring too far back and when you come to put the belt back on I put a tie down strap through the ring of the spanner and around the engine mount casting thats fastened to the inner wing, that way you can hold the tensioner pulley off while you take your time to refit the belt. Secondly the bottom bolt on the alternator is easier to get at through the wheel arch even with the wheel on. Thirdly when you come to fasten the big cast mounting back on the engine block be careful screwing the bolts in, its only aluminium and will strip the threads VERY easily, lastly if I had to ever do this again I would jack the car up,take the wheel off and peel the inner wing back the same way you would if you did it from underneath then support the engine and proceed as the OP because if the belt slips off the crank pulley its impossible to get it back on from the top,far easier from through the wheel arch and once you have the top engine mounting off you cant jack the car up easily.

Andel,
Going to change the alternator on my CDT SE on Monday your system looks a lot simpler than "Haynes". thanks for the info

4timesarover

What, "Remove drive belt and bolts and remove alternator"? :shrug: ;) :D

I can tell you it can be a pig of a job - I also had the 'larger' alternator which took a bit of fettling to fit.
Sadly I did it from underneath, which meant removal of all sorts of bits and bobs.

Top tip for ANYONE reading with a CDTi - do NOT let anything drip onto the alternator, be it PSF or engine oil when doing an oil/filter change.
Keep your alternator clean, and lots of power you will glean. :D

Now with pictures by me, credit duly given to Andel :-

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...d.php?t=199608

Snagger.

Just had an alternator fixed, not by me, had a friend do it. He did say it wasn't easy. Rightly or wrongly he removed the power steering pipes, said bolts were too long as well. Anyway, he got it out from the top and sent it for a new back end. All in £110, about the same price as a new Chinese one.:shrug: