MX5 Alternator Belt Removal

[The Moose]

Right, following on from my other thread, I need to remove the alternator belt from a 1.8 Mk1 engine. Anything to be aware of when doing this/putting it back on?

Cheers

[wildoliver]

You poor sod.

Is all I will say.

ahole of a job I've just done 2, if I ever meet the moron who put the bottom bolt in facing to the back of the engine I will stick it where it is extremely hard to remove (a bit like his design).

[The Moose]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!!

I will have a look and see what's what. If i don't think it's on, I'll get someone better than me to do it!

[Pete Franklin]

I seem to remember the bottom bolt on the alternator is really difficult to undo. After failing and starting to round the nut I realised that you can get away without loosening it by levering the alternator away a crow bar. probably not the best practice but it seemed to do the job for me.

[wildoliver]

It's doable but it's a horrible job.

Imagine how happy I was to fit a new belt to the alternator (car delivered sans belt) involving removing PS belt also (as bad a job as the alternator really) then getting it all back together only to find the alternator screams it's head off.....

To the scrapyard alternator off Mazda 323 (even more horrible to work on) alternator belt off again, alternator off (not easy when some idiot designs a brace piece behind the alternator which stops bottom bolt coming out, change alternator (sounds so easy) and put back together again.

Never again. Never never again. How on earth Mazda managed to design a car with a small engine in a reasonably spacious engine bay yet seemingly no access to anything at all is almost as impressive as how they managed to ape a british sports car even down to improving on the rusting ability of the underside.

[TVR MAN]

Pete Franklin said:

I seem to remember the bottom bolt on the alternator is really difficult to undo. After failing and starting to round the nut I realised that you can get away without loosening it by levering the alternator away a crow bar. probably not the best practice but it seemed to do the job for me.

Yeah, that.

The bottom bolt on mine was spinning without undoing so I hammered the alternator into position and then back again!

[gforceg]

Yep, me too. The pinch bolts will hold it in place.
I read a "how to" online where the guy casually mentioned you could remove the inlet manifold bracket to get at it! Sod that for a game of soldiers.

[wildoliver]

In fairness the bracket isn't hard to remove, 2 14mm bolts top and one bottom. 3/8ths rachet for all of them with a short extension on the bottom and long on the top.

But why design it like that in the first place. Thought the rear wishbones were bad.

[gforceg]

I feel chastened! Next time I'll look at doing it properly.

[BonzoG]

+1 on all of the above. It's been a while but I distinctly remember giving up on the bottom bolt and just hammering the alternator out of the way with a mallet and a lump of wood.


Then having to do it all again a few months later to get at the cambelt.