Pimp my Alternator!

[Barkychoc]

Well after S Club I realised I needed to add a bit o' bling to my car.
As V8 alternators go for about a tenner on ebay I decided I'd risk taking it to bits.
Edited to add - looking at the V6 alternator I reckon the principles applied here might be pretty similar, but do it at your own risk etc etc.

I turned this





to this





Here's how.
I took the alternator apart to paint it and was amazed at just how easy it was.
Don't forget it was the V8 alternator (Lucas I think but it also says Magneti Marelli on the casing).
I think the V6 alternator is pretty simlar in terms of the principles used here.
These are actually reassembly pics used in reverse if that makes sense so they are of a nice clean alternator
I am no alternator expert so my description of the various parts may not be technically accurate.

Remove the regulator - remove the 3 bolts and lift it away.





Lift it away carefully and detach the single wire.
You can see the brushes here.



Note to paint this dont try to seperate the 2 halves - half metal half plastic.
They are attached together by some very short wires - if you pull it apart you'll break them - it can be eased apart just enough to get some masking tape in the right places.

You need to remove the pulley using a spanner and allen key - and its tight.



Once thats done remove the 3 bolts that pass front to back through the alternator.



and remove the front



The central part of the alternator just lifts out
(I didn't do anything to this, I left it as it was, you can't see it when its back together)



The front section has a bearing in it which came out fairly easily, remove the 3 bolts and gently tap it out.
(its a bit tougher to get back in if you get paint in here )



Then remove all of the remaining bolts and terminals at the back and the coil assembly just drops out.
I've put the nuts back on here so I know where they go.
I just wire brushed it then masked it off and painted the middle steel bit with some aerosol grey primer followed by black gloss.



I then gritblasted the housing in my blast cabinet that I built a while back.



The problem with this is that the rear alternator housing has a roller bearing in it that won't come out.
I stuck a 2 pence over the bearing using blue gasket sealant - here's the pic after painting when I prised it off.



A quick spray of paint



Then its a case of putting it all back together - it really wasn't that hard and there weren't any real surprises - I thought there would be a few springs whizzing past my ears but it didn't happen.
Make sure the front to back relationship is correct - you can fit the 2 halves back together in any of 3 positions - if you get it wrong the mounts & belt tension bracket will be in the wrong position.

There's a finger guard that goes round the fan blades but its totally straightforward to remove so I haven't detailed that.

I painted it with Halfords high temp exhaust paint, its great for a bit of bling.
It covers brilliantly and is dry enough to handle carefully after half an hour.
It looks quite dull when you first spray it on but with only a tiny bit of buffing with a cloth it comes up really well. (More of a quick wipe than a buff - just right for me!).

Edited by Barkychoc on Thursday 11th June 21:17

[Spathodus77]

Thanks for this. I find this type of 'how to' post interesting and useful.

Ralph.

[phillpot]

Never mind the alternator, I'm impressed with the grit blasting cabinet !