[AKPsiMC03]

I went outside earlier to move my car and put the windows up. I tun it on, "all monitored systems ok" then "no battery charge" OH ****! I tired restarting and got the same message. The DIC volt meter reads 11.8 volts. it is running on just the battery. Aternator is shot.

I go and open the hood to see what im facing. If you dont know where the alternator is on these cars, it is on the front of the motor on the bottom... all the way at the bottom. works place ot put a part that will break every 90-100 miles IF you get a good one.

I i start unbolting shit. working at a pretty good pace. Then I start getting to the alterntor. there is a bolt under it... gotta take the wheel off and go from the side for it. then there are 2 bolts on the back. the fan on that side has to come out. I get one. its right next ot the headder. the other is FARTHER BACK! this is the last bolt i recomend taking off because you want to be able to push the alternator to the side to get it out all the way.

Its all unbolted and dissconnected and i go to pull it out. NO WHERE TO GO. Out come the other fan, and oh joy... the radiator. now I have coolant, tranny fluid, and oil on my driveway cus i ran out of pans and got lazy at the end (it was dark by this time and im running on 4 hrs of sleep).

So to get an alterntor out of these things, here is what has to come out.

RH wheel. plasic fender shroud. battery. platic on top of radiator. one fan. the radiator. alot of fluids. and some blood.

It took me 2.5 hrs to get it out. Im not looking forward to putting it back in.

 

[maydog]

Hmm..,

I just did my altermator on my 97 STS and it was difficult but I did not have to remove too many things. I was able to get it out by:

1. Battery
2. Removing the serpintine belt
3. the radiator fan on the passenger side.
4. the bottom splash guard
5. that top plastic "beauty" cover
6. the access panel for the converter

Getting the rear bolts out was not easy but I was able to get the top out enough with a cresent wrench. I got the one behing the manifold out using a few long socket extensions and going behind the manifold from the other side of the engine with an air wrench.

There should be plenty of room to work with the one fan and battery out. and the alternator should come fairly easily through the "access" panel underneath.

Putting the new one in should be fairly straight forward since you have the experience of the removal. To get the rear bolt back on, I taped it into the socket and used the extensions to get behind the manifold again.

It tooks several hours to get the alt out and maybe 30-45 minutes to put the new one in.

Since all your fluids are already drained, it may be a good time for a coolant change and new thermostat?

Good luck

 

[Night Wolf]

This is the N* we are talking about....right?

Please don't tell me the 4.9 is that hard.....

What happened to the good ol days, where everything was just direct, now we have V8's crammed sideways in bays that would normall fit a 4banger or a small 6..... ahhh

 

[AKPsiMC03]

i think ill do the thermostat... even though i wasted $60 a month ago having the coolant flushed only to come to this. oh well.

and to get the bolrs in the rear of it in... i got my hand up in there then used an open wrench in there to tighten them back up.

I just hope that i can find a store that has one.