Removal of 92 Alternator

[Starska]

I have a 92 Grand Voyager 3.3l v6

The Pully on the Altenator is the wrong one I tried to remove the Alt. and found it can not come out.

It has the large bracket over it and per the repair book it needs to be dropped down the back of the motor but it still will not come out that way. It is to large for the space between the Firewall and the the body cross support.

Spent over 3 hours trying to turn and angle it in every way I can think of.

Any help please

Thanks,
Keith Marshall

[DukesOfAkron]

Hey Keith!

Let me tell ya' about these #$!@#$%^*+@$# alternators!!! My 94 died on the side of the road. I knew it was the alternator or the battery, so I figured that a battery was as expensive as a wrecker. After I replaced the battery, I went back to AutoZone and they load-tested the charging system. Sho 'nuff, they said alternator. So I bought the alternator with a Haynes manual. It is not bad but I still think Chilton is better. Haynes is too vague about covering the different years and engines. They give you just enough information to rack your brain and figure it out.

I guess that I was lucky with the pulley. The manual says that a lot of times the new/rebuilt alternator comes without one. Mine did, but the paperwork with it warns that it might not be the right size. mine was good to go. How is yours the wrong size without having needed to be replaced?

So I loosened the backside top alternator bolt and disconnected all the electrical connections. Haynes says that you have to remove this support strut on the backside middle of the engine (about 6" x 1"). I did this, but looking back, I'm not sure why. I believe that it gives you better access to the bottom alternator bolt/nut pivot assembly. So off with the strut and the bottom bolt/nut assembly.

It is obvious that the alternator must go out the bottom, but where?! I guess there is more than one solution, but for me, the easiest one was to drop the exhaust assembly from the exhaust manifold. It took me several hours of twisting and turning to get to this point. I figured something else had to come off. Two bolts/nuts plus I took off the hanger for the muffler for a little more play.

Bang!! I THREW the old alternator out from under the van, and put the new one into place. Everything was easier to put back together as well with the exhaust out of the way.

The sad part is that my problem still exists!!! I am still not charging. I guess that it must be the voltage regulator or a short, so I am on to that. $60 for a battery and $160 for the alternator, plus scraped knuckles and headaches. There is satisfaction with knowing I could do it and not having to worry about the alternator/battery for a while, but I am hacked that my problem still exists.

Let me know your solution if it different than mine, and how you made out. I am curious if I was helpful at all.

Originally Posted by Starska

I have a 92 Grand Voyager 3.3l v6

The Pully on the Altenator is the wrong one I tried to remove the Alt. and found it can not come out.

It has the large bracket over it and per the repair book it needs to be dropped down the back of the motor but it still will not come out that way. It is to large for the space between the Firewall and the the body cross support.

Spent over 3 hours trying to turn and angle it in every way I can think of.

Any help please

Thanks,
Keith Marshall

[Starska]

Thanks Duke,

I will run your idea past my brother. He is my cheap machnic. I am in the Medical field and Blood is okay but when it comes to grease and oil I am a Felix Unger all the way LOL

I was thinking about your route of the exhaust when we gave up on the first try.

The trouble with my Pully is it is a 5 rib pulley on a 6 rib system And it is eating through belts like mad. On time the belt ranked out the wires from my AC Coil. A $275 fix. The Belt I have on now today lost some of it on my way home today. I have already checked and found my local Autozone as a Alt. with the right Pulley on it for $120. Tho I just need the Pulley finding the right one I think will be just as big as a pain so I might as well just replace with a new lifetime Alt.

This was a used van and I was ripped off with them saying it was a rebiult Eng. So far the only thing new we have found is the oil that is leaking from it somewhere

Thanks again,
Keith Marshall

[Starska]

Well Duke here is the update

Your idea looks like it would have worked but we could not get the bolts on the exhaust to break loose without breaking

After trying several times to get the Alternator out my brother took a subtle approach and used what he called a ‘Chevy Tool’ and banged in the bottom of the floor board giving room for the alt. To clear and come out.

It looks like the floorboard is double skinned, as the dent under the van does not cause a bump inside the cab.

So all is will with the world now. Except finding an oil leak and replacing the oil pump

Thanks for your help

Keith