new alternator - how to determine which will fit
Hello all. Before i get started i'd like to state that yes i do plan on upgrading my battery to an Optima Blue Top and fix up wiring under the hood before proceeding with any sort of alternator upgrade. Now that the disclosure is over, let me get started..
Ok... i've been having a bit of a look at alternators recently to see what's out there and available on the market. The question i have is how do you know if it'll fit into the vehicle or not? (it's a VS commodore). Is there any specific signs that i should be looking for that i can identify and say "ok, yes this alternator will definitely suit"? Or is it just a plain guessing game and hoping the person selling the thing knows whether or not it'll fit in the specific vehicle?
Also, i've been talking to 12voltking and i've been told an alternator is a relatively simple change over that can be done in 20 minutes (obviously there is probably a significant amount of time longer involved for someone like myself who's never done it themselves but i'd like to do any transition myself if possible rather than taking it to a mechanic to have it done). So a second question, has anybody done an alternator change over themselves (in a vs specifically or other models) that is able to describe in detail to me the process of changing it over (pictures would be hugely appreciated). I understand a number of people have had it changed by their mechanic, but i'm chasing pictures and/or details from someone who's DIY-ed it (successfully would be good too).
Cheers everybody, Bryce.
Physics Geek
Swapping alternators DOES take about 20 minutes, even if you've never done one before.
As for what will/won't fit...I've heard that the police cars had a higher output alternator in some model commodores, might be worth looking into that, because you know that it will fit.
Gravity is proof that nature keeps getting us down.
cheers mouce good to know it's not a tedious job. Yeah the police alternator is something i've been looking into... i think Bosch also make some generic ones to fit GM vehicles... if anyone has a method to determine what will fit though that'd be great. cheers, Bryce.
GOD
how about you get out a tape and measure the size of your stock one. duh
Physics Geek
It's not that straight forward...you've gotta make sure the bracket fits too...otherwise you could get a 200A alternator from a truck that's the same physical size and end up with a bracket that just doesn't want to fit. I know you could change the brackets but that's a whole lot of fuc&ing around.
Gravity is proof that nature keeps getting us down.
well changing an alternator or any component can be a whole lot of ****ing around. depends if the ****ing around is worth it really, eh?
*maybe*, just an idea, but get a buggered alternator and take it to the place you plan to buy the new one from and see if the brackets seem the same. just maybe though.
GOD
thats what i meant, was measure the mounting points and etc not jsut the physical size
How about you shuttup with the sarcasm?Originally Posted by semi
Ok fellas... yeah you see i just haven't done alot of work under the hood so i'm not that familiar with it. I didn't know whether it was possible to measure just a couple of pieces to check or what. I figured it wouldn't be like measuring a box, where you simply check length width and breadth to make sure it's all the same. I thought being more of a complex kinda shape it wouldn't be so simple. Anyways, thanks everyone for the advice, keep the thoughts coming if anyone else knows anything that could help.
Not a valid input....
I remember once a few years ago I got a second-hand alternator for free from a wreckers in Frankston Vic.
I paid for it then asked if I could borrow some tools to put it on. He wasn't keen on it then I pushed and said I would be back in about 15 minutes. The guy raised his eyebrows at me and said that if I could get it on in 15 minutes he would give me half my money back.....I returned his tools to him in less then 10min
You put you left foot in, your put your right foot in , you take your left foot out and you slide it all about!
Not a valid input....
Heres how I do it....
Disconnect the battery.
There is two bolts. One short bolt. This is the adjusting bolt that allows you to adjust the tension on the belt. There is also one long bolt with a nut on the end. This is the pivot bolt or hinge bolt.
Loosen the short bolt off first and then push the alternator towards the motor to release the belt and dis-entangle it from the alternator.
Next remove that short bolt completly. Don't lose it as the new alt may not have those bolts with it.
Undo the hot wire on the back of it and unplug the rest.
Next loosen the pivot nut and bolt. Lift the alternator a little as you remove that pivot bolt to keep tension off of it otherwise the bolt is trouble to remove.
Installation is the reverse of above with the exception of tightening the belt. There is a correct way of doing it using a special tool to make sure you have the right amount of tension on the belt but I would imagine that everyone on the forums does it usual way of pulling the alternator away from the motor as hard as you can whilst you tighten the adjusting bolt into place.
Once it's installed start the car and listen for any squeaks...nothing? Good. Now give it a quick rev but get the revs high. Still no squeaks? Good belt is tight enough...if you here the belt squealing like a bitch then you need to retighten the belt.
You put you left foot in, your put your right foot in , you take your left foot out and you slide it all about!
thanks for that 12 volt. When i get around to doing it i'm sure you'll be hearing from me to confirm bits and pieces of the instructions :P. Cheers dude, Bryce.
good analogy! lol.
GOD
sorry mate, dont mean to piss you off, but i really think that you'll have to measure the mounting points to figure it out. Like measure from the bolts to where its most likely to hit on something, as well as the size/postition of the pulley.
Also, wouldnt the bosch distributor have a catalogue that sorts their products to each model of car??
Yeah that's cool semi, no hard feelings :P. you just sometimes get the "know it all" types that offer either no constructive criticism or feel they have to add their little 2 cents of b grade humour at the end of anything half useful.
Yeah i'm fairly sure Bosch may list which alternators fit which model vehicles... When i first posted i just thought there might have been some sort of magic measurement or trait to look for. Kind of like with the VS ceiling light, if you want to simply switch one over then you have to look for the 36mm type kinda thing.. so there's an exact way to determine. Anyways... i'll keep looking around in the near future, for the time being just waiting on battery arriving. Cheers everyone.
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Just wondering as to why you would use a blue top when it is a deep cycle batt? or are you setting up a second system?
Holden also used a Mitsubishi alt on the vt, vx from what i can remember, think that it was a 120 amp output.
deep cycle from my understanding can jus spit out more current when needed they are better built for this and so they last longer.
im guessin what brycetro is gettin at is he wants an alt to help charge that battery after use and sustain enough high current for consuming applications during and after the battery is charged. pop down maybe to a local auto elect and see what they have on shelf and the prices theyre charging, some i know carry reco alts and should be able to get in brand newies for u too, be it bosch or mitsubishi
Not a valid input....
deep cycle can pose an issue with single battery systems. CAN but not always. Yellow tops have the issues that they don't last long as your main cranking battery. 2-3years. But then again on that same hand using a standard cycle battery under such high current applications can drastically shorten the life of the battery as well. 2-3 years. So you make the choice.
You put you left foot in, your put your right foot in , you take your left foot out and you slide it all about!
Is your car a V6 or a V8?
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