Alternator...quick help

[Synned]

I think my alternator went on me. My car started up fine, but when I put the A/C on the rpms would drop to 0 and then go crazy up and down, till the car died or I turned the A/C off. My dad had to come jump me and once he did I made it home and my battery gauge was really low. I'm charging the battery now and in the process of removing the alternator. If I remove the black cable from the battery while the car is running it dies. I thought I read somewhere that this meant a bad alternator. I am trying to remove the serpentine belt but I don't know how to loosen the idler pulley. I'm pretty sure I see it though. So I guess my questions are:
Do you guys agree its the alternator?
How do I remove the belt?

 

[CManT1914]

IIRC, if it dies after removing the black terminal from the battery while it's running, then the alternator is bad. I seem to remember hearing that as well.

Get a 3/8" ratchet, and stick it in the square hole in the tensioner bracket and pull towards the passenger side of the car.

 

[V8302stangs]

It does sound like the alternator to me. I've never noticed the AC situation as happening when I had an alternator going out tho I do have to note that this is my first car with AC and the line is busted so I've never really had both happen at the same time.

For the belt, it's real easy. I forgot what size the nut is, I think it's metric.
You'll see the pully down to the lower right of the frnt of the alternator. FOllow it down/left along the arm supporting it and theres a nut supporting the arm. "Tighten" the arm and it should turn the arm clockwise, causing the belt to loosten. Just use the slack in the belt to pull it off another pulley and then slowly let the arm return back and you'll be able to pull the belt off. Once you've done it you'll realize that it's real easy. Hope that helps! hit me up on v8302stangs on aim if you wanna ask any questions.

Note, last time I replaced the alternator on my stang, I couldn't fit it into the bracket because the lower part that slides into the bracket had been manufactured just a millimiter or two wider than the bracket, so I had to file it down. Probably wont happen to you but just in case it does, it's not the first time, just file that edge around the bolt hole down until you can get it in.

Gabel

 

[Synned]

Thanks guys, I just got the alternator out, now I just need a ride to Pep-Boys.

 

[Synned]

Got a new one, fixed the problem. Yay!

 

[HISSIN50]

FWIW, I would NEVER remove the battery cable while a computer controlled car is running (this post is for future searchers). The resulting voltage ****e in the charging system can take out all sorts of sensors, actuators and processors. That was an old school thing that carbed guys, who had no computer controlled components, did.

Congrats on getting it all fixed.

 

[HISSIN50]

Nevermind - the forum thinks that I am misspelling a racial slur. I was referring to a voltage S-p-i-k-e where it ******'d over.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Nevermind - the forum thinks that I am misspelling a racial slur. I was referring to a voltage S-p-i-k-e where it ******'d over.

Political correctness at its finest. (hmmm...I like to ****e my hair with gel)


Where did you get the Alt from?

RC

 

[V8302stangs]

I didn't know that that was a racial slur. lol

 

[Synned]

Political correctness at its finest. (hmmm...I like to ****e my hair with gel)


Where did you get the Alt from?

RC

Uhh Pep boys. Why?

 

[WhiteDevil]

So you unhooked the alternator and your car would die. Even with no chargine from the alternater it should run for a while on the batter alone, thats pretty wierd.

 

[CManT1914]

Nevermind - the forum thinks that I am misspelling a racial slur. I was referring to a voltage S-p-i-k-e where it ******'d over.

Yea what's the deal? I used the word sp i ke for something the other day and it edited it out. I had to spell it spyke for it to show. I didn't know that was wrong.

So you unhooked the alternator and your car would die. Even with no chargine from the alternater it should run for a while on the batter alone, thats pretty wierd.

I think he unhooked the battery terminal (negative if I remember right).