Do you need a wrench to remove an alternator?
The number and type of tools you need for this depend on the car/alternator type and the exact reason for removing it. The alternator is bolted in place on the engine block. The number of bolts used varies depending on the vehicle model and the type of alternator used, but a wrench is needed to remove these bolts in any case.
How do you change the alternator in a Grand Caravan?
Remove the alternator’s drive belt by rotating the tensioner with a wrench on the tensioner pulley leg — the direction you need to turn it will vary depending on the engine type — and slipping the belt off the loosened tensioner. You may need to remove the power steering drive belt first.
How to replace an alternator on a 1995 GMC?
Somewhere on your vehicle there is a tensioner pulley. You’ll need to move it enough to slip the belt off the pulley. Our ’95 GMC has a standard spring-loaded GM tensioner that required us to pull it back with a wrench.
What should I do if my alternator is hot?
Really! First and most importantly: disconnect the battery. There may be several wires or just one wire on your alternator, but rest assured that one of them is hot. If you don’t disconnect the battery, you’re very likely to end up grounding a live wire during the process.
Remove the alternator’s drive belt by rotating the tensioner with a wrench on the tensioner pulley leg — the direction you need to turn it will vary depending on the engine type — and slipping the belt off the loosened tensioner. You may need to remove the power steering drive belt first.
Somewhere on your vehicle there is a tensioner pulley. You’ll need to move it enough to slip the belt off the pulley. Our ’95 GMC has a standard spring-loaded GM tensioner that required us to pull it back with a wrench.
What’s the best way to replace an alternator?
Ensure all the bolt and/or nut threads are started and tighten them evenly. On some vehicles, the electrical connections will need to be installed first before permanently tightening the alternator for access reasons. Place the drive belt in position and ‘rotate’ the belt tensioner so the belt can be installed.
Can a manual tensioner be used to replace an alternator?
The belt tensioner will only travel (swing) so far which can make installing the belt difficult. Never pry or force the belt onto the pulley. Vehicles with a manual tensioner or the belt tightens with the alternator, there should about ½ inch of deflection in the belt between the pulleys with the greatest distance between them. 7