Wingnut
Top Post Dawg
This is a followup to my how to remove an alternator post. If you just need to change the pulley, it can be done with the alternator still in the car, but some special tools are required. You can't buy them (YET), so you will have to make them. Many others have done this, so I cannot take credit for the idea, but I can post pictures to help others who want to do it.
Firstly, you need the spline tool to turn the pulley off the shaft. It is available at Metalnerd.com:
Then you need to buy a seperate 12 point bit to hack up to fit inside the special spline tool. You need a 10mm 12 point or tripple square bit like this:
They are availabe at lots of places. Snap-On will sell you a single bit that you need for around $10. Or, you can buy a set of 4 in different sizes for around $10 at many good tool stores. The one in the pic I believe was from a Lisle set I bought many years ago. The product number for the Lisle set is 60750. Just Google it and you will find many hits of places to buy it.
Once you get one, you need to modify it by grinding away the hex part of the shaft so it fits inside the multi splined tool like this:
I just used a bench grinder. Once you have done that, make sure it fits inside the Other part of the tool. Oh, and don't grind away too much as you will need some of the hex part to hold it with a wrench:
I probably should take some measurements so you can grind the appropriate amount away. I had the luxury of having a spare alternator on my bench to measure. It is important to get the length right as there isn't much clearance in the engine compartment between the pulley and the frame. I had to cut about a 1/2 inch off the end of the bit to get it to fit in:
Now you have made the special tool, you need to get under the car & remove the pulley. Removal of the side splash guard is necessary as well as the serpentine belt, obviously. With a screwdriver, pry off the protective plastic cap off the pulley and you can then insert the tools:
Now, you need 2 wrenches. A 17mm to loosen the pulley and a 1/2" to hold the shaft of the alternator. Since you are holding the shaft & loosening the pulley, you need to turn the 17mm wrench as though you were loosening any bolt or nut.....counter clockwise. I used the frame rail to hold the 1/2" wrench solid while I loosened the pulley with the 17mm wrench by pulling it towards the front of the car:
Instalation is the opposite of removal. In this case, I used the harmonic balancer to hold the 1/2" wrench solid while I tightened the pulley with the 17mm wrench by pulling it towards the back of the car (Clockwise):
Now don't forget to put the dust cap back on the new pulley. Total time to do the swap was about 20 minutes, but it took me 10 minutes to make the tool. SO lets say at least a half hour. More if you need to remove the side skirt as mine was allready off.
I hope this helps many of you who have and or will suffer the very common alternator pulley failure. In may case, there was nothing wrong with my pulley. But I was changing the tensioner as it was bad, so I thought I would change the pulley at the same time as a preventative measure as I have seen MANY of these things fail and I would rather do it in a controled situation in my driveay than on the side of a busy highway in the middle of a snow storm .
Firstly, you need the spline tool to turn the pulley off the shaft. It is available at Metalnerd.com:
Then you need to buy a seperate 12 point bit to hack up to fit inside the special spline tool. You need a 10mm 12 point or tripple square bit like this:
They are availabe at lots of places. Snap-On will sell you a single bit that you need for around $10. Or, you can buy a set of 4 in different sizes for around $10 at many good tool stores. The one in the pic I believe was from a Lisle set I bought many years ago. The product number for the Lisle set is 60750. Just Google it and you will find many hits of places to buy it.
Once you get one, you need to modify it by grinding away the hex part of the shaft so it fits inside the multi splined tool like this:
I just used a bench grinder. Once you have done that, make sure it fits inside the Other part of the tool. Oh, and don't grind away too much as you will need some of the hex part to hold it with a wrench:
I probably should take some measurements so you can grind the appropriate amount away. I had the luxury of having a spare alternator on my bench to measure. It is important to get the length right as there isn't much clearance in the engine compartment between the pulley and the frame. I had to cut about a 1/2 inch off the end of the bit to get it to fit in:
Now you have made the special tool, you need to get under the car & remove the pulley. Removal of the side splash guard is necessary as well as the serpentine belt, obviously. With a screwdriver, pry off the protective plastic cap off the pulley and you can then insert the tools:
Now, you need 2 wrenches. A 17mm to loosen the pulley and a 1/2" to hold the shaft of the alternator. Since you are holding the shaft & loosening the pulley, you need to turn the 17mm wrench as though you were loosening any bolt or nut.....counter clockwise. I used the frame rail to hold the 1/2" wrench solid while I loosened the pulley with the 17mm wrench by pulling it towards the front of the car:
Instalation is the opposite of removal. In this case, I used the harmonic balancer to hold the 1/2" wrench solid while I tightened the pulley with the 17mm wrench by pulling it towards the back of the car (Clockwise):
Now don't forget to put the dust cap back on the new pulley. Total time to do the swap was about 20 minutes, but it took me 10 minutes to make the tool. SO lets say at least a half hour. More if you need to remove the side skirt as mine was allready off.
I hope this helps many of you who have and or will suffer the very common alternator pulley failure. In may case, there was nothing wrong with my pulley. But I was changing the tensioner as it was bad, so I thought I would change the pulley at the same time as a preventative measure as I have seen MANY of these things fail and I would rather do it in a controled situation in my driveay than on the side of a busy highway in the middle of a snow storm .