How to remove ALH alternator pulley in car

Z

zef933

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Location
portland or
TDI
00 jetta TDI
hey old poopie,

so my alternator pulley just went and i plan on replacing it with the alternator still on.

i rather not make the special tool as i will ahve to wait a long time for the spline tool to come inthe mail.

do you have one i could borrow to loosen my pulley? thanks..zeph
 
soc993

soc993

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
Harrisburg, Penn
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI; 2012 Golf TDI
ninedee_golf_tdi said:
Holy mackeral, I can't budge the pulley on a junker alternator I was practicing on. How tight are those pulleys ?
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On my '04 I'm also having trouble breaking mine loose and am afraid of snapping the alternator shaft. I feel as if quite a bit of torque was applied (2' bar) and it just wouldn't budge. Are my alternator shaft-snapping fears unfounded?
 
soc993

soc993

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Location
Harrisburg, Penn
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI; 2012 Golf TDI
Oh it was definitely clockwise - it just wouldn't budge. Seemed like everything else in the engine compartment would shift back and forth but that dern pulley just wouldn't give up. Maybe I should just hang onto the bar and lean back from the front bumper and hope I don't fall on my ass? If I decide to go that route I'll be sure to record it so everyone can laugh. Seriously though, is there a certain technique or is it just a brute force approach that needs to be used?
 
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Y

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
HotRod said:
I had the exact same experience until I realized that they are reverse threaded. Turn CLOCKWISE to loosen it!
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Are you sure? I seem to recall that the pulley has "normal" threads on it... if you're rotating the alternator shaft, then you're turning clockwise, but that's just regular threading... (as the pulley itself is in effect being "turned" counter-clockwise...)

Yuri
 
oldpoopie

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
ninedee_golf_tdi said:
Metalman is expecting a shipment of correctly sized bits that allow removal of the pulley without removing the alternator from the car. Should be delivered in a week or so.
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Metalman or Metalnerd???????
 
S

SheeB

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Location
Ottawa, ON
TDI
2001 Jetta GLS Manual
Good news, I need to this asap so hopefully I can get the tool for next weekend.
 
PDJetta

PDJetta

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Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
HotRod said:
I had the exact same experience until I realized that they are reverse threaded. Turn CLOCKWISE to loosen it!
Click to expand...
No, no, no! the pulley screws on like any normal nut does...Clockwise. The threads are normal right-hand threads. You turn the Metalnerd tool, that locks into the pulley, counter-clockwise to loosen the pulley. Or I imagine alternatively you could turn the tripple square bit clockwise while holding the Metanerd tool with pulley, stationary. Even turning the pulley CC takes quite a bit of force to break it loose. It is quite tight.

When replacing mine, I just got it about as tight as I could using a box wrench on the Metal Nerd tool and holding the alternator shaft with the tripple square bit on the ratchet. I figured it would have been quite awkward to get a torque wrench on the tripple square bit down in the engine compartment.

--Nate
 
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V

VWLAW

Active member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Location
Madison, Virginia
TDI
TDI New Beetle, 2003, Silver
I'm wanting to remove the pulley without removing the entire alternator on my 2003 NB; therefore, I'm assuming the shorten version that Metalnerd recently stocked will do the trick. If that is the case, does anyone know what to call the shorten version so Metalnerd knows what I'm talking about? Just wanted to know before I get in contact with him.
 
mrGutWrench

mrGutWrench

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Joined
Aug 29, 2002
Location
Carrboro, NC
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'03 Jetta Wagon, 5-speed, 563K Miles (July '23)
VWLAW said:
I'm wanting to remove the pulley without removing the entire alternator on my 2003 NB; therefore, I'm assuming the shorten version that Metalnerd recently stocked will do the trick. If that is the case, does anyone know what to call the shorten version so Metalnerd knows what I'm talking about? Just wanted to know before I get in contact with him.
Click to expand...
__. Just tell him you want the "two-piece in-car pulley removal tool set" for the alternator pulley. He'll (or she) will know.
 
S

SheeB

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Location
Ottawa, ON
TDI
2001 Jetta GLS Manual
Ordered the new version of the MN3400 tool and will be doing the pulley swap with alternator on the car this afternoon.
 
J

jbuddy

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Location
Hampton NB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI
Sounds great I'm just about to change the pulley with the alternator
still on the car. Are you serious 10 minutes and you followed the steps
above? thanks
 
S

stevekris

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Location
Indianapolis IN
TDI
beetle 99 silver
Yes, after you can see the pulley, have to pull bottom cover and side skirt, 2 min. lower innercooler pipe 1 min. belt 1 min. then the pulley. So total job, jack up to jack down, 14 plus back together, 5 more. 20 minutes total. PS. You need all the right tools and have everything in hand. Doing a job many times makes it easier and faster each time, to a point. Thanks Steve
 
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jbuddy

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Location
Hampton NB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI
I took the bottom cover off and part of the old pulley was sitting on it but when I got to putting the metalnerd tool into the shaft to take the rest of the old pulley off it wouldn't fit. It fits nice and snug into the new pulley. I guess I may have to pull the alternator off. Any suggestions? thanks
 
S

stevekris

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Location
Indianapolis IN
TDI
beetle 99 silver
There are 2 different internal pieces for 2 different internal drives. One is 12 point and 1 is Torx. Try them both, one should fit. If not the alternator will have to come out. Will the internal piece go in? If yes, put a pipe wrench on the outside to turn it off. Thanks Steve Just reread your post, hold the outside with a pipe wrench, put small tool in to hold shaft from turning.
 
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jbuddy

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Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Location
Hampton NB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI
Thanks for the directions, actually I guess when I ordered the metalnerd tools I wasn't specific enough about clarifying that I wanted to change
the pulley while on the car. I called Roseland Tech services in NS
and they weren't aware that the 2 piece tool was available yet. Anyway
I have the small 39 point piece and the torx driver and the 12point driver.
The 39 point bit won't fit in the old pulley for some reason and I don't
have the small 12 bit piece to use while alternator still on the car so
I guess I'll work at getting the alternator off the car and then use a
pipe wrench while inserting either the 12 point or torx piece.
thank again I let you know how I make out.
 
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