Replacement alternator has solid pulley instead of clutch pulley

[AgentE]

I've ordered 2 and both have solid pulleys.

Should I install the solid pulley??

98 beetle

 

[oilhammer]

Well first, whose alternator is it? If it is not a Bosch, you'll be doing it again soon... send it back. You really need a genuine Bosch one.

For the 1998 New Beetles, most of them came with the early type Bosch alternator, with the square plug (Bosch # AL 0723X). These are often not readily available anymore, and are not cheap when they are. These do NOT come with a pulley on them, you need to install one (INA brand, the VAG number is 022-903-119-C).

The very late '98 NB, and everything newer, uses the later type Bosch alternator (Bosch # AL 0189X). And those already come with a new INA pulley installed. These have the newer type D-shaped plug on them. You can easily update to the newer style if your car originally used the older style, you just have to change that plug on the subharness. The compressor plug, and the oil pressure switch, are also the old style on these early ALHs. You can upgrade the whole thing with a new harness, but those have been spotty on availability lately.

 

[JETaah]

What ever you do alternator-wise, a solid pulley is the wrong choice.
lt will cause your serpentine belt to bounce a lot especially when the alternator is loaded heavily. Plus other side effects.

 

[Mozambiquer]

As already said, you do need the solid pulley. And if its not a Bosch or Valeo alternator, I'd not even install it.
I have both of the clutch pulleys depending on which car you have, and you can put the clutched pulley on where there was a solid pulley.
But again... you need a good alternator, not a Amazon, ebay or parts store one.

 

[AgentE]

Well first, whose alternator is it? If it is not a Bosch, you'll be doing it again soon... send it back. You really need a genuine Bosch one.

For the 1998 New Beetles, most of them came with the early type Bosch alternator, with the square plug (Bosch # AL 0723X). These are often not readily available anymore, and are not cheap when they are. These do NOT come with a pulley on them, you need to install one (INA brand, the VAG number is 022-903-119-C).

The very late '98 NB, and everything newer, uses the later type Bosch alternator (Bosch # AL 0189X). And those already come with a new INA pulley installed. These have the newer type D-shaped plug on them. You can easily update to the newer style if your car originally used the older style, you just have to change that plug on the subharness. The compressor plug, and the oil pressure switch, are also the old style on these early ALHs. You can upgrade the whole thing with a new harness, but those have been spotty on availability lately.

Thanks for the response!

It is the early square version.
This replacement is supposedly a refurbished Bosch unit. I put the pulley from the old one on this new one and I guess we will see how it goes.

 

[AgentE]

I have both of the clutch pulleys depending on which car you have, and you can put the clutched pulley on where there was a solid pulley.
But again... you need a good alternator, not a Amazon, ebay or parts store one.

Curious, what is the difference in the two styles of clutch pulleys? Or are you saying you have both solid and overrun clutched?

 

[Andyinchville1]

Hi

Interesting about the one-way pulley

Years ago I was running a bread truck with a Cummins 4bt engine which is basically the 4 cylinder version of the 6bt in (6 cylinder) diesel in Dodge pickup trucks and that serpentine belt tensioner would jump up and down a lot ..... It was scary to see how much it was jumping back and forth.... I often worried about it fatiguing and breaking because of it.

I remember changing out multiple serpentine belt tensioners and all of them would jump .... I never figured out why and ultimately just let it run with the jumping tensioner although I'm sure that wasn't good for it.

My guess is maybe that would be what it's like with a TDI engine without the one-way pulley fully working?

I never knew about the police back when I had the 4bt I'm wondering if I would have somehow installed a one-way pulley on that alternator if the tensioner would have stopped dancing on that engine?

Anyways based on my new found knowledge from this forum I'm guessing the one-way pulley is important.... My tensioner pulley doesn't dance around and I'd like to keep it that way.

Andrew

 

[Mozambiquer]

Curious, what is the difference in the two styles of clutch pulleys? Or are you saying you have both solid and overrun clutched?

The ahu and early beetle is a smaller diameter pulley than the alh and later pulley. Actually, the ahu one is identical to the cvca/crua ea288 engine's pulley.
I keep both the alh-cjaa pulley, and the ahu/1z/early beetle, as well as many other ones, including the bhw passat, audi q7, v10 Touareg, etc.

 

[Mozambiquer]

Hi

Interesting about the one-way pulley

Years ago I was running a bread truck with a Cummins 4bt engine which is basically the 4 cylinder version of the 6bt in (6 cylinder) diesel in Dodge pickup trucks and that serpentine belt tensioner would jump up and down a lot ..... It was scary to see how much it was jumping back and forth.... I often worried about it fatiguing and breaking because of it.

I remember changing out multiple serpentine belt tensioners and all of them would jump .... I never figured out why and ultimately just let it run with the jumping tensioner although I'm sure that wasn't good for it.

My guess is maybe that would be what it's like with a TDI engine without the one-way pulley fully working?

I never knew about the police back when I had the 4bt I'm wondering if I would have somehow installed a one-way pulley on that alternator if the tensioner would have stopped dancing on that engine?

Anyways based on my new found knowledge from this forum I'm guessing the one-way pulley is important.... My tensioner pulley doesn't dance around and I'd like to keep it that way.

Andrew

Yes, a one way pulley would likely have helped in that situation. Almost all new vehicles have them now, and some even have special ones which help in the start/stop systems.

 

[JETaah]

The ahu and early beetle is a smaller diameter pulley than the alh and later pulley. Actually, the ahu one is identical to the cvca/crua ea288 engine's pulley.
I keep both the alh-cjaa pulley, and the ahu/1z/early beetle, as well as many other ones, including the bhw passat, audi q7, v10 Touareg, etc.

So what happens if you stick an ALH pulley on an AHU? Slightly larger an slower. Any down side?

 

[Mozambiquer]

So what happens if you stick an ALH pulley on an AHU? Slightly larger an slower. Any down side?

The only downside I can think of would be the belt size may have to be adjusted a little for the larger pulley.
I haven't tried myself so I don't know if there is enough slack with the stock belt and tensioner and the larger alh pulley. I have a pile of both of them in stock, so I just use whichever one is for the vehicle I am working on.
The rpm will also be a little bit lower for the alh pulley, which would result in slightly lower idle output, but I doubt it would be noticeable.

 

[oilhammer]

Nothing happens. The car will never know. I've not used that old type in many years. I only stock the 022-903-119-C and D for the 5 and 6 groove applications.

 

[JETaah]

The only downside I can think of would be the belt size may have to be adjusted a little for the larger pulley.
I haven't tried myself so I don't know if there is enough slack with the stock belt and tensioner and the larger alh pulley. I have a pile of both of them in stock, so I just use whichever one is for the vehicle I am working on.
The rpm will also be a little bit lower for the alh pulley, which would result in slightly lower idle output, but I doubt it would be noticeable.

Just checking.
I’ve been doing that on the 1Z Passat with the same belt. It does wind up the tensioner a little bit more. I altered the tensionrer to lessen the tension but don’t know that it was all that necessary.

 

[Mozambiquer]

Just checking.
I’ve been doing that on the 1Z Passat with the same belt. It does wind up the tensioner a little bit more. I altered the tensionrer to lessen the tension but don’t know that it was all that necessary.

I guess for me, I think why should I use the wrong one when I have the right one thats the same price.

 

[JETaah]

I guess for me, I think why should I use the wrong one when I have the right one thats the same price.

True
At the time there was a big difference in price for the right one.

 

[Andyinchville1]

HI,

Since different pulley sizes were mentioned earlier, is there a one way pulley that can be used on an ALH enguine that is slightly larger than stock ?

If so where from / /part number ?

Thanks

Andrew

 

[Mozambiquer]

HI,

Since different pulley sizes were mentioned earlier, is there a one way pulley that can be used on an ALH enguine that is slightly larger than stock ?

If so where from / /part number ?

Thanks

Andrew

Yes. I have the one for an audi q7, its slightly bigger. Also several other options I likely could find.

 

[Andyinchville1]

Yes. I have the one for an audi q7, its slightly bigger. Also several other options I likely could find.

Hi,

What kind of size differences are we looking at stock VS the Q7 Pulley ?

What other sizes are available as a bolt on option?

Thanks

Andrew

 

[Mozambiquer]

Hi,

What kind of size differences are we looking at stock VS the Q7 Pulley ?

What other sizes are available as a bolt on option?

Thanks

Andrew

Send me a pm

 

[JETaah]

Send me a pm

Are you able to explain the rational behind the pulley size regarding the car that it is on? Why does one car application want to spin it faster than another?

 

[Mozambiquer]

Are you able to explain the rational behind the pulley size regarding the car that it is on? Why does one car application want to spin it faster than another?

I am not 100% sure why, but I believe in part it could be because of the crank pulley size, but the alternator design is different as well. Often they are engineered for the specific vehicle, and idle speed, crank pulley size, alternator size and design, and all that are factored in to determine what the ideal rotational speed of the rotor would be, and thus what pulley size it uses.
On these vehicles, changing alternator pulley sizes doesn't change much, though on an ahu which gets the tach signal from the alternator, it will cause the tachometer to read incorrectly.
The mk4 cars didn't get the tach signal from the alternator, so it won't change that.