mwc928

Hello everyone , I am a new member and a owner of a 82'. recently, I had O'reilly checked on my alternator and they say that it is bad and need to be replaced. my question is that is the replacement of the alternator a complicated one? if not, what are the steps that is involved to replace the alternator. I appreciated if anyone that can help me with this process. I really like to tackle this job myself. thanks in advance.

NordicSaab

Welcome to the boards.

First questions would be what type of alternator do you have, Bosch or Paris Rhone? If you take a picture we can help more as there are many options in regard to rebuilding or replacing alternators with later model units.

The actual process of replacing is very easy. 1) remove belly pan. 2) remove alternator

There are obviously more steps than that, but lets try to identify your alternator first.

mwc928

I am planning on buying a new one from O'reilly. does it matter which one that is in my car right now? thanks.

NordicSaab

I would be very surprised if O'reilly has one. At least not one for a reasonable amount of money. The search feature is your friend on this topic. Many 928 owners have agonized over this exact topic.

Also, FWIR '82 is one of those years where you could have one of 2 different alternators.

mwc928

I have already called them and they have a bosch unit. so do I have to identify which one I have in my car first? how can I find out which one I have. thanks.

dr bob

The rear ducting on the alternator, and the configuration of the excitation circuits in the dash vary based on which one you have now. The factory alternators have extended through-bolts, for instance, that won't come on the generic replacement.

Find which one you have now, and consider shopping at one of our better 928 parts vendors. The prices are competitive, service is unmatched, and (drum roll...) there's a much better chance that you'll get the right part the first time.

----

Often, charging problems are not the same as alternator problems. You went to a place that sells alternators, so it's not unreasonable for them to find that you 'need' an alternator. If they tested yours on the car, the only thing they can look at is charging voltage. There are several possible causes of low charging voltage, only one of which is alternator failure. Not saying it isn't your alternator, just sharing that there are other popular problems that affect charging.

mwc928

thanks dr. bob. so if alternator may not be the only problem. what should I do next? thanks.

ALKada

Where are you located? You might have good help not far away.

BTW, check Duckman82 "pre moving" thread. He's selling used alternates for $15.00 plus shipping. You might get lucky on that one.

Avar928

Clean all the electrical grounds on the car. You'd be surprised what that will help with electrical.

- Disconnect the battery.
- Remove the belly pans.
- Remove the cooling hose from the shroud.
- The alternator is only held onto the power steering pump by two bolts (17mm and a 13mm I think). Loosen the tension on the alternator belt, remove the bolts and wiggle it down. It's fairly heavy so when it breaks free, be sure to support it all the way down. The wiring loom will come down too so be careful, don't stretch it because it won't go too far.

You can remove the plastic shroud on the back. There should be a gasket there that will probably disintegrate. Buy another one. The shroud should be held on by several nuts. Clean out the inside using electrical cleaner. Disconnect the wiring from the alternator and clean all that. Check the loom for tears in the sheathing.

928 MotorSports sells a great self-adhering plastic electrical tape that when you stretch it and over itself, it will harden and form a boot. I bought it in orange and used it on a lot of repairs to electrical loom around the car. Probably want black also.

After I cleaned up the alternator and the wiring loom and replaced the belt, I got better charging and now the power doesn't dramatically drop when I brake, use the head lights and or used the heater (used to be pretty bad, under 12 if I did all three). My alternator had a bunch of crud inside the shroud.

karl ruiter

I've always had better luck having mine rebuild rather than buying new. Costs less, and it will surely fit back in the hole just right. Usually, I can get it done next day.

mwc928

avar928, I would like to try to clean the electrical grounds first like u suggested. what is the steps on doing this? I would appreciate you can show me the step by step to do this. i really appreciated it.

Wisconsin Joe

Did you read the "New Visitor" sticky?

This link is in there.

http://members.rennlist.com/jerdmann...l.htm#anchor_2

dr bob

MWC, you are an hour or so from me if you get into a bind. You are closer to 928 International in Anaheim when you need parts. Tell Mark & Tom we sent you...

The grounds and cleaning are detailed in Post 33 of the New Visitor thread that's sticky'd at the top of the first page of this forum. It has a X-Y-Z grid of locations, and a list of all the points with description. Your goal is to use a brass or maybe a soft steel brush or similar to remove any oxidation from the mating surfaces of the ring connectors and the chassis. Start by disconnecting the battery ground strap either at the battery or where it connects at the rear apron behind the tool panel. Isolate that so there are no chances of accidents while you work. The ring connectors are copper with a tin/lead plating. Get that plating shiny and bright, without removing the plating. Some use fine sandpaper for this, but IMO there's a big risk of going through the plating if you are at all aggressive. Excepting the battery ground strap, factory ground wiring is the car is always BROWN. So with the guide mentioned above, a few tools like a 10mm socket, 10mm end wrench, and the small wire brush, you can find and clean all the connections. The 10mm heads and nuts are on 6mm threads, which should be tightened to something around six or seven pounds-feet of torque. This is screwdriver-tight or less, so don't get too carried away when snugging things back up. There are some preservative sprays that can be used to help slow future corrosion, but remember that these are used only after the parts have been disassembled, cleaned, reassembled, snugged up. I use a small brush with Vaseline.

dr bob

Typin' right with you, Joe!

Avar928

I'd replace the ground strap. Ground wires are brown.

Get Stabilant 22A. You mix it with 100% Isopropyl which you may have to buy online. Apply it to the cleaned ground points and electrical connections. Get a copper wire brush for cleaning. Clean and or replace the bolts and washers at the ground points. You want to clean the connections and all surfaces that come into contact with that electrical point. Check for breaks or tears in the wiring.

Be careful. 20+ year old car so stuff may crumble.

There's quite a few but all are accessible with minimal disassembly.



Points MAY differ from your model year. This is one I just found online for an 1987.