Alternator wedged between firewall and engine block

[hondaaccorddrew]

Hey all. I have a 1989 Honda Accord LX Carbureted and the title says it all... the alternator is stuck. Had it replaced two years ago professionally. Warranty expired and the alternator went out. Got under there to replace it and discovered that the lower mounting bolt nut was missing and the actual bolt was mostly out. Mechanic didn't tighten it down. Contributing rreason for the failure? Got the alternator unplugged and unscrewed the rest of the way. Went to drop it onto the area where it would come out below to be passed where the drivers side axle is and it got stuck between the firewall and the block. I am not sure why, but the space between the block and the firewall is too small for the alternator to come out! :Owned2: I kinda wanna replace it in other ways and head away from removing the left axle. Any help is appreciated!

[ShyBoyCA6]

Search. Already been discussed by another member replacing a Alternator from a carb car. there you will find all the answers you need.

[hondaaccorddrew]

Search. Already been discussed by another member replacing a Alternator from a carb car. there you will find all the answers you need.

To be honest, I did. Found a good one, talking about moving engine mounts, trying to get it out on from the other side, etc. But when I got down there, I realized that there isn't enough space. I think my car was in an accident in the past and it kinda goofed the engine mounts. I'll give it another go on the search, thanks for your reply. In the meantime, would removing the intake manifold be too much? I don't have much in tools so I am not sure what's required. Honda Genuine manual doesn't say too much about this...

[A18A]

the search function on this site sucks :) according to the manual, you're supposed to remove the axle that's in the way. removing the intake manifold will work, but that is a lot of effort. people have managed to maneuver the alternator to the other side of the engine bay and pull it out there. I will doubt a previous crash would have caused the engine to move much (presuming it still drives all good)

[hondaaccorddrew]

the search function on this site sucks :) according to the manual, you're supposed to remove the axle that's in the way. removing the intake manifold will work, but that is a lot of effort. people have managed to maneuver the alternator to the other side of the engine bay and pull it out there. I will doubt a previous crash would have caused the engine to move much (presuming it still drives all good)

Drives... eh. It's got other problems. Rough idle and misfiring. Had this car for 3 years and the keys still rattle in the ignition while i accelerate! And I could try that. Except the alternator is kinda wedged in there. Tried for an hour to get it unstuck. Since the lower bolt wasn't attatched, when I removed the upper bolt it fell and got trapped. I do not have the tools unfortunately and I do not have money to put down for a tool rental on pulling the axle. So whatever the average set of wrenches and screwdrivers can do I will go for taht option. P.S. Do you know what the nut looks like that goes on that lower mount? It's the ground for the alternator it looks like. I could have lost it anywhere in Utah. I am not sure what nuts or washers could go on this. Thanks for your reply, hope mine wasn't too long. :thumbup:

[hondaaccorddrew]

Well, if anyone wondered, I eventually got it. Pulled it from the right side. Removed the heater core hoses and vacuum lines. Unfortunately, that work was done for nothing. Once up to operating temperature, the alternator started putting out over 17 volts! And makes a grinding noise when I turn on everything in the car. Made my stereo turn off and turn back on when I accelerated. This reman sucks! Have to pull everything all out again...

[ShyBoyCA6]

i would avoid reman Alternators. i would buy a new from autozone and take your core. comes with a lifetime warranty and you could get it tested before buying.

[hondaaccorddrew]

i would avoid reman Alternators. i would buy a new from autozone and take your core. comes with a lifetime warranty and you could get it tested before buying.

This one IS an Autozone alternator. It's just a reman. Does have lifetime warranty. Before I go yanking things out, is there anything that could be causing this? I checked all wiring and fuses before I dumped the new one in. :wtf:

[ecogabriel]

17 volts sounds way too high; around 14 volts sounds more logical (but you should check the service manual).

Recently I got a reman alternator for my neighbor's car (ACDELCO, lifetime warranty) from rockauto.com. Looks like it is fine. You may check NAPA remans too, but if you have a lifetime warranty on that thing you have you may want to give it another try now that you know how to get it out

Grinding noise? did you tighten the belt enough? Or maybe a bearing is on its last throes...

[ShyBoyCA6]

This one IS an Autozone alternator. It's just a reman. Does have lifetime warranty. Before I go yanking things out, is there anything that could be causing this? I checked all wiring and fuses before I dumped the new one in. :wtf:

hmm possibly that you tighten the belt to much. they should have markings for the alternator if not make some on the bolts to remember where it goes and have some tension on the belt.

[Hauntd ca3]

if the alt has lost its sense signal from the battery it will charge to high, usually round 16 volts, but otherwise its going to have a bung regulator.
pull the plug of the back of the alt , grab your test light and you should be able to get it to light up at one terminal in the plug with the ign off.
with the ign on you should get 2 that light up bright and one that is dull, which is the warning light wire.
if yo dont get 1 lighting up with the ign off, you have no sense from the battery.
you can just loop from the ign feed to the sense wire or from the batt terminal to the sense wire if need be, just put an inline fuse in it to be safe.
if you get the 2 bright and 1 dull with the ign on, the regulator is bung and its time to come out.

[hondaaccorddrew]

if the alt has lost its sense signal from the battery it will charge to high, usually round 16 volts, but otherwise its going to have a bung regulator.
pull the plug of the back of the alt , grab your test light and you should be able to get it to light up at one terminal in the plug with the ign off.
with the ign on you should get 2 that light up bright and one that is dull, which is the warning light wire.
if yo dont get 1 lighting up with the ign off, you have no sense from the battery.
you can just loop from the ign feed to the sense wire or from the batt terminal to the sense wire if need be, just put an inline fuse in it to be safe.
if you get the 2 bright and 1 dull with the ign on, the regulator is bung and its time to come out.

It was working okay until the engine got warmed up. Then the light came on. Upon checking I had 16.7-17.2 volts coming in and my stereo shut off in protective mode. You're talking about the 3-spade connector? I don't have a test light, I have a volt meter though, so if testing I should just look for whatever the battery voltage is? Which specific pin outs should be working? I'll give what you suggested a shot, just to make sure it's not my car's wiring. Thanks for your reply.

[hondaaccorddrew]

hmm possibly that you tighten the belt to much. they should have markings for the alternator if not make some on the bolts to remember where it goes and have some tension on the belt.


17 volts sounds way too high; around 14 volts sounds more logical (but you should check the service manual).

Recently I got a reman alternator for my neighbor's car (ACDELCO, lifetime warranty) from rockauto.com. Looks like it is fine. You may check NAPA remans too, but if you have a lifetime warranty on that thing you have you may want to give it another try now that you know how to get it out

Grinding noise? did you tighten the belt enough? Or maybe a bearing is on its last throes...

Yeah the belt was tightened pretty good, but not too tight. You could flex it if you pressed. But it didn't slip. It sorta clunked really. Like a car with a rod knock, only when I applied full load. What could be the damaging effects if I pulled the fuses on the important stuff (like the stereo) and ran up to a parts store and had them test it on the car? It has a solenoid computer and stuff, would they be okay? The car cannot run without them plugged in. I just don't wanna take it up there and have them say "it's fine" if the conditions arent correct to make it act up.

[Dr_Snooz]

"Lifetime" warranties never pay for the time you spend pulling the dead alt. six times over the course of the next year. Nor do they pay for the tow bills that come when the thing konks out on the highway in the middle of nowhere. Avoid all electrical items from the big name, corporate stores. Napa stuff is better. Best is to buy your stuff from known good rebuilders (like Beck-Arnley) using Rock Auto. I think O-Reilly offers higher end stuff if you are willing to buy it online and wait for it to be shipped to the store.

Never buy Autozone's cheapest stuff unless you are wealthy enough to pay for additional R&R, big tow bills and hefty repair bills fixing the stuff that the item ends up destroying when it fails catastrophically.

[hondaaccorddrew]

"Lifetime" warranties never pay for the time you spend pulling the dead alt. six times over the course of the next year. Nor do they pay for the tow bills that come when the thing konks out on the highway in the middle of nowhere. Avoid all electrical items from the big name, corporate stores. Napa stuff is better. Best is to buy your stuff from known good rebuilders (like Beck-Arnley) using Rock Auto. I think O-Reilly offers higher end stuff if you are willing to buy it online and wait for it to be shipped to the store.

Never buy Autozone's cheapest stuff unless you are wealthy enough to pay for additional R&R, big tow bills and hefty repair bills fixing the stuff that the item ends up destroying when it fails catastrophically.

Agreed! Although when someone else is nice and is buying the replacement part for you at their store of choice cause it's cheap, you kinda don't have an option. The person in this example is my grandfather. From the depression. He's sorta cheap when it comes to buying new parts and assumes that someone did their job right or that this part got built with good quality, like when he was young. That's why these cars last this long with original blocks and new gaskets. There wans't "it must have been ammembled at 4:30 on a Friday" for these years of Honda. Anyone know if Honda still builds with good quality? My past two alternaters were O'Reilly... Oh well I guess.

[Bluntman]

The person in this example is my grandfather. From the depression. He's sorta cheap when it comes to buying new parts and assumes that someone did their job right or that this part got built with good quality, like when he was young.
I like your grandfather!!!!:cheers: But it is all about the rebuilders who they are getting them from in the end. I myself prefer NAPA. But I like your grandfathers attitude. It should have been built right in the first place attitude.

[hondaaccorddrew]

I like your grandfather!!!!:cheers: But it is all about the rebuilders who they are getting them from in the end. I myself prefer NAPA. But I like your grandfathers attitude. It should have been built right in the first place attitude.

Yes! Pretty much. Too bad they don't build things right, every thing is built like it was 4:30 on a Friday. :thumbdn:

[POS carb]

if that alternator came loose, how was your water pump spinning?
I hope you didn't drive it like that for too long

[hondaaccorddrew]

if that alternator came loose, how was your water pump spinning?
I hope you didn't drive it like that for too long

An entire summer actually. Turns out it was like that the whole time, which was two years. The mechanic who replaced it tightened the alternator down with the top mount only and then tightened the lower mount. He put it in crooked all along. Then eventually the bottom mount came off. I never knew about it cause I'd never gone under and looked! :D

[Dr_Snooz]

Agreed! Although when someone else is nice and is buying the replacement part for you at their store of choice cause it's cheap, you kinda don't have an option. The person in this example is my grandfather. From the depression. He's sorta cheap when it comes to buying new parts and assumes that someone did their job right or that this part got built with good quality, like when he was young. That's why these cars last this long with original blocks and new gaskets. There wans't "it must have been ammembled at 4:30 on a Friday" for these years of Honda. Anyone know if Honda still builds with good quality? My past two alternaters were O'Reilly... Oh well I guess.

LOL. Yeah, what are you gonna do? I got stuck with a big tow bill from a Kragen alternator. I took it in and they gave me a new one with a smile. That was the last electric part I bought from them.