Alternator woes

[Micah 89LXi]

okay..si i cant do this myself...ive already spent hours trying to get the very last bolt off..and guess what it did...STRIPPED soooo fuckit its at a garage now..ill have to PAY...guh..oh well..save urself the trouble..if u need aot replace ur alternator..just let a pro do it..its way too much effort..hell it would have worked if i just could have gotten the bottom bolt off without stripping..but..to no avail

[mzabeefy]

when i stripped a bolt off my air conditioning compressor( i didn't feel like moving the power steering pump and snuck my hands around it to try to take out the compressor's bolt, big mistake), i used the "Gator Grip" wrench thingie.. the wrench with all the little pins inside of it. I moved the power steering pump, and the sockets/wrenches i put around the bolt kept on slipping off because i had stripped it so badly(almost rounded). So i tried the gator grip, and after about 5 minutes of working it on the bolt i turned it and the bolt snapped right off! great tool to have.

[Immeraufdemhund]

i had a hard time too. I had a friend help me get to the really hard stuff since this was my first really hard operation. I've done 2 alternators. The first was on my 87 accord, the second on my 88 prelude.. Odd enough it was a lot easier on the prelude then on the accord... go figure.

[Micah 89LXi]

im thinking channel locks would have gotten it loose...if i had the room...jsut to break the seal at least..but now its in teh shop..just from experience do u think $80 is a bad price for that?
wondeirng if i got ripped off again

[anchovies]

i hate stripped bolts

[Immeraufdemhund]

$80 for the alt sounds about right. I dont know about installation. They might think they have to drop the axel and what not. is that 80 for labor?

[njpeter]

First, it comes out from the top on LX models..remove the left engine mount and jack up about 6 inches ( not more then that or you'll break some hoses)

I had a frozen bottom nut.once.a nut cracker is a must I was in there for hours $80 is cheap..a good socket and breaker bar is cheaper..6 point spocket a must

I've done a few alternators..teh first time is the worse. rubber gloves can help keep the hands reasonable

[Micah 89LXi]

yeah $80 for labor..the alternator was $82 and i got a lifetime warranty on it...i still wish i could did it myself..just got that nut off the bottom..it wouldnt move..oh well its done..and yeah they removed the whole front drivetrain so i figure $80 aint too bad..only took one day cause of short notice..but i got my accord back..YAY now i must find a way to trade it for a crx or a civic..haha..btw i love my new conversion lights

[Immeraufdemhund]

wait,i have an lxi and all ihad to do was take out my air box, undo all the bolts and pull it out of there. is it different for 3rd gen 88-89's?

[smufguy]

the efi have a more space for removing the altenator than the carb ones, and they dont depend on the years. it applies for all 4yrs. All u need is either a 1/2" or 3/8" drive ratchet, 12mm deep or reg socket and a sweivel joint.

Trust me, ihave taken out 4 altenators, without removing the axle or giving it to any shop or pro. U need Liquid wrench, WD 40 did not work for me cause it evaporated too fast and failed to penetrate evenely. Its a tad hard considering all the rust and crap.

get an aluminum or a new bolt if u wanna prevent anymore corossion.

[Micah 89LXi]

my bottom bolt was frozen...wouldnt budge

[jigga225]

I had loosen the motor mount and jack up the motor....
I didnt take the axle loose (didnt know I needed to at the time).
Took me about 12 hours though!!!