I've never been a mechanic, nor claimed to be..so hopefully someone has had experience doing this job.
I have a 1993 Nissan Sentra SE, and the alternator recently died on it. I want to avoid taking it to a mechanic because I can't afford the labor costs, so I'm hoping I can remove it myself and install a new one.
I was hoping the job would be simple to get it out, but after unhooking the battery, the connector cables and the ground cables, and a bolt up top, the alternator wouldn't even wiggle from it's position. There's a bolt that I see at the bottom of the alternator which I think is the one I need to undo, but it's caked on and won't budge. I sprayed WD40 on it and prayed it'd do the trick, but it's still stuck.
I hope that maybe this isn't the bolt I need, and that I'm trying to remove one that I really don't need to touch. Has anyone ever removed one from a Sentra? What should I do to get this alternator out, and where should I be looking for bolts to remove on it?
on 2/21/2008 3:33 PM snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com said the following:
Use a penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench. Let it sit for a while and tap the bolt with a hammer. I fit doesn't budge, repeat as necessary. The top bolt is just an adjustment for the belt tension. The lower is the actual attachment bolt.
I changed the alternator on my '92 Sentra XE with the 1.6L engine back in Jan. I was fortunate in that it was about 50F when I did it- it took me about 3 hours. What follows applies to you to the best of my knowledge- I am not a mechanic or Nissan expert.
Yes, you will need to remove the lower bolt to remove the alternator. It has a nut on the end of it.
I put the car up on ramps so I could get underneath it. The head of the bolt is better accessed from below, while the nut is hidden by the AC compressor and is better reached from above. I used....hmmm...I think a palm ratchet on it. No, I had to put a regular 1/2" drive ratchet and loosened/tightened it one click at a time. Very tight clearance-wise. I made more room by removing the Coolant Overflow Reservoir. Disconnect the hose, then tug the thing straight up. Well, it worked for me.
Once I got the alternator disconnected, I found there was not room to remove it. I pulled the passenger side fan assembly off, unplug the wiring harness, remove two or so screws from the fan unit, then loosen the other fan unit which overlaps the first. Then you can rotate the alternator and pull it out. Somebody else posted that they removed the top radiator hose, so that it probably an option
Next, you will try and jockey the new alternator into position, which was tedious and annoying. Finally, after much profanity, you will position the new alternator correctly and slide the lower bolt into place. Then tighten the top bolt enough to keep it in place while you replace the nut and snug it up a bit.
The alternator belt is on the inner side of the other belt/belts, so you won't be able to easily remove it. While you are wrestling with various Satanic fasteners, the belt will be experimenting with "alternative" lifestyles and you will have to set it back on the Path Of Righteousness or it will break when you start the engine. Make sure the belt is positioned correctly,adjust the tension- say, about 1/2" deflection when poked firmly in the run from the top of the alt pully- and tighten the top and bottom bolts. Then, re-connect the wires making sure they are clean and the connectors seal properly.
It took me about 2.5 hours longer to do the Nissan over my last car, '85 Camry. However, at least nothing *broke* on the Nissan during this repair. I bought a rebuilt alt from autozone for $100 plus $50 core. Somebody just posted they paid $500CA to have the alternator done in a different Nissan. I would do it again to save $200-300, but I would pay $100 labor rather than do it outside in freezing weather.
By the way, get Braille Auto battery - save gas, it's a 9 or 15Lbs battery that performs like 32Lbs regular one, I hope you undertsand th ebenefit oif shaving 20 pounds from your hood?
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