1992 Dodge Grand Caravan Alternator removal

Anybody lend a hand?

This is a '92 Grand Caravan with a 3.3L engine. What's the easiest way to remove the alternator from this thing?

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B
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I had a '95 with 3.3. Remove from underneath. May have to loosen motor mount to pry engine forward with a 2 by 4 for clearance. The book fails to mention that part. It's a PITA job, no easy way.

Reply to
Steve Walker

You'll have to remove it from below, but you'll probably have to remove the power steering pump and move it out of the way to have enough room.

Reply to
Steve N.

I paid $150 for the van. They're giving $200 for scrap cars...

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

Here is the procedure that someone sent me years ago, when I was going to do it. I am not sure why they called it a "generator" instead of an "alternator."

(1) Disconnect battery negative cable. (2) Remove generator drive belt, (3) Loosen, but do not remove the nut on the support bracket at exhaust manifold. (4) Remove the generator tensioner power steering bracket bolt. (5) Remove the tensioner stud nut and the tensioner. (6) Remove the generator mounting bolts. (7) Remove and position the power steering reservoir from the generator mounting bracket. Do not remove the hoses from the reservoir. (8) Remove the three generator support bracket bolts. (9) Remove intake plenum-to-generator mounting bracket bolt. (10) Remove generator support bracket. (11) Position generator and remove generator wiring. (12) Remove generator.

KM

Reply to
KirkM

Thanks. I was looking this over again last night and from what I THINK I saw, the bracket is attached at the bottom to one of the bolts from the motor mount!

Did you do this and get it off OK? I'll have to print this out and take it with me...

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

I didn't end up having to remove it. The problem turned out to be with the BCM integrated regulator. It was never energizing the field circuit.

KM

Reply to
KirkM

BCM? I thought the V-Reg was in the SBEC?

Reply to
Daniel who wants to know

These things use a Denso (Toyota, since Denso is about 51% owned by Toyota) alternator. I recognized it as soon as I looked at it.

The regulator in this one is built off the housing.

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

I had a '92 Dynasty 3.3 and have a '95 Grand Caravan 3.3 and trust me the voltage regulator in the SBEC (single board engine controller) It is that black thing in the driver's front corner by the battery that the air filter box is attached to. There is even a fault code for "alternator field circuit open or shorted" which is code 41 IIRC, Allpar's site would tell for sure. The Dynasty threw that code when the brushes in the alt wore out. Had a local rebuilder (Fowler-Rowland) do brushes and bearings and it was good as new again.

AFAIK there are 3 versions of the Denso alt. the Dynasty had the 90 amp, my van has the 120 amp and a friend's '01 Ram 1500 has the 130 amp.

Reply to
Daniel who wants to know

I bought a used one for $20. I wanted to check it out before pressing it into service, and I figured rightly that the brushes were gone. About 3/4. So I got some new ones from the local NOT off-the-rack parts store for a whopping $4.85, already mounted in the holder (no soldering!!! ;) )but I could NOT get the cases apart!

On my Toyotas, I have no problem splitting the cases. This one would not come apart!

How much was the rebuild, do you remember?

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

Less than $50 IIRC. It was more for a Ford 3G large case but it required a new front housing also.

On the Chrysler Denso's I have seen (the one from the Dynasty is partially disassembled sitting on my kitchen floor) brush access is a simple matter of removing the sheet metal cover on the back of the alt. The screws are really tight though.

Reply to
Daniel who wants to know

It's about the same as on my Yotas. I rebuilt the one in my '85 "Hachiroku" in 1992 and it went up until 2002. THen the bearings I didn't replace in '92 seized...

They're all about the same, but the Toyota version cracked open like an egg. After 20 mins banging on it with a cold chisel, I gave up on the Chrysler one...

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

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