Many thanks for all the replies to my previous post - I've had the alternator tested & it certainly seems to be knackered (either that or a dodgy earth) - and I've also found someone local who has a good reputation for reconditioning alternators for not much money.
I started on removing the guilty component today - fortunately my father has a workshop which is, apart from 13mm spanners, well-equipped and I was able to access the alternator easily from underneath his hoist. I have removed the bolt which allows adjustment of tension against the alternator-belt, and the oil & air hoses to the vacuum-pump.
The alternator now swings freely on it's bottom pivot, but removing the bolts from this does not seem to free it. This thread says there's a single bolt through the bottom of the alternator, but that does not seem to be the case on my
1996 model. I have removed two bolts, one from each side, but these seem to sit in something like a hollow pin, which is still retaining the alternator. Can anyone tell me how to free this, please..?I'll take a digital camera when I return to my Dad's shed tomorrow, so if I haven't sussed it out by tomorrow I'll be able to illustrate the problem then, but I'd really like to be able to drop the alternator in for repair on Monday morning, so if anyone has any pointers they'd be much appreciated.
Stroller.