Can you rebuild an alternator

Classic Trucks! Facebook Twitter. Rebuild an Alternator. Two Minute Tech : Electrical Episodes. Need tips on tuning your carburetor, converting your vehicle to propane fuel, or just need help installing your cold air kit? There's lots to know when it comes to priming and painting your project.

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Car Guys. They're hardcore gearheads, champion racers, and specialist builders. Discover the true gearheads of the past and present in the Car Guys Category. Learn more Rebuilding an alternator is a fairly simple procedure, which anyone with basic automotive knowledge can accomplish. Although the construction of some brands will vary slightly, the basic anatomy of an alternator consists of the same components. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Mark the placement of the electrical leads before removing them.

Disconnect the electrical leads. Remove the vehicle's serpentine belt. Remove the mounting bolts and familiarize yourself with their placement. Remove the plastic cover from the back of the unit by unscrewing it. Inspect the bearing. If it does not seem snug, or makes noise when it spins, it will have to be replaced. Pay careful attention to the placement of each wire before disconnecting any.

Replace the rectifier by prying out the soldered leads and then undo the mounting screws. Install the new rectifier by replacing the mounting screws. Solder the lead wires to reconnect them. Reinstall the screw which separates the rectifier from the brush assembly. Replace the brushes by first undoing the screws which hold each brush assembly in place. Filtered by:. Previous template Next. In 95 percent of cases, it is one of these components that go bad in an alternator.

Check them before replacing. The same symptoms could be a dead voltage regulator. To check this, full field your alternator and see if it puts out electricity should go up to volts if you bypass the voltage regulator. Most car manuals will show how to do this.

Put a screwdriver in it when the car is running and use it to ground what it touches on the inside to the case of the alternator. Step One: Remove your alternator. Step Two: Remove alternator cover Make sure to remove the nut holding the port for the wiring harness first Step Three: Remove voltage regulator Step Four: Remove rubber brush assembly cover and brush assembly, being careful to keep the springs and old brushes in place. Step Five: Remove old solder and old brushes.

I just went ahead and took a small drill bit and drilled through the old solder holding the brushes in place. Be careful not to make too big a hole. Make sure the springs don't fly out, they don't come with the new brushes. You will need them. If you bought a new brush assembly then you can skip this next few parts. Old brushes, springs and new brushes Step Six: Slip spring over new brush Step Seven: Slide spring and brush in as they were when you took the old brushes out.