Changing alternator in D2 FL 3.7

[notorious]

Did anyone change alternator on facelift D2 with V8 40v engine?

Interested to know if it can be done at home?
With access from below the car of course.

Specifically interested how can I slacken off the ribbed belt
without disassembling the front of the car?

Any help will be appreciated. I'm not very mechanically minded, but I do change oil myself!

[MikkiJayne]

You can get to the tensioner from underneath with a 17(?)mm spanner and slacken it off to remove the belt. If you have a 6mm pin or long M6 bolt you can lock it in place so it doesn't spring back.

I don't recall if there is room to get the alternator out with the front panel attached though. I'll have a look in Elsawin later and see if there is a procedure for it

[notorious]

Cheers Mikki. I looked at ELSA before posting, but pictures in ELSA are related to prefacelift with an old tensioner. Here's a pic I found on internet.

[Ameiseuk]

It is doable from under the car if its on jack stands.
Taking the bumper off and undertray off will help.

Tensioner will need pinned in the released position.if you're not pilling the front end out of the way.

3 wires on the back (2 bolted on and 1 spade terminal)
2 bolts on the front and some brute force should see it drop out the bottom of the car. A good liberal dose of wd40 round the bolts and mounting faces will help

[notorious]

Cheers Ameiseuk.
I plan to leave bumper and front end in place.
Car on high jacks, with undertray off.

[notorious]

One more question:

Audi supplies new alternator without pulley.
Is it difficult to transplant the pulley from old generator to the new one?
ELSA recommends 'special tools'.

[MikkiJayne]

Yeah thats it Rotate clockwise with a large spanner and then pop the pin in the middle of the hex to lock it in place while you're working. You don't have to have the pin of course - it'll just extend over to the left (facing it) without it and you can move it back when you want to put the belt back on.

The best way I've found for alternator pulleys is to clamp it in a vice between two blocks of wood and hit it with an impact wrench. On most of them there is either a hex or spline in the shaft to counter-hold it while you undo the nut, but on cars the age of ours they're almost always rusted to the point of rounding off. For the amount of hassle it is to get them off without an impact, I'd be tempted to just take it to a garage who does have one. Putting it back on should be fairly simple though since the hex / spline won't be rusty on a new one.

[notorious]

Cheers Mikki. Very helpful.

I guess the hex / spline tool is the one ELSA was referring to.

[Ameiseuk]

Unless the casing is cracked I'd take it to a starter/alternator repair shop. Regulator is a bolt on fix and readily available aftermarket. Got mine overhauled with new bearings for £60. No hauling at a pulley.

Make sure the bush on the housing for the main bolt is not seized before you put it back in. Alternator will lock up if you tighten the main bolt on it if seized

[notorious]

Great advice. Cheers Ameiseuk. Will check bush on the housing for the main bolt.