Alternator Fan Nut

Motor60 · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:54 pm Post subject: Alternator Fan Nut

Have a stubborn alternator nut. Going to use the impact wrench to get it off. BUT, how do you guys get the alternator out in the first place to be able to use impact?? Do I have to remove shroud too? Or alt stand?

grandpa pete · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:08 pm Post subject:

There should be a slot in the back edge of the pully to put a screwdriver in to hold the pully while you turn the nut
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2000typer · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:10 pm Post subject:

You should be able to just remove the strap holding the alternator to the stand and the four screws going through the backing plate to the shroud. Obviously the wires going to the alternator also. Wiggle it out. The wires have power so be careful. Maybe disconnect the battery first.
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1966 Sedan
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Motor60 · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:14 pm Post subject:

I can't just pull it out with fan attached. The nut is stuck on fan. I can't get enough leverage to take nut off with alternator still in shroud. I was thinking of removing shroud with alternator attached and pull it all out. Don't want to remove motor cuz that would entail removing the dual webers.

2000typer · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:10 pm Post subject:

Sorry. I'm obviously mistaken. The last time I did it I pulled it off still attached to the shroud. I was fixing an oil cooler leak. Your hex bar linkage will have to come off and your deck lid hinge mounts might have to come off as well
_________________
1956 Ragtop
1966 Sedan
1976 Type 2 Westy
My 66 bug build
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Aussiebug · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 5:32 pm Post subject:

That nut should only have 40ftlbs on it. It uses the same 36mm socket as the rear axle nuts. There is JUST enough room to get that socket with a short extension on to the nut with the fan/alt still in the car, then with a ratchet socket you should be able to turn the nut, with the alt pulley locked as described above - with a thin screwdriver through the slots in the rim of the Alt pulley half.

You should not completely remove the fan nut with the fan/alt still in the car - it's too easy to loose one or more of the spacer shims on the shaft down through the fan into the fins. I just loosen the nut in the car, then remove the whole alt/fan/backing plate. You might have to loosen the fan shroud itself and lift it a bit and to do that you might need to remove the engine lid and the hinge mounts so it will lift high enough (plus the thermostat pushrod too - you do have a thermostat I hope.).

When you remove the nut and the fan, take note of where the wavey washer is, and 3 spacer shims are so you can put them back in the same place - they locate the fan along the shaft so it does not rub inside the shroud.
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60ragtop · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:07 am Post subject:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

if you have this type of pulley you can put a wrench on it to get more leverage to loosen the nut. And it most assuredly is OK to remove the fan & nut from the gen/alt without disturbing the fan housing (been doing it that way for over 35 years) Shocked

. You just need to be careful. Wink

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Motor60 · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:58 am Post subject:

Motor60 · Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:53 pm Post subject:

Ok so I used a breaker bar on the fan nut and had it wedged against the deck lid mounts. I used a pipe wrench on the pulley square. It would not budge. So I used my foot and pushed and I thought I had it. But no, I only broke the woodruff key in half.

So I removed the pulley and used the pipe wrench on the shaft of alternator. With some help of my floor jack handle I broke the nut loose finally

Installed alternator AND SAME PROBLEM!!

So I removed the alternator wire from speedo and sparked it on the hot fuse. Just to see if it would ignite the alternator. It worked. I re-attached the alt wire back to the speedo idiot light. Stopped the motor and fired it back up. Now alternator works good

Aussiebug · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:27 am Post subject:

Motor60 · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:59 pm Post subject:

I had a stereo installed and coincidently my alternator stopped working. The idiot light would not shut off. I replaced alternator and fired up motor. Idiot light stayed on. So I removed the wire from the idiot light and I touched it on a fuse that had electricity going to it. The wire sparked and alternator started working properly. I plugged wire back into the light and light was off. I turned off motor and fired it back up and light turned off every time.

But today I went out and fired up bug and light would not shut off. So I did the same thing by removing wire from idiot light and touched it on the hot fuse to the stereo. And it alternator started working. What's going on??

61SNRF · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 7:15 pm Post subject:

An Alternator needs that small trickle of positive electrical current from the idiot light bulb's winding to energize it's rotor and start charging, so what you're doing by "sparking" it is just that.

Once the engine is running, it's self energizing and the light should go out because the ALT's charging voltage exceeds Battery voltage.

This needs to happen every time the car is shut off, so by correctly wiring the idiot light circuit up to +15 your ALT should charge okay.
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-Bruce

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Motor60 · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:19 am Post subject:

What is "+15" ? Would it have anything to do with fuse not being big enough? It's a blue fuse so I think that's a 25amp. Maybe there's too much hooked up to that fuse…

61SNRF · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 4:53 am Post subject:

"+15" is the standard DIN terminal designation for a switched power source that comes on only with the key on in position I or II.
This is controlled by the ignition switch, +15 is what powers the coil, signals, wipers etc, and goes off with the key off.
Hook your warning light wire to the same terminal as them on the fused side.
Alt's are wired basically like a 6v Gen, so have a look at the appropriate wiring diagram for the car.

Has nothing to do with fuse rating, but 25 amp is pretty big. What can happen is people buy a fuse assortment pack, and when the 8's and 16's run out they start using the 25's. You're better off with a smaller fuse, so check your wiring diagram or owner's manual to see what is recommended for your year and change it out.
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


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