Alternator Removal - Rev 3 Turbo

[bungral]

Afternoon all.

Hadn't driven the MR2 for a couple of weeks while I was doing some other work to it so when I finally tried to start it, it kept cutting out.

Realised the alternator had seized when I smelt the belt burning and had a friend looking it at and could see it not moving at all.

Figured we'd take the alternator out and try to free it off before buying a new one.

We've removed the pivot bolt as well as the adjustor and the other bolt. Also unplugged it on the other side.


Now, at first we struggled to even move the alternator at all but we managed to get it pivoting in its mount with the use of a breaker bar, jack bar some hammering and some levering but even then it was tight and it still will not move from its mount. So we're moving it but it isn't any closer to actually coming out and its hard to get any different leverage on it from what we're doing already.

We've used plenty of PlusGas but I guess the questions are, are we being stupid and missing something or has anyone else experienced the same and how did you get around it?

Thinking of taking a blow torch to it but not sure that would help that much.

[gnzyza]

I haven't removed it with the engine in the car but you just gotta lever it off. It's pinched into the bracket that the bolt goes through. Not sure if it'll pivot down enough and if you can use a drift or something similar to knock it off from the top. Otherwise try a drift through the bottom.

also remove the lock bolt for the adjuster.

No need for heat.

[outrun]

Easy enough to do in the car, just remove the exhaust B pipe and the mount, iirc.
As for it being stuck, keep wiggling/prying. It will come.

[danjama]

And when you do get it off, give it and the bracket a good clean or you will NOT get it back in

[aussieGT]

Easy enough to do in the car, just remove the exhaust B pipe and the mount, iirc.
As for it being stuck, keep wiggling/prying. It will come.

I had the same on my n/a. You'll have to bash it from top and below with a bit of timber and it will work it's way out.

I bet it will be the bush that the alternator sits in on the bracket, there will be some corrosion build up behind it - enough to jam the alternator in.

You'll have to remove the bracket once you have the alternator out and remove and replace the bracket bush. If you don't you won't be able to get the new alternator in.

[bungral]

I'm thinking the original alternator is going back in to be fair providing I can get the pulley moving again.

Isn't the bracket different on the NA compared to the turbo?

Happen to know where the bolts / mounts are for the bracket to take the whole thing out as one if needed?

[aussieGT]

Isn't the bracket different on the NA compared to the turbo?

Happen to know where the bolts / mounts are for the bracket to take the whole thing out as one if needed?

There's different sized brackets between models yes, but pretty sure they used the same idea for all with the bush in the right hand side of the bracket.

Not sure how many bolts hold your bracket on, but you should be able to have a feel and see.

As you can see on these two below, the bush is nice and tight up against the bracket on the left example, the one on the right looks like someone has tried to remove it and given up. Looking at it closer i'd say the left one has had a new bush put in it.

[bungral]

Can the alt squeeze out the top if it's removed from the bracket and the bracket moved out of the way?

I've read it can be moved to the other side of the car to get out?

I'd rather not remove the exhaust B section as some of the bolts look interesting.

[SonicSW20]

Can the alt squeeze out the top if it's removed from the bracket and the bracket moved out of the way?

I've read it can be moved to the other side of the car to get out?

I'd rather not remove the exhaust B section as some of the bolts look interesting.

It can on an NA, just need to move the brake booster pipe and diag port out of the way. Remove alt from bracket, rest alt on subframe. Remove bracket, alternator after that. Remember to put the alternator down there first before putting the bracket back.

Another way to do it is to unbolt the engine mount on the subframe - this can give you just enough movement on the engine to get the alternator out of the top without removing the bracket.

[aussieGT]

Can the alt squeeze out the top if it's removed from the bracket and the bracket moved out of the way?

With a few angry words and scuffed knuckles I rubix-cubed mine out on the drivers side out the top, not sure how different yours will be.

There's a few different ways suggested on the inter webs, some say to undo an engine mount and jack the engine forward a bit to allow some more space for a top removal, some say to drop the cross member and go out the bottom. Some twonk reckons you have to pull the engine out to remove a seized in alternator!

[SonicSW20]

If the engine mounts are xxxxx you may be able to move the engine enough to get it out