Alternator Change in Tight Quarters

[Gordon Gould]

The alternator on my dozer quit charging so I had to take it out and get it rebuilt. Turned out to be the internal Voltage Regulator. I didn't have much room to get a tool on the belt tensioner nor a helper to hold it. The only part of the belt that I could see or get at was at the alternator pully so if the belt came off one of the other pullies on the engine it would turn into a major job.



For a long time I tried some things with pry bars and such but couldn't come up with anything where I dared to stick my fingers in there. Then somehow I got the bright idea to use a strap to hold the tensioner up and allow some belt slack and a belt loop big enough to make the job easy.



It is one of those things - I don't know if I thought of this myself or if I had seen it in the past and somehow subconciously remembered it at my moment of need. I won't forget it now. Maybe someone else can use this idea too.

gg

 

[chad22]

That is indeed some tight quarters. I would've never thought to use a strap to hold the tensioner up. That's a great idea and hopefully I'll remember that trick if I need to change an alternator in tight quarters or anything else.

Chad

 

[Xfaxman]

:thumbsup: Very clever