new alternator is on

[Dead President]

first thing i have to mention is what a bitch it was to get the new one on. most of the time i dont mind turning wrenches but that engine bay has no f*ing room at all it was almost impossible to use my hands up under there. i swear i got so pissed at certain points i wished i had a silencer(lol jp) but yea i finally got the new one on and never gave up

if anyone has brought their ls to the dealer for a new alternator consider it money well spent. even tho i saved some cash it was almost not worth it. my old alt was being wayy too stubborn. if anyone is about to change theirs out let me kno and maybe i can help

so far no problems at all, hopefully it will stay that way, but u never kno with these LS's

 

[Osaín]

I would be interested in details! Where is it on the engine? How did you get to it? What was the major problem/holdup that you ran into?

 

[gt95coupe]

I have not changed mine but I am almost certain its on the bottom side of the engine on the passenger side. Well that is where it is on a v6

 

[J3FF]

Yea, I just had mine replaced...it was worth the money, because I mean you cant even see the damn thing when you open the hood. Its not like most fords, it's deep in there.

 

[2001LS8Sport]

Wait until you have to change an a/c compressor....

 

[Dead President]

I would be interested in details! Where is it on the engine? How did you get to it? What was the major problem/holdup that you ran into?

if u jack it up on the passenger side you can easily get to it. there is a cover in almost a triangle shape that extends up towards behind the wheel. 2 bolts and one plastic rivet holds it on. if u remove it, the alternator is right there. the main hold up was the sleeves that hold the top bolt in. its almost like a dowel, well they rusted onto the alternator that was holding it in even tho the bolt was removed. there are 2 on each side for the top bolt. well i could not get it free for the life of me. after f*ing with it for almost an hr and taking a break i went back out to the garage and somehow managed to get ti free. just had to wrestle with it a bit. then, on top of that it has to be positioned a certain way to free it from the area its in. it's so tight in that engine bay you almost think it's impossible to switch out. well then it was cake after getting it out.

also who ever at lincoln/ford designed the top plug is a moron. most difficult plug ive ever had to remove. almost makes no sense i just wanted to cut it off.

 

[lseguy]

Oh yeah..I know all too well about this job. I posted a thread earlier in the summer. I had the bolts off, and it would NOT come out. Im 40, and my back can now only take but so much tight maneuvering in cramped spaces. Those sleeves you mention are a B! Apparently the top one is the worst. In short, after HOURS of trying, prying? I put the serpentine belt back on, the top cover back on, and literally drove it to the dealership with NO bolts on the alternator. the one upper sleeve was enough to keep the alternator perfectly in place the ride to the dealership. I think I paid $250 labor for them to R&R with a remufactured motorcraft alternator I had.

If you have access to a lift? this is a doable job. If you loathe lying on the ground under a jacked up car where you have to tug and pull and contort in a tight dark area?

Take it in. lol

 

[jumpman6235]

what are the signs that you need a new alternator?

 

[lseguy]

my symptoms were a slightly slower turning starter when starting (i could hear the difference in sound). My "check charging System" on the OBC came on briefly once or twice. Then at a stoplight, my ABS and AdvanceTrac warning lights came on, but went off when I accelerated from the stoplight. I then used my voltmeter to test the battery. With the car off, the voltage reading was about 12.4, with the car started and running at about 2000rpm it only went up to about 12.8v. When I turned on the AC and HighBeams and still had her at 2000rpm, the volts dropped down to about 12.4v. In reality, it should have been around 14volts or so at 2000rpm. I also had an odd whine from the old alternator near the end. I have a 2002 V8 as point of reference.