[V8] Alternator

[Kneale Brownson]

At 02:04 PM 5/3/2006 -0600, dsaad at icehouse.net wrote:
>It has been a while since I have done this - but it is not that big a deal
>really.
>You will have to remove the bottom engine cover - or belly pan as it is 
>commonly
>known on this list. The alternator comes out from the bottom.
>No special tools required either - I think 13mm,17mm sockets and also
13mm,17mm
>wrenches is all you need. It seems like I needed a few extensions too.
>To remove the fan belt, there is a place on the tensioner arm to put a 13mm
>wrench to remove tension. There is also a hole where you can insert a pin to
>hold the tensioner open. This helps a lot. I also take the bolt out of the end
>of the tensioner damper shock. This makes moving the tensioner much easier.
>I seem to also recall removing the exhaust heat shield. Again, just a few nuts
>and easy to do.
>
>And - before you remove the belt, make a good note of how it is positioned. It
>is not at all intuative - to me anyway.
>
>Everything else is pretty straight forward.
>

The serpentine belt tensioner system's 13mm "nut" for putting slack in the
belt takes quite a bit of force.  If you can get a 13mm 6-point box end on
it instead of a 12-point, you stand less chance of stripping the corners on
the "nut"  Both our V8s have bad corners on that fixture.  I can only
manipulate the spring it moves if I use a 6-point wrench.  I didn't see any
change in the amount of force required after I took the damper bolt out.
The plate with that fixture on it is listed in ETKA as a separate part, but
I'm wondering about the danger of the spring tension you'd have to relieve
and reestablish to replace it.