Changed the alternator on my mk7 transit today

[ogri48]

..Jesus Christ what a godawful job. Used to be so simple to change an alternator, now you spend hours unbolting stuff from the engine to get it out of the way, along with taking a front wheel off to get access to the belt and poppin g the front headlight out just to give yourself a bit of working access. And don't even get me started on the cost of a decent 150 amp alternator...

[slimwilly]

Well done ,good effort, really testing,
 I got a transit and changed the starter,, just god damn fiddly, down the front between rad and engine, over the top ,then under neath,,tested my patience

[Frosties]

..Jesus Christ what a godawful job. Used to be so simple to change an alternator, now you spend hours unbolting stuff from the engine to get it out of the way, along with taking a front wheel off to get access to the belt and poppin g the front headlight out just to give yourself a bit of working access. And don't even get me started on the cost of a decent 150 amp alternator...

Could be age related, decreased dexterity & large gut pushing you further away from the coal face 

[ogri48]

Yeah, definitely some of that too...

[tommyardin]

Ahhhh!
My little Vauxhall Combo van is  a piece of cake to get repaired.
I have a Bob that does it for me, yeah sure it costs, but, I don't end up with lots of bark missing off my knuckles when the spanner slips. He shoves it up in the air so its not so bad for him to work on.

[ogri48]

I reckon that would of cost me 500 quid parts and labour at a ford garage. Didn't have that option in truth, been working all weekend, alternator went Saturday morning, picked a new one up dinner time yesterday and got a full day in, then up early today to do it and got another full day in and me mates bathroom finished. I've got four weeks of uni for Christmas so helping a builder mate get all his jobs wrapped up and earning a few quid.

[midden]

this fella is always worth checking out even for starter motors.


I reconditioned my alternator for aprox' £80  including a new baring puller.   

[robbo]

Youtube is always worth a look for "how to" info. A few months ago a nearside dipped beam went on my Vectra. According to the Haynes manual the wheels and the front of the car has to come off to change a poxy bulb. After a quick search on youtube the job was done in about 15 mins, by taking the filling neck off the washer bottle which creates just enough space to reach the back of the headlamp. Apparently all fairly recent cars have to have easily accessible bulbs now, which makes perfect sense.

[crickleymal]

Yup, youtube is very handy. Changed the air filter on my Xsara Picasso last weekend. Thank goodness it's only every 30k or something. Why they put it over the back of the engine with only 3 inches clearance I do not know. Anyway, without youtube the job took me an hour and lots of swearing. With youtube about 20 minutes and I only swore when I dropped the allen key on the floor.
And what you say about access to headlight bulbs is good news. It makes a mockery of the continental requirement to carry spare bulbs if you can't get to the damn things without a full toolkit and a requirement to dismantle half the front end of the car.

[BBROWN1664]

Youtube is always worth a look for "how to" info. A few months ago a nearside dipped beam went on my Vectra. According to the Haynes manual the wheels and the front of the car has to come off to change a poxy bulb. After a quick search on youtube the job was done in about 15 mins, by taking the filling neck off the washer bottle which creates just enough space to reach the back of the headlamp. Apparently all fairly recent cars have to have easily accessible bulbs now, which makes perfect sense.

I had a 2002 Renoooo Laguna a few years ago.
To change the headlight bulb on that the process was as follows:
1. Remove BOTH front wheels
2. Remove BOTH front wheel arch liners
3. Remove front bumper
4. Remove headlight
5. Change bulb
6. Put everything back together again.

With jobs like this which should be simple, it is no wonder so many cyclops cars are on the road.