Alternator Removal

[ddave05]

Ok fellow forummers, here's a brief synopsis of what's gone on so far.

I have a b5.5 awx passat with 70k on the clock. I noticed a drone in the engine at low revs so i showed the car to my mechanic and he replaced the alternator belt and tensioner. However, a few miles down the road the drone is still there (the belt does not jump about on the pulley as it used to do though).

I read this and other forums and came to the conclusion that the pulley is at fault and the part is on order. After looking at this guide: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=200181
I am a little confused on stages 7 and 8. Does the viscous fan need to come out. The reason i ask is because I don't have the locking tool for the pulley. If I leave the car in gear, will it mean the pulley won't turn?

Also, the bracket was not replaced with the tensioner. Was this a mistake?
Thanks in advance.

[martin1810]

Large waterpump pliers or belt type wrench will hold viscous fan to undo. You will need a special tool for the alternator pulley. No way round that. Laser tools do one.

[ddave05]

Cheers martin. The plan is to remove the alternator and take it to a specialist to remove the pulley and install the new one.

Any ideas on whether i should have changed the tensioner bracket?

[athomson]

Just changed the alternator this afternoon, used a Boa Constrictor belt wrench and it worked well for the viscous fan. Didn't like the idea of using pliers to hold it in case it roughs up the surface which might damage the belt over time.

[ddave05]

Small update. I removed the belt this afternoon, and spun the pulley around. There was very little friction in the direct that it is meant to turn and it didn't turn at all the other way. I therefore am not sure whether this is the source of the problem. Any ideas?

[martin1810]

Run the engine without the belt, just incase it's the cam belt droning.

[athomson]

does it make any noise at all if you listen carefully when you spin the pulley? Actually on the one i took off the pulley wasn't totally smooth when i span it, in fact it wouldn't spin freely when the insides of the alternator were stopped from moving but it still didn't produce a noticeable sound when it was running

When it was running were you very sure it was coming from that pulley? It's hard to hear the other parts that are lower down when it's all running.

[ddave05]

The odd thing is it only happens when the wheels are turning and the steering is being turned (like when i'm finding a parking space). At idle you can't hear the noise at all. The pulley does not spin totally freely- it comes to a quick stop when I stop turning it. I may just take the alternator off tomorrow and check in a quiet area whether it makes a noise when it's spun.

[athomson]

The odd thing is it only happens when the wheels are turning and the steering is being turned (like when i'm finding a parking space). At idle you can't hear the noise at all.
Could it be the normal noise from the power steering under load? Could it use a hydraulic fluid change? just guessing here :blindfold


The pulley does not spin totally freely- it comes to a quick stop when I stop turning it.
That's exactly the same as on the alternator i took off (pulley wasn't the problem and made no noise) and is exactly the same as the recon one i've just put on which also doesn't make any noise. I did see on a thread somewhere that it is supposed to spin freely but i'm thinking this is probably a normal amount of resistance. Would be good to have that confirmed by anyone with more knowledge though?

[ddave05]

UPDATE.
New pulley = NO NOISE! took the alternator off this morning and the pulley was seized in both directions. Had the new pulley swapped over at an independant garage and it now runs like a champ :D. Would advise the pulley to be changed to anybody who has similar issues first, before any further work is carried out.