warwgn3 Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 Well... I'm back to driving the Firefly for a while. I think the alternater in the Lumina finally died. Dad had sent me out to get some lunch at Quisno's.... (homer voice) Mmmm, Quisno's... and I was on my way down, when the engine started to sputter. Ran out of gas. I managed to start it up again, rolling in "n00b-tral", and coasted it into the Esso, after it stalled a second time. I filled it up and went off with no problems. So I get to the Quisno's and got lunch to go. Got back in the car, and the car won't start. I called my dad to come and boost me. It starts fine. shift out of park, and it dies again. "Re-Boost". We got the car home, and put the battery charger on it, so we can move it if needed. We called my bro, and he said he won't be able to get at it untill Monday. We were going to drop it off, and leave it, but Bro said not to, cause of the good chance that it could get broken into, so we took it home instead. So we'll have to see how much this is going to cost me. I'm expecting a $500+ bill. I'm not surprised about the situation though. We knew the Altertator was going to die, pretty much since I got back from Hell, it was just a matter of when and where. Thankfully it happened close to home, when my Dad was off duty, and it wasn't -30*C in the middle of winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 This should be of some use to you. http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,30225.0.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 This should be of some use to you. http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,30225.0.html Thanks Mike. I'll forward that thread link to my bro at work where he can use it best. It's kind of useless to us at home, since all of my bro's equipment and tools, are at his shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 This should be of some use to you. http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,30225.0.html Thanks Mike. I'll forward that thread link to my bro at work where he can use it best. It's kind of useless to us at home, since all of my bro's equipment and tools, are at his shop. Oh. With how your family goes through cars (on that site you had a while back) I figured you'd probably take care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 [hijack] Esso....that was a clue (Canadian gas station) in a crossword I did today and couldnt think of it, thanks [/hijack] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 This should be of some use to you. http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,30225.0.html Thanks Mike. I'll forward that thread link to my bro at work where he can use it best. It's kind of useless to us at home, since all of my bro's equipment and tools, are at his shop. Oh. With how your family goes through cars (on that site you had a while back) I figured you'd probably take care of it. No, I'm not mechanically inclined enough to work on the Lumina myself. It's too complicated for me to touch. My old Parisienne Safari wagon was easy to work on. Even then The most I could do with that is the very simple changing of the plugs and wires, or removing/replacing anything that's easy to get to with only a screwdriver or ratchet/socket. Anything deeper than that, and I'd get my bro to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 Yeah, just forward on the 45 minute job. BUT.... I betcha the shop already knows how to do it in less than an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Hi, this is Doug's brother, James. I'm trying to change that damned alternator right now, out in the garage, with hand tools. Everything went fine right up to Step 7 in the "45 minute swap" when the steel coolant line started pissing like a mofo. It trickled down the jack so I couldn't put a catchpan under and it made a huge green lake I couldn't do anything about, except recreate the Hoover dam with a bunch of rags. Sent Doug in my turbo intercooled minivan to Crappy Tire to get some hose and clamps, comes back after what seems like an hour with 1/2"ID fuel hose and some 1/2" (IOW way too small)fuel injection clamps. Sigh. Take my van and drive to my work (45 minute round trip, speeding as much as I dared) to get my good hacksaw and steal some heater hose, came back and hacksawed off the rusty section. Done. Ok back to the alternator. Got the long bottom bolt off... what's next, I can't see, the cradle only dropped down about 2 inches at most. Had to undo the top bolt (p/s lines are on it) with a little 10mm wrench, I'd never be able to get a socket on it. Ok pry on the alt to get it out, ok won't budge. GO and check on the new alternator, AHA there's ANOTHER bolt in the back!! Go back to the car... well how in HELL am I supposed to get that bolt out?? I can barely feel it with two fingers let alone get even a wrench on there!! I have the cradle dropped down as far as it will go, it's basically hanging free on the passenger side now. I have the duct pushed back. I can't even get a little baby screwdriver in there to pry up the little tab to get the field connector off. I bet if I tried to do this job at work they'd be laughing at me now. "The internet makes everyone an "expert"" they say. Well I'm giving up for tonight, I started the job at 2pm today, between working on the car, running around, and the sun searing my retinas and giving me a mondo headache, well the old alternator is still in the car... so... what do I have to do to get that last bolt out? Do I have to crawl right under the car? Do I have to take the driver's side wheel off as well and go in with a 4 foot long socket extension? There's gotta be some trick.. I have like No space back there. Good Lord, if it's that hard to get out, I can't IMAGINE trying to get it lined back up and started into the new one!! I'll get back to this tomorrow, but if I can't get that last bolt out, I'm done with the car then. Call the eff'n Hook, this sucks. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 with just finger strength you can remove the cooling duct. Push it back and out of the way. If you can remove that it would be even better. I always pull the driveaxle and can do the job myself in 45 min. With the subframe lowered if you remove that driveaxle you will have a ton of room. I believe the bolt is a 10 mm and wratcheting wrenches are your best friend for this job. when you are done, do not put that back bolt in. Most of us have omitted that bolt from our vehicles all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 I'm the one that did the write-up, so there may be a few things. The pain in the ass bolt to take out on the alternator, don't put that back on. Leave it out and be done with it. I didn't have a cooling duct in mine either. I had an alternator built locally, guarantee'd for life. After going through 4 alts, I bit the bullet and got the rebuilt alt, never had anymore problems. My subframe dropped about 5 or so inches once I undid the tierod and swung it out of the way. Hopefully you did that. BTW, did you undo both the front and rear subframe bolts? That'll make quite a difference also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Hi slick, yes I pulled both the front and rear subframe bolts out... on the passenger side only, correct? And yes I pulled the steering rod out of the knuckle and it's out of the way. It does look like I will need to pull the driveshaft... On 60degreev6 the guy pulled the driveshaft by unbolting the hub from the spindle and the axle came out right through that hole, never even have to undo the lower ball joint. Hopefully with the car sitting up on an angle like that the trans fluid will stay in there when I pull the axle. So Once I get that Back Bolt out I don't have to put it back in, that's good. I'll have to make a run back to my work and pick up my set of stubby ratcheting wrenches. Ok thanks, gonna go have some 1pm breakfast and get back to it. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Yep, just the passenger side subframe bolts. I wish I still had my Z34, I'd take a good picture of how everything *should* look after you remove the bolts, undo the tie rod, and lower the subframe. You will probably lose a little tranny fluid, but probably not much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Well I got the 4 bub bolts out of the spindle/knuckle thing, but unfortunately the ABS sensor is still bolted in from the back side with what looks like what used to be 2 8mm bolts, but are now rusted to two little 5mm lumps. So I'm going to have to throw in the towel on removing the drive shaft that way, and go back to work (again) and get my fork and axle socket set and undo the ball joint and go at it that way. Doesn't look like I'll have this car done this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regal_GS_1989 Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 So Once I get that Back Bolt out I don't have to put it back in, that's good. I'll have to make a run back to my work and pick up my set of stubby ratcheting wrenches. OMG!!!!! THAT FUCKING BOLT That was the most complicated part for me trying to get the alt out of my cutlass when I fixed the diff. To get at it, I used about 2 feet of extensions, A swivel, and a socket(I think it was a 10mm) and got it from underneith and behind. Once I figured out how to line everything up, it came out really easily. Once its out, Throw the fucker as far as you can and never look back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 THERE!! IT'S OUT!!! Behold the glory of the old alternator, accomanied by a 7 finger salute. [attachment deleted by admin] Removed to free up storage space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97loudcut Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 AHA!! nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 ah now we see who's hands did all the work to get that bitch out haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwgn3 Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 It was undoing the lower ball joint which suddenly made things much easier. The lower control arm was, while connected, keeping the engine cradle from dropping down more than 2 inches. Once I disconnected that lower ball joint and pulled the driveshaft out, I was able to lower the engine much more, almost 5 inches total, I could almost see the whole alternator from the side of the car. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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