Hello guys...

This thread is for all those folks that are tired to deal with the high price of the new alternators and poor reliability of the used ones. During last year, I purchased 2 used alternators and also tried to repair both of them. That means, that I have gone trough the process of remove/install the alternator about 7-8 times. I did not want to buy a new alternator because the cost is about 25% of the price of the car....



I used as reference this article:

http://www.rangerovers.net/rrupgrade...lternator.html

But, the pulley in a Discovery and the base of the alternator is different than the one in the article.

The complete procedure took me less than 2 hours, but I had availaibility of the tools, all the connectors and materials. Another thing I liked in my procedure is that I can go back to the original alternator anytime I want.

Tools:
Angle Grinder with cutting disk.
Impact wrench with a 28mm socket (I think 28 mm is the size of the nut that holds the alternator pulley)
Drill with bit.


Materials.
New Alternator for Volkswagen Jetta VR6. Please check the reference article in order to get the complete list of alternators you can buy. There are some alternators of 120 or 150 amps. If you can get them, do it!
Remember to buy also the connector of the control signals (D+ and W) of the alternator. The one I got was already assembled with half feet of wire and saved me some work. Otherwise you will have to do a bit more to connect it.
One flat plug of the same size as the one that is in W terminal of the LR Alternator, like this one:
http://www.highoctanecaraccessories....minal_male.jpg
One round terminal with hole, like this:
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/2132034...type_.summ.jpg
A small bolt with nut (about 4mm x 1 inch). This is used to connect the D+ terminal of the new alternator.
A couple of tie wraps and some isolating tape.
Flat piece of metal of about 1 x 3 inches. (Iron or aluminium).
Some bolts and nuts.

Procedure:
Remove the old alternator (see workshop manual).
With the impact wrench, remove the nut that holds the pulley of the old alternator.
Install the pulley in the new alternator.
With your connectors and wire, try to connect the round terminal to the D+ pin in the new alternator and the flat terminal to the W pin. Check the picture.
If you compare the distance between the legs of each alternator you will see that the one of the Jetta is about 1/4 shorter than the LR. Depending on the brand of the alternator you purchased, it may have some bushings that you can shift. In my case it had no bushings. I had to cut the base of the alternator in the engine of my car. With the angle grinder and a cutting disk, cut about 1/4 inch of the base of the alternator in the engine. The alternator is holded by two long bolts with nut. The slice must be cut in the back of the upper-left base (Check the picture). If you cut the slice in the front, the pulley of your alt will not be aligned with the other pulleys in the engine. Do not worry if you cut more than you need. Normally the alternators have some metal bushings that can be moved to fit the space or in the last case you can fill the space with some washers.

If you did this correctly, then, you can now install the new alternator and secure it with a bolt in the base that you cut. As coincidence, the original bolt screws directly in the alternator. The original bolt is not needed. To completely secure the alternator use the piece of metal and drill holes at the apropiate distance to fit the other base, and then, secure it with bolts and nuts.

Now, you can connect the W and D+ wires, secure them with a couple of tie wraps, turn on your engine and you are ready to go!.

Good luck!

 

good info, let us know how it works for you.