No problem at all!

 

Great write up on the alt replacement. Well done. Def sounds like dead alt. Had similar problems, also switched to 150 amp, good to go. Keep us posted. Good luck.

 

Thanks for your great write-up. I missed this in your original post and will need to try it because I've been struggling to get the alternator to seat correctly and both bolts to go through. Took a break in frustration and went back to your post. I'll try this in the morning.

There were two wires on the back, both attached to bolts. Two questions:

(1) Should I connect the wires to the alternator before it is seated or after? It seemed like it was harder to get it to seat with the wires connected.
(2) Also, one of the wires, the smaller of the two, does not connect to a nut on the new alternator (see pic). Looks like I might need to splice on a spade connector, but the Bosch manual (Bosch AL0807N) doesn't seem to indicate what size. I've attached pictures.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again

 

To get the alternator to drop in look at the bracket it sits in. You'll see two collar looking sleeves on the front of the bracket/bolt holes. Tap those slightly and they'll move out allowing the new alternator to simply drop in.


As far as the wiring connector. You should be able to get a little slack out of the harness. If it mounts properly and it looks like the only issue is the blade connector just cut off the OEM eyelet and install a crimp on blade connector.

 

Thanks again Best! Is it easiest to install the wiring before or after I drop in the alternator? I can figure it out, but if you have a suggestion I'll definitely take some more advice. Thanks again!

 

I've done the wiring both ways. I'd say it's best for the wiring (especially the little wire) to do it with the alternator installed then just use a small ratchet to tighten them up. As long as the battery is unplugged you'll be fine either way.

 

Wow, so much easier once you tap out the collars! Job went very fast after that. Unfortunately I wasn't careful enough and cracked the tubing running to the coolant. Where can I get a replacement? Is this something that Autozone/Advanced Auto carry? Anything I can do temporarily to make sure the new alternator is working until I get the new tubing? Live and learn. And thanks for all of the help!

Pic of the cracked tubing below.

 

Replace that brittle pos all the way from the rad nipple to the tank using high pressure rubber hose. Just be extremely careful not to break the nipple on the rad

 

You can get some 5/16 coolant hose and just use it to vs the hard line. Or use it with some clamps to fix the broken spot.

 

I'm a bit frustrated and confused...but still want to try and figure this out myself. I fixed the return hose issue (thanks Twix and Best4x4) and was able to start everything up. The battery read 13.3v with the engine off (I had trickle charged it to full). When I started up the engine and with no electrical load it was reading around 14.6v. I put a battery/alternator tester on it and it said both were good. I'm thinking all is good!

But then I go in the LR and the battery light was flickering on and off. I took the reading again and it still showed around 14.6. I decided to take it for a drive and while I was driving it was flickering on and off with no reason; sometimes at a stop it would go off and while driving at 55 mph it would be on. I brought it back to the house and took readings again. This time the battery read 12.83 with the engine off, 12.34 running, and 11.90 with a full load! But the battery light wasn't on at idle -- although it flickered when I revved the engine.

Do you think I got unlucky** and the replacement alternator was bad too? **This might not be that far-fetched because the alternator was a return to Amazon that I got from Amazon Warehouse (it said "like new" and came clean and in new packaging, but...) It is just weird that it is exhibiting virtually the same symptoms/readings as it was with the old alternator.

Any thoughts on what I should test/can do to test further? Should I try another alternator? I'd like to figure this out as I fully realize that it is going to be expensive to keep this beast if I can't do the basics.

Thanks for any help.