I had my alternator bearings replaced about a year ago, they were making a right racket. A few months later and after the car was warmed up and restarted I had more noise from the alternator belt area, it would get louder and then suddenly stop after a minute or so.
I initially suspected the AC compressor but turning the AC on and off made no difference to the noise and I know the AC clutch was working because I could hear it click in and out and hear the load on the engine when it was running. I checked the steering pump by spinning the wheel end to end a few times also, this did not affect the noise either.
That reduced the problem to the crank, idler, alternator or tensioner pulleys. I really doubted if there was anything wrong on the crank so left with the three I gambled on the alternator pulley and bought a new one, this is a reasonable guess though as I believe the pulley can be affected by failing bearings.
Anyway, the business bit. I won't describe taking the alternator out as someone else has covered that very well (Thanks by the way, big help). I did however make use of the Honda Maris website, for €4 you have full access to all their shop manuals for 1 hour, it really is worth it.
http://www.techinfo.honda-eu.com/de/de/language.html
Sorry for the quality of some of the photos, was using a crappy Nokia phone.
I will mention one thing about removing and fitting the alternator. I needed a stepped wrench and a homemede cranked lever. I also loosened the steering pipe support bracket for better access also.
With the Altenator out, remove the three flanged nuts closest to the centre of the rear plastic cover. When you take one of them off, a bracket will come off also, there is a fourth nut underneath, remove this too.
The rear cover should now come off. Remove the two small screws near the centre, they are securing the brush holder. Once off, have a look at the brushes and check how much is left, I think Honda replace them at 5-6mm, mine were ok.
Now take off the 4 outer most bolts that bind the front and rear alloy casings together.
Now if the Maris website is to be believed, the front case, pulley and rotor can be lifted or pulled off the rear case and stator (the stator is the black metal bit between the two alloy cases). I had to put mine in a vice and use a timber drift to tap the front case loose. Remember to tap it off, these cases are brittle. Eventually the rear bearing will be free and the rear case and stator can be separated from the front case, pulley and rotor.
A word of caution though, the stator needs to stay attached to the rear case, it might move a bit but don’t try to separate them.
The bits of timber you see above were to stop the vice jaws biting the rear and front cases. Use some tape to stick the timber to the stator for an easy life.
Grip the rotor in the vice and loosen the pulley. You will need either a 17mm allen key. I didn’t have one, so I bought a cheap drain plug set that had a 14 – 17mm key and put the 17mm end in the pulley and used a regular 14mm socket and ratchet on the other end. Simples.
New pulley vs old. The old one was very rough when the one way clutch was spun compared to the new one so hopefully I’m replacing the right part.
Fit the new pulley and torque it on, 110 Nm I think, but check that just in case.
Now you need to put the rotor back onto the rear case. Remember to sit the wavy washer in first.
Place the rotor in and line up the front and rear cases. Insert the 4 outer bolts, but only turn them in a little, do not use these bolts to pull the cases together, you’ll see why later. Instead, with the pulley end on the bench, use a long reach socket that will fit over the rotor shaft (copper bit) and sit on the rear case (on the alloy not the plastic). Tap the socket gently with a hammer and the case will move onto the rear bearing on the rotor. You’ll feel the socket getting solid once its home.
With the rear case on, the brush holder must be fixed in place with two screws. As the brushes are mounted on springs, they will be in the way when you try and push the holder in place. Use a straightened paper clip or wire through the back of the holder to prise the brushes back while you push the older onto the rear case and shaft. There is a special hole in the brush cover just for this.
Remember how I said not to use the four outer bolts to pull the cases together? I sheared one of the bolts while tightening them. Clumsy. I put the three remaining bolts on the side of the alternator that will take the most tension from the running belt and I’ll get a new bolt asap. (Have driven ~100 km so far and no probs)
Again, I won’t go into refitting the alternator as it has been covered elsewhere, but it is worth pulling the plastic back from the driver side wheel well to make sure the belt is on the crank and AC pulleys correctly. Also if it slips of the bottom idler, you’ll really only get access from here to put it back on.
Now, fingers crossed that the original problem has been solved by the new pulley, I’ll only really know after a week or so of driving.
I initially suspected the AC compressor but turning the AC on and off made no difference to the noise and I know the AC clutch was working because I could hear it click in and out and hear the load on the engine when it was running. I checked the steering pump by spinning the wheel end to end a few times also, this did not affect the noise either.
That reduced the problem to the crank, idler, alternator or tensioner pulleys. I really doubted if there was anything wrong on the crank so left with the three I gambled on the alternator pulley and bought a new one, this is a reasonable guess though as I believe the pulley can be affected by failing bearings.
Anyway, the business bit. I won't describe taking the alternator out as someone else has covered that very well (Thanks by the way, big help). I did however make use of the Honda Maris website, for €4 you have full access to all their shop manuals for 1 hour, it really is worth it.
http://www.techinfo.honda-eu.com/de/de/language.html
Sorry for the quality of some of the photos, was using a crappy Nokia phone.
I will mention one thing about removing and fitting the alternator. I needed a stepped wrench and a homemede cranked lever. I also loosened the steering pipe support bracket for better access also.
With the Altenator out, remove the three flanged nuts closest to the centre of the rear plastic cover. When you take one of them off, a bracket will come off also, there is a fourth nut underneath, remove this too.
The rear cover should now come off. Remove the two small screws near the centre, they are securing the brush holder. Once off, have a look at the brushes and check how much is left, I think Honda replace them at 5-6mm, mine were ok.
Now take off the 4 outer most bolts that bind the front and rear alloy casings together.
Now if the Maris website is to be believed, the front case, pulley and rotor can be lifted or pulled off the rear case and stator (the stator is the black metal bit between the two alloy cases). I had to put mine in a vice and use a timber drift to tap the front case loose. Remember to tap it off, these cases are brittle. Eventually the rear bearing will be free and the rear case and stator can be separated from the front case, pulley and rotor.
A word of caution though, the stator needs to stay attached to the rear case, it might move a bit but don’t try to separate them.
The bits of timber you see above were to stop the vice jaws biting the rear and front cases. Use some tape to stick the timber to the stator for an easy life.
Grip the rotor in the vice and loosen the pulley. You will need either a 17mm allen key. I didn’t have one, so I bought a cheap drain plug set that had a 14 – 17mm key and put the 17mm end in the pulley and used a regular 14mm socket and ratchet on the other end. Simples.
New pulley vs old. The old one was very rough when the one way clutch was spun compared to the new one so hopefully I’m replacing the right part.
Fit the new pulley and torque it on, 110 Nm I think, but check that just in case.
Now you need to put the rotor back onto the rear case. Remember to sit the wavy washer in first.
Place the rotor in and line up the front and rear cases. Insert the 4 outer bolts, but only turn them in a little, do not use these bolts to pull the cases together, you’ll see why later. Instead, with the pulley end on the bench, use a long reach socket that will fit over the rotor shaft (copper bit) and sit on the rear case (on the alloy not the plastic). Tap the socket gently with a hammer and the case will move onto the rear bearing on the rotor. You’ll feel the socket getting solid once its home.
With the rear case on, the brush holder must be fixed in place with two screws. As the brushes are mounted on springs, they will be in the way when you try and push the holder in place. Use a straightened paper clip or wire through the back of the holder to prise the brushes back while you push the older onto the rear case and shaft. There is a special hole in the brush cover just for this.
Remember how I said not to use the four outer bolts to pull the cases together? I sheared one of the bolts while tightening them. Clumsy. I put the three remaining bolts on the side of the alternator that will take the most tension from the running belt and I’ll get a new bolt asap. (Have driven ~100 km so far and no probs)
Again, I won’t go into refitting the alternator as it has been covered elsewhere, but it is worth pulling the plastic back from the driver side wheel well to make sure the belt is on the crank and AC pulleys correctly. Also if it slips of the bottom idler, you’ll really only get access from here to put it back on.
Now, fingers crossed that the original problem has been solved by the new pulley, I’ll only really know after a week or so of driving.
