88 Honda Accord Alternator

How does one remove the alternator? Any helpful information would be
great. The red idot light just started to show it's ugly head. ---
Thanks

 

Do you have a manual?

If not, use the free online ones specific to the 88 Honda
Accord at www.autozone.com . It has good drawings.

Reports are often the only item needing replacement are the
brushes. People here often recommend just replacing the
brush assemblies and maybe the bearings, and there is plenty
of support on the net for alternator problems tracing to
simply the brushes. (I plan to do this pre-emptively within
about a year, so I'm prepping.)

Do you know where you're going to buy your parts?

Elle
Original and sole owner, 91 Civic, on its second alternator.

 

Go to autozone.com -- they have very clear repair manuals on line,
free.

It usually comes out from below. You may need to disconnect the
driveshaft to get it out. Sometimes you can snake it through other
ways.

 

Thanks for your help. I did look up autozone for the manual and found
not much information but do appreciate your trying. Do you have a
good source for ordering the alternator?

Ed

 

Thanks. I did go to Autozone but perhaps I missed the right place.
Do you have a link to the right place there. I will try again now.

Thanks

 

Here you go:
http://autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/0c/f8/ff/0900823d800cf8ff.jsp

Hey, Elle -- "Jinxed!" We posted around the very same time, same
answer. Great minds think alike, huh?

Remco

 

In the Autozone free online Repair Guide for the 88 Accord
you have to go to the following sections in order to get to
the alternator removal etc. section:

"Engine & Engine Overhaul," then
"Engine Electrical," then
"Alternator"

See if the following link works:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds
/en_us/0900823d/80/0c/f8/ff/0900823d800cf8ff.jsp#hd1-1-3

I suggest buying the brush and holder /assembly/ (not just
the brush) from www.slhonda.com (California) or
www.hondaautomotiveparts.com (Rhode Island), depending on
where you live. I have purchased from both and think they're
both good, price-, service-, and shipping-wise. People here
say that buying the assembly makes life a lot easier

I would consider replacing the bearings on such an old
alternator, though I say that based only on general reading
here at the newsgroup.

 

Jinxed again!! Wow, who'da thunk it!!!

 

Yes. Do you too hesitate to post links to specific
Autozone.com manual pages?The Autozone site has some kind of
warning on it about doing that, so I try to keep links like
yours and mine to a minimum and/or try to give Autozone some
of my business for Goop, Loc-Tite, PB Blaster, etc.

Getting to their repair manuals, and of course the correct
section, is a bit tricky. But it is truly free, and Autozone
encourages people to take advantage of this resource.

 

That long string looks too much like some sort of cache string on their
server. It probably loses validity after the cashe refreshes in a day
or two. In this case the OP seems to be on line when we both are so the
string should be ok as long as he tries it soon.

Yup - I do like autozone because you can find almost anything. Those on
line tech manuals are hard to beat. Prices are pretty good too.
While driving there, there's one place that I usually try first, just
to pass them the business. It is one of the last mom and pop hold outs
- smells like WD40 too
Have been dealing with them since I was a kid so it is a solidarity
thing.

 

Thanks! You are very helpful. Got it!

 

Thanks! You are very helpful. Got it!

 

Thanks to you all! The information was a great help. Got it!

 

sure the belt is tensioned correctly, and not sliping?

 

yup. i totally avoid kragen. id probably shop my local NAPA more if id
just REMEMBER to.

 

This is an edited version of the instructions I posted on Jan 4.

If you plan on doing this anytime soon, I can give you some tips. disconect
the battery. Jack the car
up and support it on jack stands. Be careful and follow the instruactions in
your owners manual on how to properly support the car. The remove left front
wheel and the splash guard. Loosen the alternator adjusting bolt, 12mm deep
socket. The loosen the pivot bolt, 14mm. Then slide the alternator to get the
belt off. Then remove the bolt that holds the admusting bolt in place, 12mm.
There is a thick washer between the alternator bracket and the alternator, so
expect it to fall when you pull this bolt. Then completely remove the pivot
nut and push the pivot bolt out. The alternator will now be loose. Carefully
pry it out of the lower mounting bracket. Then remove the two bolts, 14mm,
holding the bracket to the engine. The bolt holes have two bushings in them.
When I pulled mine, one bushing came out with the bracket and the other stayed
attached to the engine. Don't lose the bushings.
At this point only the wires are holding the alternator in place. A 10mm bolt
holds a cable in place. You can then unplug the connector. You can use use a
8mm socket to remove the bracket that hold the wore harness to the alternator
body. The alternator will not be free. Unfortunately there is no room to get
it out through the top or bottom. Some manuals will suggest removing the drive
shaft, but there is an easier way. You will need a jack and a block of wood.
Put the block of wood on the oil pan and then bring the jack up till it touches
the block of wood. Then remove the cruise control module, 2 10mm bolts, that
mounts to the enging mount point on the left (drivers) side of the car. Then
remove the bolts holding the mount to the body and the motor, 3 14mm bolts.
Now rais the jack under the oil pan. The engine should go up about
inches or so. Now you can maneuver the alternator out through the
wheel well opening. Then go in reverse order to install everything. I did
have one problem. The cover that goes over the brushes and voltage regulater
was a tight fit around the plug area. I didn't realize this and put the
alternator back in the car and tried to plug the plug in. It took me a while
to give up and pull the alternator out to try to figure out the problem. A few
minutes with a file took care of the problem. Hope this helps .

 

The autozone instructions are helpful, but they recommend pulling the
driveshaft out of the hub. It is not necessary if you undo the engine mount
and jack the motor up a few inches.

 

Yes, I remember seeing your post and thinking what you did
was pretty creative. I think I remove the equivalent motor
mount, supporting the engine with a block of wood and jack
under the oil pan, on my 91 Civic when doing timing belt and
related work. Sounds intimidating to a newbie, or it did to
me at the time, but it's actually very straightforward.

Roar Lions, Roar! ;-)

 

Clever trick! Thanks, Alex.

 

Thanks, but I can't take credit for the idea. I got that from someone else,
I don't recall the web site at the moment.

Thanks.