CHARGE!!! Or not.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Put a pipe wrench on a fanless alternator pulley. Only a stiff yank should break the pulley loose from the belt. With an exterior fan -no- amount of fingers pushing on the fan should allow it to even budge. That's tight enough. New V-belts need re-tightening after 20-miles. Tensioner pulleys are a godsend unless they are misadjusted.

Yeah, no tensioner pulley here. Alternator has the tensioner bolt.

I've got about 5/8" deflection and all working quiet and properly. And even that took quite a number of turns past the point that it stopped squealing with the A/C running. Seems like I'm probably in good shape. But when I have a moment, I'll try your testing criterion.

Sounds like a good tip. I'll pass it along to my pops. Thanks!

Put a pipe wrench on a fanless alternator pulley. Only a stiff yank should break the pulley loose from the belt. With an exterior fan -no- amount of fingers pushing on the fan should allow it to even budge. That's tight enough. New V-belts need re-tightening after 20-miles. Tensioner pulleys are a godsend unless they are misadjusted.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
My mchanico is going to put a second electric pusher fan ahead of the air conditioning condenser to keep the condenser cooler in slower traffic and push more air through the radiator. Oh boy! Yet another relay.

Yeah... I just don't use mine.

The generator might burn 7/10 an hour running the overhead, while the Chevy burns about 8 1/2 in that time. Takes me from 7 mpg to 6.5 and puts less strain on the tranny, I figure. Not sure if you've heard, but... they don't give Turbo 400s away these days, darnit.

Now...

Obsessing, I know, but...

About how much deflection would you want on a belt with a span of 12" center shaft to center shaft?

My mchanico is going to put a second electric pusher fan ahead of the air conditioning condenser to keep the condenser cooler in slower traffic and push more air through the radiator. Oh boy! Yet another relay.

FYI: The return trip home in 108 deg weather, i.e. with A/C working as hard as it could... was again... uneventful.

Hood slammed and beer was too!

Now it's time to give 'er a bath!

Thank you to all those who made positive contributions!

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
IMHO time to slam the hood and pop a brewskie.

Spoken like a true retiree residing in tropical paradise. My hero!

I don't think we have any here at the office, Mex. Can I take a rain check to be redeemed upon my return home?

IMHO time to slam the hood and pop a brewskie.

Just tebuilt my toad radiator fan motor using Porter Cable roofing nail gun brushes.that beefy fan has 3/4" wide bushings. Slapped some Pemex chassis grease down the bores and it"s fixed. Total cost 28-pesos. Under two dollars. Got a 200-mile road test today.

UPDATE:

My guy called yesterday to say the unit was ready for pickup. I asked how much. He said $75, i.e. $20 more than I had expected. Said he had to turn the slip ring. Also said this may have killed the reg, but seemed to me to be leaning toward not.

Also said this alternator has definitely had work before. Said the Avalon has more heaters and electronics than most cars of its era and therefore I shouldn't be too surprised that one wouldn't last as long as the one in the old 4Runner.

He did confirm that it was a good ol', 100A Denso.

I picked it up, took it home and reinstalled it.

Here's the interesting part...

I only tightened the belt initially to about a half inch or a little more deflection before I started 'er up. Well... no noise. No vibration with or without the A/C.

Then I backed off the tension, as I did before, to see where the vibration and/or noise would return. And I backed it off. And I backed it off...

Nothing.

I kept going and finally the belt started to squeal like crazy and it slowed way down.

"OH 'SHOOT'!!!" (Rated G version)

Started tightening back up like a mad man and the noise stopped again. (Note to self: Carry an extra belt in the trunk now.)

I shut 'er down and checked the tension. Very sloppy.

So this same belt can now run the A/C and alternator without noise or vibration at a much looser tension than before and quite a bit looser than a half inch deflection. This certainly appears as good evidence that my faith in this mechanic may be well placed.

I tightened it back up to about a half inch and called 'er good for a test drive to work the next day... with charger and extension cord in the trunk still, of course... and no clients scheduled to be in the car.

That was yesterday.

Made it to the office today with no battery light and with A/C on for the entire, whopping, 10 minute commute.

Now something else still...

Not long after I had bought this car, summer came along... and I noted a noise when the A/C came on. I wanted the timing belt done anyway, so I called my mechanic. (Now mind you... this was a 25 year, Toyota master mechanic.) He said it was probably just a loose belt and it would go away when he replaced all the belts as part of the job.

Well... it did.

For quite awhile.

So it appears the belt ASSumption may have caused him to miss the possibility that the alternator needed some attention. I'm sure there are plenty of mechanics with more qualifications than he... who have made worse misdiagnoses, so I'll cut him some slack.

The testing continues...

Try something challenging like a Nippondenso, Delco CS-130D, Ford 4G, or something besides a 10, 12, 15, or 17SI Delco. And newer than 15 years old.

List of tools for older Delco's

5/16" for case bolts
Flat screwdriver to separate DE from SRE housing
15/16" for rotor nut
5/16" for 6203 bearing retaining ring
11/32" for stator nuts on rectifier
1/4" for regular brush holder screw heads, capacitor lead on positive side of rectifier and capacitor clamp screw
and 7/16" for the rectifier power post nut
The diode trio will then fall off in your hands.
The MNJ671 Torrington rear needle bearing needs to be pressed out.

The 1st generation Ford alternators and Chrysler roundback, squareback and revised squareback were similarly a piece of blindfolded cake to repair, escept a special puller was needed to remove the pulley on MoPar alts including the 100 amp 4091460.

I have never bought an alternator in my life, but did have many quit charging. And I fixed every one of them w/ a set of brushes, and a front bearing, plus a dab of grease in the rear bearing. Most were Delco Remy, so simple to overhaul, you wouldn't believe it.