Alternator pulley sheared off!

The picture of the shaft is the remnants of the pulley as if the pulley had completey come off you would see a threaded section at the end
Yes exactly, the inner sleeve of the pulley that bolts on to the the alternator shaft was still fully attached but the bearing housing completely disintegrated and collapsed causing it to separate and fly off.
 

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I think in your case the pulley failed, shearing the pulley from the drive, saving the shaft. In Robins case the pulley looked like it was spinning on the shaft and with the tensioner damaged the shaft. Both cases by the time you factor in replacement parts and time may work out cheaper replacing the whole assembly. There is nothing stopping you rebuilding at a later date, but again cost v how often they need replacing is the deciding factor.
 
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I have been recommended a company that does this and have spoke to the chap and liked very much what I heard so will give it a go. For reference my alternator is a Bosch 140amp not 120amp as the earlier models were (I presume it changed when they were facelifted in late 2002).


If you could PM the recommended place that would be appreciated as I'm probably going to get another one done as part of this year's rebuild. I started looking into alternator rebuild places unfortunately about 4 days before the UK shutdown happened so ended up having to fit the non-rebuilt Ebay alternator to the car that needed it. Having had a set of petrol injectors refurbed with outstanding results I am very much of the 'make do and mend' mentality with some of these simpler components if one can find somewhere reliable.
Nothing 'make do and mend' about what I've had done this morning I can assure you but I do understand what you mean.

The service I had today was just brilliant and was done almost while I waited, well I went to ECP and stood outside in a queue for an hour to pick up the belt and tensioner that I also required. When I went back my alternator was ready and waiting for me, maybe 2 hours total!

My old alternator was taken apart completely and every component removed before everything that could be replaced being replaced, the aluminium casing being fully restored and even lacquered for better protection and a brand new genuine INA pulley fitted.

It genuinely has come back completely brand new looking and I have been assured that internally it is 'as new' in every way too and will perform as such.

TPS wanted £388 odd plus vat for the same identical 'new' Bosch 140amp alternator which I don't believe would be any better and I wouldn't be surprised if all are actually reconditioned like turbo chargers apparently are as I believe that was requiring mine on an exchange basis (but not 100% on that as I did have a few quotes).

The owner of the company I used has been reconditioning starter motors and alternators for 30 years so he obviously knows his stuff.

His premises are exactly what I like, an old school engineering, almost Cottage industry feel doing a specialised 'proper job' with no flash or hype.

I haven’t fit it yet though so it wouldn't be right of me to sing his praises too highly but I couldn't be happier so far with what I've got, the service I got and the price I paid.

The company name is Rotating Electrics Ltd and is on an industrial estate in a place called Stechford in Birmingham.

I mentioned to the owner Mark that I would mention his services, and it actually gave me the idea to suggest we start a thread for recommendations of companies/individuals who provide services that members might need, as with the cars getting to the age they now are, inevitably things will need doing or parts repairing, reconditioning or replacing and it would certainly be nice to have a reference point where you could look and find someone that has been recommended and you can trust to do the right job and at the right price with no fear of getting ripped off.
 

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I think in your case the pulley failed, shearing the pulley from the drive, saving the shaft. In Robins case the pulley looked like it was spinning on the shaft and with the tensioner damaged the shaft. Both cases by the time you factor in replacement parts and time may work out cheaper replacing the whole assembly. There is nothing stopping you rebuilding at a later date, but again cost v how often they need replacing is the deciding factor.
I do think I was lucky and actually if I had either bought Tom's spare or a new genuine INA pulley from ECP for £30 that would have done the job in my case along with a new belt for sub £10, so £40 all in and I would have been back on the road and sorted but the route I've gone I'm happy with, and hopefully will give trouble free service and peace of mind in this area for the foreseeable future
 
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I have a few family members in my Dad's generation (mostly now retired) who worked their entire lives and careers in small to medium sized companies supplying the automotive (mostly BL / Rootes) and related engineering industry in the Black Country and West Midlands since the 50s - the amount of knowledge out there is incredible. Companies like the guys you've mentioned above are the lifeblood of our modern classic refurb world - please keep posting up contacts and recommendations of anyone else who is amenable to similar work.
 
Is there a recommendation thread or should we start one off?

We could list a component and the contact, or choice of contacts to provide the service
 
Is there a recommendation thread or should we start one off?

We could list a component and the contact, or choice of contacts to provide the service

Sounds like a plan. For instance - on our 1.4i, I can thoroughly recommend injectortune.co.uk for the job he did refurbishing a set of injectors. Someone here recommended them 2-3 years ago, and I took their advice last summe without any regrets - transformed the car.

In the context of this thread, probably people who can refurbish an alternator body & moving parts for a good price in various locations, and decent links for the pulley replacement (that could be fitted by the same folk at the same time)? For instance - alternators and starter motors seem to retail north of £200 and more for higher current versions trade, where the basic intact component can be sourced from a scrappy for £30-£50 quid online, but then could do with a good refurb (bearings and replaceable parts if not already done) for peace of mind for considerably less than that.
 
Any moderators think it's a good idea?

The format would need some consideration to make access easy
 
Is there a recommendation thread or should we start one off?

We could list a component and the contact, or choice of contacts to provide the service
Any moderators think it's a good idea?

The format would need some consideration to make access easy

This sounds like it could be of use, you'd think there might already be one but a search for 'recommendation' produces a lot of results, so it might have been lost.

Before we start one off though, it would be prudent just to check if there could be any potential ramifications for the club as a whole. I'll start a discussion about it among the Admin team.
 
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A firm close to me advertise on ebay offering a complete rebuild with the all essential INA pulley for around £100, not used myself but get good reviews!
Genuine units are usually reconditioned and vag ones dont come with a pulley at all!
 
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Anyone know if this looks right?

I've compared the new tensioner I bought with the old one which are identical part numbers and the same original manufacturer (INA) but as you can see the new one is almost like a mirror image of the old as in it's pointing the opposite way, like one is left hand and the other right.

The only way I can justify it being right is that the tensioning spring on the old one has collapsed but it looks and seems perfect and I only bought a new one as the roller on it's own wasn't available.

The only other explanation I can see is that the new one hasn't been assembled correctly but I don't know how I can tell and if it would make any difference when fitted?
 

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Doh, think I might have just answered my own question and when looking at it closely have realised that there is a pin in the new one that I am presuming would need to be removed after fitting and would then put it in the same position as the old one and apply the tension?

Either that or the pin has come out of the old one but I don't think that's it somehow?

The joys of never having done a job before ??

We're always learning!
 

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I presume that when you buy a new tensioner it has the pin in place that holds it in the installation position (untensioned). After you install it then the pin is removed, the tensioner wheel springs into place and you are ready to go. When I'm replacing a tensioner I install the pin/nail/old drill in place on the work bench, install the tensioner and then remove the pin afterwards. Because of the difficulty in getting to the hex head on the tensioner I just usually cut through the pin with a thin disc on the grinder.
 
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I presume that when you buy a new tensioner it has the pin in place that holds it in the installation position (untensioned). After you install it then the pin is removed, the tensioner wheel springs into place and you are ready to go. When I'm replacing a tensioner I install the pin/nail/old drill in place on the work bench, install the tensioner and then remove the pin afterwards. Because of the difficulty in getting to the hex head on the tensioner I just usually cut through the pin with a thin disc on the grinder.
Yeah, think that's exactly it.

Spoke before looking and thinking and now I realise that after it's bolted on I should put a spanner on the fixed nut on the aluminium body on the back of the pulley and take the pressure off the pin to remove it which when then released would then put it in the correct position and apply the correct tension on the belt.

Everything is easy when you've done it once and know how ?
 
To add, the price I paid for having my alternator fully reconditioned with the new genuine INA pulley was £70 which having spoke to Mark, he said he will honour for other A2oc members with the same Bosch 140amp alternators.

When you consider the INA pulley itself is £30 cheapest and that's without fitting it seems a bit of a no brainer!

Just to mention I have no affiliation to Mark or his business and had never met him before yesterday, he was just highly recommended to me ?
 
Is there a recommendation thread or should we start one off?

We could list a component and the contact, or choice of contacts to provide the service
To add, the price I paid for having my alternator fully reconditioned with the new genuine INA pulley was £70 which having spoke to Mark, he said he will honour for other A2oc members with the same Bosch 140amp alternators.

When you consider the INA pulley itself is £30 cheapest and that's without fitting it seems a bit of a no brainer!

Just to mention I have no affiliation to Mark or his business and had never met him before yesterday, he was just highly recommended to me ?

Apropos of this recommendation, I've just created a thread to post it on as per the suggestion. It's been made sticky so it'll always be at the top of the Servicing and Maintenance forum.

Do go ahead and start the ball rolling :)
 
All parts now present and correct after my delivery this morning so hopefully will get everything put back together tomorrow sometime if I get chance.

Whilst the auxiliary belt is off I thought it would be a good idea to check the AC compressor as the air con seems to be doing very little, if anything, in the way of providing any air that is cooler than with the econ button pressed and quite frankly isn't very cold at all.

I understand that if I try to turn the internals of the compressor by hand and it spins then the compressor is bad.

I'm really hoping the system just needs a re-gass.

Anyone know if that is correct and any advice or tips are gratefully appreciated?

Thanks ?
 
If I remember correctly the AC is driven by the belt through an electronic clutch. When ECON (or OFF? ) is selected there is no power to the clutch and ist is disengaged so the pulley spins but not the compressor. Other settings the clutch engages and locks the pulley to the compressor whicjh then turns at the same speed as the pulley. As far as turning the internals by hand to prove compressor is bad, I do not know if that is true or how you could turn it without turning the pulley and as above clutch disengaged then the pulley will turn. Regassing is probably the easier option as most will check the system out first. Although many do not recommend you regass yourself, I have had good results and am confident that the refill cartridge is good quality and contains at least enough oil to relubricate the system. Choice is yours. All other indications on climate panel normal, no fan speed hunting?

Edited to remove brain fade.
 
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