I have an '87 4-cyl 5-speed and I'm stuck trying to remove the alternator- I've removed the aluminum bracket that bolts to the front of the engine, and it looks like there will be room to maneuver the alternator out through the battery box area, but when I try to remove the lower through-bolt on the alternator (the one the alternator pivots on) there is not enough room to pull the bolt out- it hits the passenger-side wheelwell before it comes out all the way.
Is there a trick to this? Did someone maybe install the bolt backwards when the engine was out in the past?
Do I need to pull the engine to replace the alternator?
Any advice would be appreciated...

I'm trying to figure out how you plan to get the alternator over to the battery box area? That's on the other side of the engine.

If you can't get the bottom alternator bolt out, you can remove the alternator and bracket as a unit. The lower alternator bracket has two bolts, one of which goes through the engine mount bracket. You may need to jack the engine up a bit to get that bolt back in.

Also, since you have a manual transmission, you should be able to drop the alternator straight out the bottom. You may need to finagle it around the engine cradle and exhaust, though.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 04-17-2010).]

Im not sure which bolt you are talking about,Look closley there are 6 bolts,that hold the alternator bracket on.I can't remember if the whole aluminimum bracket needs to come off.The small bolt that is inserted in the curved alternater bracket groove on the front of the aluminimum bracket is removed, by tilting the alternater down enough so the bolt will come out.One of the bolts is visible from the engine compartment.The alternator is wiggled out through the bottom passenger side,so I don't think the aluminimum bracket needs to be removed (might want to replace the belt too).

Thanks, guys- I already removed the aluminum bracket in my ignorance, (and accidentally drained some coolant out- the bracket covers a hole into the water jacket) so it's too late to go back on that. With the bracket out of the way there appears to be a route to the battery box, but until I get the alternator loose, I can't confirm that it will work. I'll report back later.
Removing the alternator and bracket might be the solution (if I can find the bolts through the caked-up grease), so thanks for that advice. It appears from the exploded diagrams I have looked at that the bolt is, in fact, installed backwards, so If all else fails I might be in the Mall next, looking for a replacement bolt.

quote Originally posted by ekinodum: It appears from the exploded diagrams I have looked at that the bolt is, in fact, installed backwards, so If all else fails I might be in the Mall next, looking for a replacement bolt.

Yup. The nut is supposed to be on the outside.

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3.4L Supercharged 87 GT and Super Duty 4 Indy #163

The alternator on the '87 Duke is not adjustable. It doesn't have the slotted bracket and adjuster bolt like the earlier models. Instead, it has a rod bent into an L-shape that secures the top of the alternator to the bottom of the intake manifold.

Edit to add: looks like my memory regarding the engine mount bracket was a little fuzzy. You may not need to remove the mount bracket, but will need to remove one of its bolts. Also, my apologies for not mentioning that the one bolt goes into the water jacket.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 04-17-2010).]

It's easier to drop the cradle than it is to hack saw a bolt in half.

quote Originally posted by Isolde: It's easier to drop the cradle than it is to hack saw a bolt in half.

I just wished that we didn’t need to get into that big of a project for just one lousy bolt. After thinking about this, you do have a good point but I’ve never met a cradle capture nut that didn’t spin.

quote Originally posted by ekinodum: Removing the alternator and bracket might be the solution (if I can find the bolts through the caked-up grease), so thanks for that advice. It appears from the exploded diagrams I have looked at that the bolt is, in fact, installed backwards, so If all else fails I might be in the Mall next, looking for a replacement bolt.

The problem at hand is your backwards bolt. Fortunately you’ve got access from below, if you cannot get a saws-all on it a good carbon blade hack saw will make short work of it. GM put that main bolt directly over one of the two bolts holding the lower bracket to the block otherwise it would be a no brainer to remove the lower bracket.

Use a good pair of vice grips as a saw blade guide on the bolt and that'll keep it from spinning as you're cutting away. Wear junk clothes, gloves and eye protection, you'll have little metal shavings everywhere, cutting oil will help too.

87 Duke alternator can come out the top after you get that bolt out. I’ve got a couple of 88 Dukes, the difference is the oil filter on the 87 which may have to be removed. After the alternator is disconnected, move it along the trunk wall under intake to the drivers side of the air cleaner, plenty of room to pull it up and out. Take the support arm off at the front of intake, remove it from the alternator after it’s out. Some guys have removed a bolt out of the dogbone, swung it out of the way, remover the air cleaner, pushed the engine forward (with a helper) and pulled the alternator straight up and out.

You’re going to need some sealant on the bolts going into the jacket. Use some dielectric grease on the connectors and some anti-sieze on the nuts and bolts.

Good luck, keep us posted on your progress.


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jetman
Silver 86 SE 2M6 4-speed, with "check wallet light"
Now fortified with 8 essential slices of bacon goodness

[This message has been edited by jetman (edited 04-19-2010).]

I did not get a chance to work on this today, but I took a look from below- if I can lift the engine about 1-1/4" by disconnecting the motor mount it looks like I will have another 1/2" to 3/4" available to try to slide the bolt out from the side. Maybe if I get it that close I can cheat something over a little bit- I think I'm going to be down to fractions of an inch here.

Been a while since I did this replacement. Possible to drill hole through wheelwell to remove bolt? Just as a last resort. Sawzall the bolt?
Somebody got it up there. Doubt the cradle was dropped at the time. Tilt bracket and remove bolt then? Just a few random thoughts without seeing the problem.

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HAHA! I did the same thing the first time I ever had the engine out of my Fiero. I rebuilt the engine, put that bolt in backwards then installed the cradle. I had to take it out the hard way. I recall that I unbolted the bottom bracket from the motor and removed it with the alternator. Or I might have just unbolted it and moved it enough to remove the backwards bolt. Either way I remember having that problem and it not being that big of a deal. But this was on an 84.

1. Remove oil filter
2. Carefully jack motor. "Bottle" hydraulic jack? use something to give wider area on oil pan.
3. Remove alt and alt's bottom mount.
4. put back only bottom mount.

from top side

5. put back alt under intake manifold.

use long extension from socket wrench. I use 18-20 inch extension.
auto tranny... remove dip stick bolt. give just enough to get alt by.
Need more room? remove plug wire or remove DIS brick

Warning: Coolant is electrical conductor. It will kill DIS and maybe HEI. Keep DIS/HEI covered if quick connect is leaking. See cave, heater.

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(Jurassic Park)

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You don't have to undo the front 2 bolts. I've dropped the cradle from my '84 Fiero 9 times in the last 2 years. 7 of those were all 4 bolts. My captured nuts don't spin. Trying to fit a hacksaw into that tight space is a pain. I tried it. That's why it took me so long to get back to you. I could only stroke it about 3/4".

[This message has been edited by Isolde (edited 04-18-2010).]

Been there - done that.

On the bracket - take out the upper bolt, loosen the bottom bolt. I think you may need to take the oil filter off too.
You can then tilt the bracket with alternator attached toward the back of the engine enough to get the long bolt out.
I maneouvered the alternator out from under the intake manifold toward the left end of the engine while standing in trunk.

[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 04-18-2010).]

quote Originally posted by ekinodum: if I can lift the engine about 1-1/4" by disconnecting the motor mount it looks like I will have another 1/2" to 3/4" available to try to slide the bolt out from the side. Maybe if I get it that close I can cheat something over a little bit- I think I'm going to be down to fractions of an inch here.

quote Originally posted by Isolde: It's easier to drop the cradle than it is to hack saw a bolt in half.

Wait a minute, you've sparked my imagination about this.

Ok then, how about a synthetic cradle drop; so to speak? You mentioned that you have disconnected the motor mount, if you totally removed it and lowered the engine down all the way on that side, tilting the engine down on the passenger side, would you have enough room to slide the bolt out? If not, then would you have enough room to pivot the alternator back towards the rear of the car to expose the upper bolt on the lower bracket that's hiding behind your backwards bolt? I'm refering to the upper bracket bolt to the block holding the bracket numbered 4 in the diagram that fierosound posted. All you need to do is loosten it and you should be home free to articulate the mounting bracket to pull the bolt.

Just a thought....