Change the alternator? BETTER HOPE NOT!

Ever tried to change the alternator on a '2000 3.8 T&C van? IT’S NOT
FUN!

1st, you gotta take out the entire windshield wiper assembly. This gives
you space to remove the TOO many bolts holding the alternator in place.
You’ll find the TOP plate (the one with the top alternator bolt) held in
by 3 bolts when 2 would do. Then the manual says to remove the lower
plate. That one is held in by 3 bolts you can see and one only reachable
from under the car. One each place would have been sufficient but
frankly, both could have been made reachable from the top.

In fact, I learned it was not necessary to remove that plate at ALL, since
I got the alternator out without removing it. It was hard but I did it.

But the REAL problem was installing the new serpentine belt. IT WAS JUST
TOO SHORT! I measured and it was the same length as the old one but it
just didn’t work. I finally had to go buy a new belt that was about
2” longer. It worked just fine. Maybe the new alternator had a larger
pulley. Dunno.

So I actually spent the better part of a whole day R&R-ing that thing. I
NEVER wanna do THAT again!

John

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In article
<9dacacc890509d521b68efaf68d73da6.TakeThisOut@localhost.talkaboutautos.com>,
"Fieronut" <fieronut.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote:

> Ever tried to change the alternator on a '2000 3.8 T&C van?

Yes, many times.

> IT’S NOT
> FUN!

That's why it's called 'work'.

> 1st, you gotta take out the entire windshield wiper assembly.

You're damn lucky Chrysler thought to make that possible.

> This gives
> you space to remove the TOO many bolts holding the alternator in place.
> You’ll find the TOP plate (the one with the top alternator bolt) held in
> by 3 bolts when 2 would do. Then the manual says to remove the lower
> plate. That one is held in by 3 bolts you can see and one only reachable
> from under the car. One each place would have been sufficient but
> frankly, both could have been made reachable from the top.
>
> In fact, I learned it was not necessary to remove that plate at ALL, since
> I got the alternator out without removing it. It was hard but I did it.
>
> But the REAL problem was installing the new serpentine belt. IT WAS JUST
> TOO SHORT! I measured and it was the same length as the old one but it
> just didn’t work.

You sure you routed it correctly?

> I finally had to go buy a new belt that was about
> 2” longer. It worked just fine. Maybe the new alternator had a larger
> pulley. Dunno.

You didn't check it first?

>
> So I actually spent the better part of a whole day R&R-ing that thing.

66 minute job.

> I NEVER wanna do THAT again!

Then you really aren't going to like doing the power steering pump and
you really REALLY wouldn't like doing the alternator on a GM minivan.

> John