Okay...well as a result of our alternator upgrade (http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...threadid=30644) I had to take the alternator out to get it upgraded...I outlined with pictures what I did here...you'll need a 10mm wrench and ratchet wrench and a 14mm. The 10mm will be used to remove some of the small pieces such as the windshield washer fluid well and antifreeze well, while the 14mm wrench will be used to remove the screws associated with the alternator...including the two holding it in place and the one used to screw in the eyehole on the wiring harness.

Picture 1:
Always, ALWAYS unhook the battery before working with the electrical system! =)

 

Picture 2:
Here's a good look at the engine bay...this is what I did in this order -
1) unhooked the battery terminal
2) removed the windshield washer bolt (10mm) to move the well over.
3) removed the bolt between the windshield washer and antifreeze wells (10mm) to move over the antifreeze well
4) lifted up the antifreeze well after unhooking the tube that connects back by the engine to expose the hole for the alternator
5) unscrewed the bolt (10mm) holding down the wiring leading to the alternator that is covered by a ribbed protector
6) removed the belt around the alternator by using two wrenches (one attached to another) and connecting the wrench to the bolt on the torsioner pulley (14mm) and lifting up. You can see the torsioner pulley as the shiny thing in Picture 2, and you can see it's bolt just barely in Picture 4
7) removed the spark plug cover that says 3.2 VTEC
8) removed the bolt (14mm) holding in the wiring for the black alternator wiring harness (eyehole) and unplugged the gray connector
9) unscrewed the two bolts holding in the alternator (14mm)
10) loosened the bolt on the metal clip the alternator's top screw used to be attached to
11) maneuvered the alternator with the pulley side facing up, then gently lifted it out of the newly created hole

The picture is all before this...

 

Picture 3:
After removing the belt from the alternator...but before unscrewing anything else. The two bolts for the alternator are visible (the one on the left and the top), as well as the antifreeze hose toward the top left and the bolt holding on the wiring for the alternator on the far left

 

Picture 4:
A closeup to the left of the previous picture. This is the bolt which holds in the wiring leading to the alternator which must be removed to push the wires aside. The black metal piece is what holds the wiring in place.

 

Picture 5:
This is a closeup of the alternator and torsioner pulley. You see the torsioner pulley a bit to the left of the alternator. The screws on the alternator are pretty visible...again there's one on the left and one up top hiding in the shadows. That ribbed casing is still in the way and I'll have to take that out in just a min.

 

Picture 6:
Closeup of the wiring harnesses connecting to the alternator. You have the black one, inside of which is an eyelet that screws into the alternator, and the grey one that just unclips with clips on the side. For both you have to pull back the rubber covering.

 

Picture 7:
This is what one of the 14mm bolts looks like that holds the alternator in.

 

Picture 8:
I took both screws out of the alternator and maneuvered it so that the pulley faces up, which is the best way to take it out. I have not yet moved the antifreeze well over enough to take it out though. On top of that, there's a metal clip that was at one time holding the alternator in that needs to be removed or at least tilted down.

 

Picture 9:
Loosened the bolt on that metal piece so that it now tilts down...opening the hole for the alternator...I've also gone ahead and removed the antifreeze well tube that was in my way, as you'll see in the next picture.

 

Picture 10:
Well, I finally got it out. As you can see, I had to lift up the antifreeze well and pull it more or less out of the engine bay to allow the space to remove the alternator.

 

Picture 11:
Success!!! I scream as I hold up the alternator like some tribal hunter who just ripped the heart out of a boar...I'll tell ya, that's what it felt like!

 

hehe that looks dammn complicated. are you going to show us how to install our solar panals next?

 

unx979:
The only reason it looks difficult is because I made it look that way Honestly it was pretty easy...you just start removing things. Hell I didn't know cars were this easy to fool with...you just have to have all the right wrenches and ratchet sets and you're golden. And yes if you want solar panels I can do that too...I have to do it on mine to keep my computer fed with power while it's parked on standby mode...

Austin519

 

Another update...well I love USPS...I suggest you guys all send your alternators in that way. Overnight Fedex was $107 or something...whereas USPS guaranteed two day, but possibly overnight is $37...and it got there this morning at 10AM (overnight). Wow . So they're working on it today, and will hopefully ship it out tomorrow. Unfortunately they only use FedEx and so they're going to two day it instead of overnighting it to get it to me...so I should have it by Friday...just in time for you guys to ship yours off. Also, Tom, the owner, told me that I should expect at LEAST 180A...more close to 200...which is what I need Yaaay!

Austin519

 

Hehe. Cant wait.

Hey Austin, I forgot to tell you. I found out why my bass comes and goes. I had a bad RCA cable! Actually one plug going into the amp was bad. I've been running the amp with 1 RCA cable this whole time! It sounds so much better now. It must have been that way from when I installed the system over a year ago! I never heard my bass pound like this before.

 

96TL:
Bad ass man I'm glad you worked it out. I thought you said you had checked your cabling?!?!?!? That's why I said it had to be the alternator!

Austin519

 

Yeah I just made sure everything was plugged in right. I didnt think of testing the RCA cables one side at a time. I'm glad I did though.

 

96TL:
Make sure to let me know on the other thread about Tom and Gus and how the alternator thing goes...and what I can do to help ya.

Austin519

 

Man I hate Fedex...the stupid thing is stuck in Memphis...and is supposed to be here hopefully Saturday.

Austin519

 

you forgot to mention how instrumental i was to all this....!!!

 

Update....

systek:
"you forgot to mention how instrumental i was to all this....!!!"

Ha ha yeah...systek you gave me the confidence to screw up my alternator (assuming I would) by coming over to my place and pointing out all the screws which I admit later I couldn't see sh|t b/c it was too dark But it made me more secure feeling

The alternator is back in putting out 205A. This is after I sprayed PS fluid all over jyang411...which was fun. Anyway...good overall thing...I'm gonna post most everything else on the other alternator thread...

Austin519

 

thats pretty funny

 

systek:
And you can go to he|| Next time I'll make sure it's you...heh heh.

Oh and thanks for the help with the spark plugs man I really appreciated it!

Austin

 

Okay so I got it back in...getting it in was easier than getting it out...here is a pic of the rebuilt alternator. It uses the same casing and pulley...it just has more copper in it...and weighs 10 lbs heavier!

 

A pic of the engine bay before placing it back in. I went ahead and put everything back after I took the alternator out...the hole in the center is where the alternator is going to go. You see the belt hanging loose down there.

 

See all the power steering fluid? Yeah, after you put the alternator in...it's a good idea to reconnect the power steering hose before turning the car on. Enough said.

 

Here's a side view of the alternator in. I figured out the easy way to put the belt on. Put the belt on the three pulleys, then lift up the torsion pulley and just slide the belt underneath. Really really easy...a lot easier than putting the belt on the alternator last. The total uninstall time was maybe an hour...most of which was figuring out how to do it. Actual work was 20 mins. To reinstall...20 mins max.

Austin519

 

i'll make a real mechanic out of ya before ur car is done...jejeje

 

systek:
Heh heh no...I will resist! Gods of computer engineering come to my aid!!! Give me your nerd power!!!

Austin519
(p.s. - no, no wait...you work for Dell...so you must be the nerd, my bad...sorry for the mix up )

 

theres a difference between a nerd and "the brain", who can do much more than just fix a computer