I guess over 400k miles on ole 82 has taken it's tole on the alternator housing. My 82 Rabbit has AC on it, so whenever I need to tighten the AC belt, I have to physically remove the alternator to tighten the AC compressor. Likely because the alternator has been removed so many times, the housing has worn. If anyone has done this before, you know that the alternator has an enlongated mounting arm that the mounting bolt that holds it to the bracket on the engine goes through. This mounting arm on the alternator fits inside the bracket on the engine that has ears on it. The ends of this elongated piece are worn enough, where the alternator now wobbles as the engine runs.
Has anyone fixed this issue before? I was thinking that I may be able to find a flanged bushing that would make the elongated mounting arm a tad bit longer, but it's already a tight fit to get it in and out. Anyone have any ideas? It's got the Motorola style alternator in it and looks like in the attached pic. Anyone have an old Motorola alternator housing that they don't need?
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
I think he's saying the adjuster arm is worn on one or both of it's ends.
Add washers?
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Sorry for the confusion, I guess you could call it the pivot bolt area.
As for adding washers, I don't think I can do that. If I remember correctly, once side of the mounting flange is flat, and the other is conical shaped. This goes inside a convex area on the bracket. I've had to use a crow bar or something to pry it out ever since I've done this work myself on this car. It's like it's almost a press fit, but once you get it set where it's supposed to go, you can rotate it pretty easily, but since this flange is on the bottom of the alternator, there's no way to get a washer in after it's installed. I'll see if I can post a closer pic of the mounting area and post.
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
If it's the pivot bolt hole that is wallowed out, oval-shaped.
I cut/split a piece of 5/16" stainless tubing and spear shape it. Then put it in with the bolt so it fills the side that is wearing.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Looks exactly like mine but the through hole for the pivot hasn't wallowed out quite that badly yet. On mine the bushings that reside between the alternator housing and the mounting bracket wore out allowing it to wobble. I made some shims to hammer in there (not a great solution) and that helped but eventually they wear out too so mine wobbles again. It used to keep shearing the pivot bolt through until I got a bolt about an inch longer and then user s piece of pipe to take up the difference and it seemed to help keep tension on things kinda like a long crush washer. It's just a horrible design. I thought about asking one pf machinist friends to bore it out and make a new bushing but that's asking a lot and I suspect I'll just wait and buy a replacement alternator some day. For now it works and hasn't wobbled itself to death yet.
Fatmobile I do like the split tubing idea, may have to try that when it gets that bad.
