DYI: Change your alternator W/ pics
11-11-11, 07:36 PM
#1
DIY: Change your alternator W/ pics
Hello club,
I looked around for days on how to change the alternator on a sc but all I found was hard for me to follow with, some were more complicated than others especially without pics, so this is my experience with pics. No removing pumps, fans, bars, ...etc
Use of glove is recommended, I could have avoided cuts and scratches... blah
This is done on a 95 SC400 4.0L
To put it back in reverse the steps, the hardest part by then is to get it laying on the bottom bars. Everything else should be easy.
To put the belt back on use this diagram for:
The SC300 3.0L V6:
The SC400 4.0L V8:
Edit: lol I misspelled DIY in the title and a few other things, drinking and writing a tutorial dont mix
I looked around for days on how to change the alternator on a sc but all I found was hard for me to follow with, some were more complicated than others especially without pics, so this is my experience with pics. No removing pumps, fans, bars, ...etc
Use of glove is recommended, I could have avoided cuts and scratches... blah
This is done on a 95 SC400 4.0L
- Disconnect the battery, or ground wire. I disconnected the whole battery.
- Use a heavy duty jack or ramp to left the car, at least on the passenger side. Make sure you use a reliable jack if youre using one.
- Slide under the car leaning towards the passenger wheel and look up, you will find the alternator. Now disconnect the ground wire.
- Now Locate and disconnect the cable at the back of the alternator. Theres a clip on one side, press it with your thumb or finger and pull out.
- Under the hood, locate this hose and unclip it and put it on top of the big one. Make yourself better workspace.
- Use a 14mm socket on the belt tensioner and twist all the way counter-clockwise. While the belt loosens up, take it off.
- Now twist the same bolt the other way (clockwise) and remove the tensioner.
- Remove the alternator 14mm bolts, there are 2. If you cant get the bottom one from top get it from under the car.
- Jiggle the alternator around while pulling to get it off the big... ummm.... screw? its attached to. Sit the alternator at the bottom.
- Get up to the hood and grab the alternator from top and twist it around until you can get it out.
- Grab yourself 2 shots of whiskey and a corona. Voila!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalogerus/6128599147/
To put it back in reverse the steps, the hardest part by then is to get it laying on the bottom bars. Everything else should be easy.
To put the belt back on use this diagram for:
The SC300 3.0L V6:
The SC400 4.0L V8:
Edit: lol I misspelled DIY in the title and a few other things, drinking and writing a tutorial dont mix
Last edited by Kalogerus; 11-12-11 at 01:02 PM.
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Shajay69 (12-09-21)
09-29-13, 03:39 PM
#7
Thanks Kalogerus!!!
Hi Kalogerus,
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for writing this up, and including the pics. This is actually my son's account, but he thanks you too. The alternator on his 93 SC400 went out a couple of days ago. I happen to still have whats left of the 92 SC400 I totaled a year ago yesterday. We have been pulling parts off of it as needed, and when time permits will pull everything usable off of it. I put every side of it into a rock wall on an interstate during a torrential downpour of rain. The car is shaped like a banana. Front end is bashed in, and about two feet to the right of where it should be. I was able to limp away, by the Grace of God. The engine looks to be a little cockeyed in there, but started after I had the wreck. I was dazed enough to think I could drive it off of the rock wall I was at a 45 degree angle on. Nope. It's never going to roll on it's own again. But it started. All 285,000 miles of it. It was kinda fun that we had matching SC400s for a while.
Anyway, I ruined my back 16 years ago. I work in a Toyota factory in Kentucky. Still there, but a serious back injury will change your life, and not in a good way. Wrenching on cars is a nightmare, bending and twisting can leave me barely able to walk for a long time. ANYTHING that makes it easier to wrench on a car is appreciated. Your write up is very much appreciated. I would have never thought to have taken off the tensioner to get the alternator out of my son's car. That saved a lot of time, and pain. I couldn't figure out how to get it out of the bottom. I had to get the alternator from the wrecked car from the bottom because everything on the front is smashed in to the point it was almost impossible to get a wrench in there. Since there was nothing usable, I cut through anything in the way on the bottom of the old car.
My son and I just finished getting the alternator from the wrecked car into his. Your write up helped a lot. THANK YOU!
There are 248,000 miles on his car. I got it 6 years ago with 73,000. My son has had it for 2 1/2 years. These are amazing cars. One of these days I intend to get another one. Something about them I can't describe, but I love them. It is a tough call though. Do I save up and get another SC400, or do I save up and fix the 1988 Supra Turbo........needs an engine. I did pull the airflow meter from the wrecked SC400 out. If I recall right, it bolts right up on the 7MGTE engine. That's one of the older mods to help get horsepower from those engines. I need to get caught up on what folks are doing nowadays with some of these cool old cars.
Take care, and thanks again for the write up.
Greg
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for writing this up, and including the pics. This is actually my son's account, but he thanks you too. The alternator on his 93 SC400 went out a couple of days ago. I happen to still have whats left of the 92 SC400 I totaled a year ago yesterday. We have been pulling parts off of it as needed, and when time permits will pull everything usable off of it. I put every side of it into a rock wall on an interstate during a torrential downpour of rain. The car is shaped like a banana. Front end is bashed in, and about two feet to the right of where it should be. I was able to limp away, by the Grace of God. The engine looks to be a little cockeyed in there, but started after I had the wreck. I was dazed enough to think I could drive it off of the rock wall I was at a 45 degree angle on. Nope. It's never going to roll on it's own again. But it started. All 285,000 miles of it. It was kinda fun that we had matching SC400s for a while.
Anyway, I ruined my back 16 years ago. I work in a Toyota factory in Kentucky. Still there, but a serious back injury will change your life, and not in a good way. Wrenching on cars is a nightmare, bending and twisting can leave me barely able to walk for a long time. ANYTHING that makes it easier to wrench on a car is appreciated. Your write up is very much appreciated. I would have never thought to have taken off the tensioner to get the alternator out of my son's car. That saved a lot of time, and pain. I couldn't figure out how to get it out of the bottom. I had to get the alternator from the wrecked car from the bottom because everything on the front is smashed in to the point it was almost impossible to get a wrench in there. Since there was nothing usable, I cut through anything in the way on the bottom of the old car.
My son and I just finished getting the alternator from the wrecked car into his. Your write up helped a lot. THANK YOU!
There are 248,000 miles on his car. I got it 6 years ago with 73,000. My son has had it for 2 1/2 years. These are amazing cars. One of these days I intend to get another one. Something about them I can't describe, but I love them. It is a tough call though. Do I save up and get another SC400, or do I save up and fix the 1988 Supra Turbo........needs an engine. I did pull the airflow meter from the wrecked SC400 out. If I recall right, it bolts right up on the 7MGTE engine. That's one of the older mods to help get horsepower from those engines. I need to get caught up on what folks are doing nowadays with some of these cool old cars.
Take care, and thanks again for the write up.
Greg
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01-07-14, 11:32 PM
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thanks for the pictorial. i just replaced the battery in my 99 SC400, tested the circuit and alternator looks bad, just ordered a denso be here monday , went ahead a got a new serpentine belt at the same time , i hope it goes as easy for me as you made it look ...
Last edited by JGH; 01-10-14 at 08:55 PM.
01-11-14, 06:18 PM
#9
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just found out that from 98 on.. the sc400 the alternator will not come out without removing to power steering pulley .. it's 17 mm nut, ... now thats done but i'm having a hard time getting the terminals in the back disconnected they're REALLY hard to get to , i'm afraid the whole power steering pump is supposed to come off ... which is a big PROBLEM because there doesn't seem to be any "how to"s that are very helpful ,(especially since this is apparently such a prevalent issue with Lexus) just thought someone might want to know before tackling this job ... also looks as if the culprit IS the power steering pump or hose leak can't say yet ... again might want to be prepared for THAT as well before you start this project
01-18-14, 10:38 AM
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Wonderful write up kalogerus....I have a 96 SC400 with 145K. I followed step by step but in reverse due to the extreme difficulty with loosening the plug and ground wire... I removed the battery completely then belt/tension pulley, 2 holding bolts, pulled the alternator off the holding screw , turned and unplugged power then ground connection .. after that I maneuved it right up...... now taking it to OReilly's to test... thanks a bunch! !!!
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