How do you replace an alternator on a 1992 olds cutlass supreme convertible 3.1 cu-in step by step please?

Answer 1

First find your tensioner pulley( it should be the one that is attached to an "arm"), it should be either a 3/8 or 1/2 inch drive ratchet to raise this. Next take your top two bolts out. Then, and this is the hard part, reach around the bottom of the alternator to the inside of it, you should find your third and final boltat the bottom of the alternotor. This bolt is extremely hard to get out but with a lot of patience and bashed knuckles your alternator should come right out. Just to add more detail to the above: 1. Disconnect the negative (black) cable from the battery. 8mm wrench works best. 2. Loosen and remove serpentine belt from alternator pulley. Use a 3/8" drive on the tensioner arm and pull counterclockwise to loosen. 3. Remove the top securing bolt from alternator/bracket assy. 13mm bolt. 4. Loosen, but do not remove top bracket assy arm. 13mm bolt on top of engine. 5. Remove nut from middle bracket assy. I suggest removing this small arm entirely to expedite removal of the alternator. 10mm nut on alternator stud and 13mm on engine stud. 6. Make sure all children are out of earshot for this step. You are now ready to remove the dreaded pivot bolt. 13mm bolt and a 15mm nut. Your best bet here is to get a box end wrench on the nut and a socket on the bolt. After you have recovered the wrench several times from dropping it and bandaging your hands from the numerous cuts you have sustained, remove the pivot bolt and fish out the 15mm nut you dropped. 7. Unplug the electrical connector and remove the power lead (13mm). 8. Remove alternator. 9. Remove bracket stud from old alternator and put it on the new one. 14mm 10. Install new alternator by reversing the above steps. This is really a 20 minute job that will turn into an hour long test of your patience. I want to personally thank the engineers at GM for making the pivot bolt nut almost inaccesable. It may actually be easier to disconnect the wishbones and rotate the engine. Maybe next time.