new alternator doesnt fit

[irondiezl3]

so i bought a high output alternator went to put it in and it doesnt fit its smaller and holes dont line up even though it looks the same. it seems its because in 2004 the alternators changed in size. mines a 2004 and aparently its bigger then older models does anyone know if there is truth behind this?

[Gr1m]

that doesnt sound right to me but i dont have an 04.

[irondiezl3]

the seller emailed me and said some 04 aleros only take a special bosch alternator maybe hes right the one on there now is bosch and deffinantly is different looking? wtf 04 aleros suck

[Lucalare]

is it a final 500? maybe they're different.

[irondiezl3]

idk it seems from what ive looked at online most part store also seaperate a 04 alero from the rest for alternators something has to be different. on mine the power connects on the top not the side. and entirely its deffinantly a lot bigger. i think ill just buy a yellowtop and run a 4guage wire from alt to battery and call it a day. atleast hes willing to take the alternator back. im veru curious to see some pics of alero engines from 03 03 01 compared to 04

[irondiezl3]

seems to be 34/78 for the optima

[Cliff8928]

Yeah, they went to the Bosch sometime during the '04 run. I couldn't find info on whether or not the actual mounting bracket changed though.

[irondiezl3]

hmm i wonder if that means its a dealer only part.

[Redog]

www.rockauto.com (http://www.aleromod.com/forums/www.rockauto.com)

[irondiezl3]

so i bought and installed the deep yellowtop optima and my lights dim even worse now? i dont get that. does it take a few days to charge up fully or something? i know it was sitting on shelf at store for a while its sticker says 7/10 on it but its the newest one they had

[Gr1m]

if your lights are still dimming its most likely the alternator. it doesnt matter what type of battery you put it in with a bad alternator, if the alty does not fully charge the battery, your lights will be dimming.

[irondiezl3]

ill have to try a new alt. I might charge the battery first to see if that helps im sure its drained. anyone know how to change a alternator pulley?

[Gr1m]

to change the pulley, leave the alty hooked up and tensioned with the belt intact, put your ratchet on the nut of the pulley and release the tension on it, then release the tension on the belt and remove the alternator. you should be able to get the pulley off with hand pressure on the pulley while using a ratchet on the nut. to put it back together do the same thing, hook up the alty, tension the belt in place and then tighten the nut for the pulley again


you can just use a multimeter on the battery and see what its at when the car is off. if it drops to anything below 12v its the battery.

[cherrington17]

you can just use a multimeter on the battery and see what its at when the car is off. if it drops to anything below 12v its the battery.

unless its ball-freezing cold outside. a little below 12 is pretty standard then

[irondiezl3]

im going to check it today my guess is its well under 12v. 8 months is a long time to me. i didnt kow it was that easy to change the pulley. does anyone sell them anymore? and couldnt i just drive in od all the time or is that not the same?