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View Full Version : Soooo... how hard IS it to replace the alternator, anyways?



The_War_Wagon
09-10-2016, 07:07 AM
Commander got a dead one. :(

Thought the battery was old (it was - right at 5 years), so I replaced that yesterday. Truck ran great for about 5 minutes... 'til the battery light came on AGAIN. No charge from the alt (damn I wish these things HAD an amp meter on the dash, instead of an idiot light - it's been running odd of late anyways - now I know why).

Found the good ol' boy's serpentine belt-changing Youtube... but he'd already pulled the core support and radiator, which made it a LOT easier than mine's gonna be. :rolleyes: Figure I'll change my belt (5 years old) and tensioner while I'm at it (I already have the tensioner as a leftover from my Grand Marquis. Weird Fact #7,853,463,125: 4.6 FoMoCo tensioners, work on 4.7 Mopar applications! :eek:).

Any advice, pics, videos, prayers, etc., are welcome! :o

The_War_Wagon
09-11-2016, 07:04 PM
Got the alternator out today. The belt was cracked, so it was time for it to go too. ANNNNNND... the tensioner has seen better days (you oughta see what the years of winter salt spray have done to my engine :(), so I'm gonna replace it too. Another day, another $270... :rolleyes:

LeadFoot
09-12-2016, 05:16 PM
Got the alternator out today. The belt was cracked, so it was time for it to go too. ANNNNNND... the tensioner has seen better days (you oughta see what the years of winter salt spray have done to my engine :(), so I'm gonna replace it too. Another day, another $270... :rolleyes:

Is that $270 for just a belt and a tensioner? That's some crazy money.

The_War_Wagon
09-12-2016, 07:26 PM
Is that $270 for just a belt and a tensioner? That's some crazy money.


AND new alternator. Got $55 back on the core exchange, though.

LeadFoot
09-14-2016, 06:57 AM
OK. That's still a good chunk of change though.

The_War_Wagon
09-16-2016, 03:29 PM
OK. That's still a good chunk of change though.

I'm just glad it all works!!!