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Replacing An Alternator: DIY: episode1

Jake and Patrick take a stab at installing an alternator into a 1974 nissan or datsun 710. This is a How to project or DIY: Do it yourself. I hope ...

Alternator Replacement DIY

Alternator Replacement DIY. G1 Acura Legend acura-legend.com/vbulletin

How to Rebuild an Alternator : Tools & Supplies for Replacing Alternator Brushes

Tools and supplies such as a torx bit and a socket set are necessary for rebuilding an alternator. Find out what tools you need to replace ...

Car Repair Prices: Are Manufacturers to Blame for Excessive Auto Repair Costs?

In the ongoing effort to shed light on excessive car repair prices, we can't discount the manufacturer's role. During a spirited discussion in an automotive forum, the comments below from Ray Fast highlight the role the manufacturer plays in taking money from the repair customer's wallet.

The discussion revolves around the difficulty of replacing an alternator in an Acura. The Acura, like all front wheel drive vehicles, has a transverse mounted engine. Transverse engines are the ones mounted sideways. Because of this "sideways" design, the alternator is mounted low and behind the engine, making it difficult to remove and replace on the year and model we discussed.

Front wheel drive has some good features, but is it better than its rear-wheel drive predecessor? Front wheel drive has created a host of additional repairs, none of which were necessary in years past. These repairs have been costing you, the service customer, a fortune.

Ray writes:

The shift to transverse engines and front wheel drive was a major marketing coup for the automobile industry. Vehicle manufacturers managed to dupe the market at large into believing that the new standard was somehow better than the previous convention of rear wheel drive.

[In reality] vehicles with transverse mounted engines and front wheel traction systems are less reliable mechanically, less stable, and less efficient than their traditional counterparts.

Advanced technology has compensated for these downfalls considerably; however, vehicles with traditional power and traction systems using similar technology are more reliable, safer, and more efficient. This is why high performance vehicles that are designed for applications requiring maximum stability "still" utilize inline engines and rear traction systems.

The answer to the question [Why is the alternator in such hard to reach place] lies in this fact: cars with transverse engines and front wheel drive are much less expensive to build....

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