People - the bearings in my alternator are on their way out - does anyone have any experience with installing new bearings ? Are they available ? To the best of my knowledge its a genuine / standard alternator.

The bearings are only noisy, they havent yet started to collapse (luckily).

Yeah they are easy to replace. You'll find it's only the one on the pulley end that's buggered so you don't even have to take the alternator out of the car.

Take the belt and pulley off, undo the 4 screws around the outside and the end falls off. The bearing is a stadard bearinf available at any bearing supply place (BSC, Bearing Traders etc). Just take the old one in.

woo hoo. Thats great news !

Dont suppose you would know the part number ? (might be asking a bit much I guess......

the part number is usually the number stamped into the side of the bearing, but of course, the alternator cover needs to be pulled off!

mmm ta for that useful little tidbit.... :P

Hey Doug can you post the number when you get it please.:thumb

Yep, will do. Should swap it out this weekend, unless I get keen.

Front bearing in the Bosch alternators (well in mine anyways) is a 6203-RS. The RS stands for Rubber Seal.

I couldnt actually get it off - you need a small bearing puller to remove it, as it has an interference fit collar in front of the bearing on the shaft.

I cleaned it all up all the same, and the noise is a lot quieter now (almost disappeared) so I shall leave it be until it comes back again !.

keep an eye out for a chep bearing puller

You occasionally see them cheap sometimes

Sounds like you had a productive weekend

yeah..... not !

I didnt mention that I busted the little cast bush pressed into the back half of the fanbelt pulley too ! so next time that comes off I need a new one of them too.......

bah !

d'oh

bugger :beer