It took me several hours, but your video gave me the guidance needed for a successful replacement of belt, tensioner, and alternator. One thing I would note for others is to not assume your 1/2"-drive breaker bar (used as a lever for the tensioner) is gonna fit in the limited clearance the tensioner has--mine wouldn't fit, and I ended up having to get a standard serpentine belt wrench kit bar, which can get in tighter spaces. I would add that it IS possible to do this project without disconnecting that coolant hose. It would have been a bit easier without the hose there, but it was flexible enough that I could maneuver the alternator around it, both out and back in, with no major strain. Thanks again!
This video was a life saver. Ordered an alternator on ebay motors for 1/4 the price all the auto stores wanted and installed it in 30 minutes thanks to this video. Thanks a ton
You can do this job without removing upper radiator hose if you’re in a pinch, but removing it give you a lot more room and makes taking out the bolts much easier. Your call
thank you for the video! Now go change the headlights! lol. I saw your "that's GM for ya" comment below. Very true....its like they design these cars on purpose to keep people from working on them.
6:19 what Breaker Bar did you use? I'm not sure if I'm missing a step or getting the wrong Breaker Bar. I'm trying to pull it towards the front of the car, but it's not budging. Is it suppose to be already loose or tight to pull towards the front of the car? Also what Breaker Bar are you using? This is only problem. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but that Breaker bar is what getting me. Do I have to loosing a bolt before doing that step?
First thank you for the video this was extremely helpful. I agree with the people saying you can do this without removing the coolant hose. I was able to work around it but I would say having a ratchet crescent wrench sure helped with things.
Found this video today, made it very easy to take the alternator out of my mother's Malibu. Managed to do it without pulling the radiator hose, though would have been much easier if I had. The tensioner was a bitch with how close to the engine bay it is.
Good video! Mine just went out broke down on the highway. Then pushed it to the chevy dealer that was right there. Service guy called me and gave me a price of $1,100 to do the work 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I said I don't think so
Did you say you replaced the belt too? Every thing I see says I need to take off the motor mount and put a Jack under the engine to do that. Was hoping I could replace it this way and skip taking the motor mount off 🤣 great video!
How much coolant should I need? I’m not sure how much is in the radiator. I don’t want to overfill. Car is put back together but hasn’t been started. The reservoir drained significantly after filling. Do I need to add more? Thank you for this video. It saved me hundreds and is a testament to your instruction that I, with zero experience, was able to do this job safely and quickly. Thank you and God Bless.
Add coolant back up to the cold fill line in the reservoir (I think it was less than 1 quart but it might vary depending if your car was on a level surface). That should be it, but double check after the car has warmed up for a few minutes. Make sure you don't have any leaks from disconnecting and reconnecting the radiator hose
Great video, and should help save about 3/4 of the $932 repair shop estimate I just got. Two Qs: 1. At 6:17, when you "place breaker bar on belt tensioner," does this mean there is a square opening on the tensioner that exactly fits the square drive on the breaker bar, and (if so), is it 3/8 or 1/2 inch? And 2. Am I correctly interpreting that the "lower alternator bolt" referred to at 9:29 is the same bolt that holds the pulley? Thanks.
Youre gonna save some money for sure! Pretty sure it was a half inch breaker bar. The square drive fits right in the tensioner. No socket needed. And for your second question, yes, the lower alternator bolt at 9:29 is also the one that holds the pulley.
what kind of breaker bar did you use? We are attempting this -but finding it hard to get the breaker bar to fit between the side and the hole. Thanks in advance for any help
Just a standard 1/2'' bar. maybe 24'' long. like this one shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/k-tool-international-1-2-drive-24-breaker-bar-kti23081/25960228-P
Kind of hard to explain. Need to hook cable to positive side of battery, install fuse as close to battery as possible, and push cable through firewall grommet underneath steering wheel area. then route cable to trunk under carpet and removable plastic panels. Please do some research on the fuse you should use based on your cable size and power draw. NEVER set this up where any part of the amp cable could possibly contact any grounded metal (even if its painted)! Be smart and extremely careful, always disconnect your ground before you work on this stuff. I upgraded the main part of my power system to 0 gauge wire (ground to block, ground to frame, and positive to alternator. Also I put in a larger size truck battery and used gold plated connectors to completely eliminate corrosion. See my vid on the led conversion for an engine bay pic. ua-cam.com/video/umXfyvyxm8k/v-deo.html pause at 8 seconds in
make sure you have some extra dexcool coolant handy. once you get that radiator hose out of the way accessing the belt tensioner shouldn't be a problem. the new belt I used when I made this video was defective and I swapped it out in about 30 minutes a few days ago.
@@LocoBeeFPV yep i cleaned the threads, i put it all in. Im not a mechanic but i feel i did it correctly. But it still wont start so im guessing its the starter. Do you have any videos on how to remove the starter? I hope i dont have to remove the alternator again lol thanks for your response by the way 👍🏼
Corey Tucker You just have to get the belt around all the pulleys in the right configuration and then the tensioner pulley is the last step. Put your breaker bar into the tensioner pull toward front of vehicle, then slip the belt on the tensioner pulley. That pulley automatically keeps the belt tight with spring force.
No. The main reason you "would" need a vacuum on coolant is if you are doing a complete system drain. The vaccum is needed to get a larger percentage of the coolant out of the system, not to eliminate air after refills.
bro i have the same alternator. my negative battery cable broke off though somewhere near the engine..harness is good. Can i wire it straight to negative side on battery?
Im pretty sure a very good connection from negative/ground cable to the engine block is absolutely required, especially for your starter to get enough current. Not exactly sure the scenario you are trying to describe. Clean the place where negative attaches to engine block with a brass brush and clean the bolt before attaching a new cable. There is probably enough slack on the factory cable for you to cut it clean, strip it, and crimp on a new battery eye terminal. Watch this vid www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi5x-Wm2JLXAhWJ1IMKHTFfDiAQtwIInQEwCw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXkMdlPsBxkc&usg=AOvVaw00P6vLIj7JqPw1VK-7R8Ar I went with 0 gauge on an upgrade a while back...still need to do a vid showing what I've done.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
It took me several hours, but your video gave me the guidance needed for a successful replacement of belt, tensioner, and alternator. One thing I would note for others is to not assume your 1/2"-drive breaker bar (used as a lever for the tensioner) is gonna fit in the limited clearance the tensioner has--mine wouldn't fit, and I ended up having to get a standard serpentine belt wrench kit bar, which can get in tighter spaces. I would add that it IS possible to do this project without disconnecting that coolant hose. It would have been a bit easier without the hose there, but it was flexible enough that I could maneuver the alternator around it, both out and back in, with no major strain. Thanks again!
This video is the best step-by-step I have ever seen on here. Perfect order and all the "got ya's" pointed out. Thank you!
This video was a life saver. Ordered an alternator on ebay motors for 1/4 the price all the auto stores wanted and installed it in 30 minutes thanks to this video. Thanks a ton
Did you have to jack it up and get under the car ?
Buddy, I’ll tell you what your video and your presentation of it is probably no it is the best mechanical video I’ve seen on UA-cam. Thank you.
YOUR VIDEO GETS AN A+!!! VERY HELPFUL ! EVERY STEP WAS FLAWLESS! YOU MADE THE REPLACEMENT EASY!
Chris Siak You're Welcome! Glad the vid made sense.
mine just died today. gonna do it myself once the weather cools down a bit thanks to this video 👍
Love the music in the intro makes me totally want to watch the whole thing. Thank you.
You can do this job without removing upper radiator hose if you’re in a pinch, but removing it give you a lot more room and makes taking out the bolts much easier. Your call
Thank you for the time you took to put this together.
You're welcome!
Just changed the alternator in my 2011 Malibu thanks to you kind Sir. You have a new subscriber!!
thank you for the video! Now go change the headlights! lol. I saw your "that's GM for ya" comment below. Very true....its like they design these cars on purpose to keep people from working on them.
I keep coming back to my vid every time I need to see the belt diagram 😂
6:19 what Breaker Bar did you use? I'm not sure if I'm missing a step or getting the wrong Breaker Bar. I'm trying to pull it towards the front of the car, but it's not budging. Is it suppose to be already loose or tight to pull towards the front of the car? Also what Breaker Bar are you using? This is only problem. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but that Breaker bar is what getting me.
Do I have to loosing a bolt before doing that step?
@@allkindz6792 1/2" drive breaker bar. Non-ratcheting. The square drive fits in the tensioner.
First thank you for the video this was extremely helpful. I agree with the people saying you can do this without removing the coolant hose. I was able to work around it but I would say having a ratchet crescent wrench sure helped with things.
Found this video today, made it very easy to take the alternator out of my mother's Malibu. Managed to do it without pulling the radiator hose, though would have been much easier if I had. The tensioner was a bitch with how close to the engine bay it is.
Twoheadedpanthr you must have smaller hands than me. That's a tight spot!
This video just saved my butt. Thank you sir.
Steven Mustain that's exactly why I made this video. Glad it helped!
Thanks a bunch for the video my man
Good video! Mine just went out broke down on the highway. Then pushed it to the chevy dealer that was right there. Service guy called me and gave me a price of $1,100 to do the work 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I said I don't think so
Ha! Glad you were able to avoid the stealership!
Thank You! Keep up the good camera work
Did you say you replaced the belt too? Every thing I see says I need to take off the motor mount and put a Jack under the engine to do that. Was hoping I could replace it this way and skip taking the motor mount off 🤣 great video!
This video was very helpful. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
How much coolant should I need? I’m not sure how much is in the radiator. I don’t want to overfill. Car is put back together but hasn’t been started. The reservoir drained significantly after filling. Do I need to add more?
Thank you for this video. It saved me hundreds and is a testament to your instruction that I, with zero experience, was able to do this job safely and quickly. Thank you and God Bless.
Add coolant back up to the cold fill line in the reservoir (I think it was less than 1 quart but it might vary depending if your car was on a level surface). That should be it, but double check after the car has warmed up for a few minutes. Make sure you don't have any leaks from disconnecting and reconnecting the radiator hose
What torque should those bolts be tightened to?
Does this work for the 4 cylinder?
@@Pete0901 nope.
I’m going to be doing a job tmrw on the same car thanks for the video I’ll let you know if I succeeded
How much does it cost ?
My coolant hoses are on glove box rather than driver's side. I hope this doesn't turn into any problem.
Great video, and should help save about 3/4 of the $932 repair shop estimate I just got. Two Qs: 1. At 6:17, when you "place breaker bar on belt tensioner," does this mean there is a square opening on the tensioner that exactly fits the square drive on the breaker bar, and (if so), is it 3/8 or 1/2 inch? And 2. Am I correctly interpreting that the "lower alternator bolt" referred to at 9:29 is the same bolt that holds the pulley? Thanks.
Youre gonna save some money for sure!
Pretty sure it was a half inch breaker bar. The square drive fits right in the tensioner. No socket needed.
And for your second question, yes, the lower alternator bolt at 9:29 is also the one that holds the pulley.
Can this all be done without jacking the car and going under?
No jack required. No crawling
@LocoBee FPV okay thank you. Is that a 2012 you're working on?
@@c3p067 mines a 2009
what kind of breaker bar did you use? We are attempting this -but finding it hard to get the breaker bar to fit between the side and the hole. Thanks in advance for any help
Just a standard 1/2'' bar. maybe 24'' long. like this one shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/k-tool-international-1-2-drive-24-breaker-bar-kti23081/25960228-P
Yup i bought one and it was the same
Thank you, this was perfect.
Mike Lucas, no problem brother! If I take on any other major procedures I'll try to make another video.
Great Video! it really helped!
I have a question where does the cable wire on the alternator go to
I want to know too, currently changing mine and need help
@@carlosvaldez319 i installed the cable from the alt to the red cable battery
@@alexloeragallos is it close by, like in front or under? I'm gonna go check in a little bit. Thank you so much.
@@carlosvaldez319 the alt has a screw
Hey I noticed you had wire for an amp . Can you tell me or do a video on how this was done. I have an 08 ltz with 3.6 also. Thanks for any help.
Kind of hard to explain. Need to hook cable to positive side of battery, install fuse as close to battery as possible, and push cable through firewall grommet underneath steering wheel area. then route cable to trunk under carpet and removable plastic panels. Please do some research on the fuse you should use based on your cable size and power draw. NEVER set this up where any part of the amp cable could possibly contact any grounded metal (even if its painted)! Be smart and extremely careful, always disconnect your ground before you work on this stuff. I upgraded the main part of my power system to 0 gauge wire (ground to block, ground to frame, and positive to alternator. Also I put in a larger size truck battery and used gold plated connectors to completely eliminate corrosion. See my vid on the led conversion for an engine bay pic. ua-cam.com/video/umXfyvyxm8k/v-deo.html pause at 8 seconds in
Im changing the belt on my boyfriends car! And gave up but now that I'm watching ya video I'll be back out there tomorrow lol I see were I went wrong
make sure you have some extra dexcool coolant handy. once you get that radiator hose out of the way accessing the belt tensioner shouldn't be a problem. the new belt I used when I made this video was defective and I swapped it out in about 30 minutes a few days ago.
Ummm if you're doing the work on your boyfriends car I think you need a new boyfriend. Or he at-least needs a sex change. The fuck.
Hi, the pulley bolt doesnt go in how it came out. Its really hard while trying to twist it all the way in. why is that?
Idk. Try cleaning the threads. Takes a lot of wiggling to get it threaded right
@@LocoBeeFPV yep i cleaned the threads, i put it all in. Im not a mechanic but i feel i did it correctly. But it still wont start so im guessing its the starter. Do you have any videos on how to remove the starter? I hope i dont have to remove the alternator again lol thanks for your response by the way 👍🏼
Everything is great until the do everything in reverse thing.. like how do I tighten the belt
Corey Tucker You just have to get the belt around all the pulleys in the right configuration and then the tensioner pulley is the last step. Put your breaker bar into the tensioner pull toward front of vehicle, then slip the belt on the tensioner pulley. That pulley automatically keeps the belt tight with spring force.
It was good till you lost me on the belt part and from there ...
Does the entire belt have to come off ?
Probably not, but why not replace it when you're in there..
How much of a difference is there for the 2.4L engine?
No idea. Get an alldatadiy subscription for your model
Loco-B Thankx for the quick reply! Yeah I ended up figuring it out and it wasn’t too much different. Your video definitely helped with the basics!
How much would this job cost
It would cost whatever the repairman you take it to asks for. You should buy the part yourself and expect to pay $200 to $400 for labor in todays age.
just got a quote for $1,390. Now I'm watching how to vids
When you disconnect the coolant hose do you have to do a vacuum afterwards to take any air out??
No. The main reason you "would" need a vacuum on coolant is if you are doing a complete system drain. The vaccum is needed to get a larger percentage of the coolant out of the system, not to eliminate air after refills.
The top alternator bolts?? where they at???
7:49
Will a alternator from a 2008 fit on a 2010?
Yes, It should be literally the exact same part number. They didn't change the 3.6 year to year.
What size is that breaker bar?
3/8 or 1/2 I'm about to get busy just missing this little info.
What was the symptoms the car was giving you to make you change alternator
Low voltage when running...under 13 volts. Battery not charging and going dead.
No torque wrench needed. I pulled up the tensioner with my hand and my son slipped the belt off’
I also did not have to remove the pully. 4 cylinder
Did you guys take the belt completely off ?
Is there any major difference when doing this repair on the 4cyl models?
Nope
Very useful thnxs
bro i have the same alternator. my negative battery cable broke off though somewhere near the engine..harness is good. Can i wire it straight to negative side on battery?
Im pretty sure a very good connection from negative/ground cable to the engine block is absolutely required, especially for your starter to get enough current. Not exactly sure the scenario you are trying to describe. Clean the place where negative attaches to engine block with a brass brush and clean the bolt before attaching a new cable. There is probably enough slack on the factory cable for you to cut it clean, strip it, and crimp on a new battery eye terminal. Watch this vid www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi5x-Wm2JLXAhWJ1IMKHTFfDiAQtwIInQEwCw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXkMdlPsBxkc&usg=AOvVaw00P6vLIj7JqPw1VK-7R8Ar
I went with 0 gauge on an upgrade a while back...still need to do a vid showing what I've done.
RETEST ALTERNATOR BEFORE INSTALLING IT
How long would you say it took you to remove and replace it?
Couple of hours because I was filming the video and stuff. If you have all the tools ready to go you should be able to knock it out in an hour.
I wish there was a video for chevy Malibu 2015
Like did u really say "tools needed" and then proceeded to use more tools than were listed...? 🤦
100% Figure it out smart guy.
We could live without the music
pls help I need someone to fix mine lmao
This is nit a malibu
Why the irritating music
Its better than silence and my heavy breathing, unless thats your thing....probably is...