Hy , Greg ! Using my Wifeys Nick , so do not get surprised with what I am writing here ! I have a 2001 Toyota Hi-Ace LWB! TOOK ME ABOUT 6 Hours to get the Alternator off ! I took the adjuster on Drivers side off first to loosen that Belt ! Mucked around on the left side to try and get to the Alternator (first time I am doing this) ! Took the Radiator Filler and Cap off , also the thin Hoses each side of the Filler and the top Hose too ! Took the Cowling off the top and then took the Fan off ! Ended up taking the four Bolts out that hold the Power Steering unit plus the Power Steering Reservoir and then undid all the Cowling at the bottom to be able to get to the Radiator Bottle and removed it ! Took the bottom Radiator Hose off after draining all the Coolant ! Took the bottom Cowling out too ! Finally I got to the Alternator to undo and remove the Wiring the one with the 10mm Nut ! Battery was already disconnected before I started ! Took bottom Bolt of Alternator off/out ! Took adjuster off and then prised the Alternator off , pulled it up from behind the unbolted Power Steering Pump and then I could remove the Plug at the back of the Alternator ! Have ordered a new After Market Alternator two Days prior starting to dismantle so that I can take the old Alternator and double check at the Parts Shop that I go to that the new one will fit okay ! I never degreased the Engine and I got filthy , full of Oil , etc ! Will clean (Degrease) the Engine pretty much everywhere before reassembling ! I did not want to undo the Power Steering Hoses just in case I make a booboo ! What You have described and did in your Video is good too but I Googled , found your Video after I already had it all off ! Still , you seem to have done alright ! I got my Commuter Bus Jacked up high at the front to be able to get underneath it ! Got it safe and secure with Jack Stands , etc !
There's not much info out there for these vans that's why i made my bodgy video, hoping it helps someone (because i remember the slog it was doing that alternator first time). Its a learning experience my friend, if you had to do it again straight after, you will do it much easier trust me. Second time i did mine i didn't even have to think about it, it was very easy. Changing the alternator belt, that's fun (not). I highly recommend you buy a few tins of spray degreaser, grab some paper towels, and clean your engine. Use a tin of spray brake cleaner at the end to get the degreaser residue off.
I said it wrong in my video - to loosen the alternator belt, yoy have to unlock that nut at the front of the adjuster. To get to that, I put a socket on a long breaker bar and reached it from underneath. Thats the easiest way. It is good to learn that method because later on you may need to adjust belt tension and its just a matter of doing that then adjusting the other bolt from above. I don't even jack mine up, i just drive the left wheel up onto a couple of blocks of wood so i can squeeze under quickly. Helps if someone is above tightening, so you can check the belt tension from your spot underneath. Be very careful not to overtighten the belts as you'll damage bearings in your pulleys.
Please note, you want to avoid getting power steering fluid on your belts and pulleys. Very important, otherwise you will have to degrease the pulleys and put new belts on. First time doing this job took 11.5 hours, second time 4.5 hours.
Hy , Greg ! Using my Wifeys Nick , so do not get surprised with what I am writing here ! I have a 2001 Toyota Hi-Ace LWB! TOOK ME ABOUT 6 Hours to get the Alternator off ! I took the adjuster on Drivers side off first to loosen that Belt ! Mucked around on the left side to try and get to the Alternator (first time I am doing this) ! Took the Radiator Filler and Cap off , also the thin Hoses each side of the Filler and the top Hose too ! Took the Cowling off the top and then took the Fan off ! Ended up taking the four Bolts out that hold the Power Steering unit plus the Power Steering Reservoir and then undid all the Cowling at the bottom to be able to get to the Radiator Bottle and removed it ! Took the bottom Radiator Hose off after draining all the Coolant ! Took the bottom Cowling out too ! Finally I got to the Alternator to undo and remove the Wiring the one with the 10mm Nut ! Battery was already disconnected before I started ! Took bottom Bolt of Alternator off/out ! Took adjuster off and then prised the Alternator off , pulled it up from behind the unbolted Power Steering Pump and then I could remove the Plug at the back of the Alternator ! Have ordered a new After Market Alternator two Days prior starting to dismantle so that I can take the old Alternator and double check at the Parts Shop that I go to that the new one will fit okay ! I never degreased the Engine and I got filthy , full of Oil , etc ! Will clean (Degrease) the Engine pretty much everywhere before reassembling ! I did not want to undo the Power Steering Hoses just in case I make a booboo ! What You have described and did in your Video is good too but I Googled , found your Video after I already had it all off ! Still , you seem to have done alright ! I got my Commuter Bus Jacked up high at the front to be able to get underneath it ! Got it safe and secure with Jack Stands , etc !
There's not much info out there for these vans that's why i made my bodgy video, hoping it helps someone (because i remember the slog it was doing that alternator first time).
Its a learning experience my friend, if you had to do it again straight after, you will do it much easier trust me. Second time i did mine i didn't even have to think about it, it was very easy.
Changing the alternator belt, that's fun (not).
I highly recommend you buy a few tins of spray degreaser, grab some paper towels, and clean your engine. Use a tin of spray brake cleaner at the end to get the degreaser residue off.
I said it wrong in my video - to loosen the alternator belt, yoy have to unlock that nut at the front of the adjuster. To get to that, I put a socket on a long breaker bar and reached it from underneath. Thats the easiest way. It is good to learn that method because later on you may need to adjust belt tension and its just a matter of doing that then adjusting the other bolt from above. I don't even jack mine up, i just drive the left wheel up onto a couple of blocks of wood so i can squeeze under quickly. Helps if someone is above tightening, so you can check the belt tension from your spot underneath. Be very careful not to overtighten the belts as you'll damage bearings in your pulleys.
Please note, you want to avoid getting power steering fluid on your belts and pulleys. Very important, otherwise you will have to degrease the pulleys and put new belts on.
First time doing this job took 11.5 hours, second time 4.5 hours.