I'm replacing the alternator and power steering on my 92 Honda accord, and can't get the alternator installed deep enough to get the belt over the pulley. The belt needs be lifted about another 1/2 inch before it could get over the pully. The new belt is the same length as the old belt. The tensioner bolt is at it's furthest (loosest) extension. (another few turns and I'm afraid it will fall out) The alternator is also hitting the AC Compresser below it and therefore won't slide further in the track. I'm wondering about the following possible errors:

1. the tensioner receiver piece (see below) has the wrong orientation.
2. the alternator is the wrong size (new had a number 14964 (Worldwide) but old had a 15xxx number (Autolite).) The major holes for the pivot and mounting bolts lined up and the only difference I noticed on side by side comparison was one smaller screw/nut absent in the new design. Store had same model listed for all 92 Accords.
3. you just really gotta pull the belt super hard to get it over the pulley.
4. something else

[author note: it turned out to be #1. see subsequent post below.]

Has anyone else had similar difficulties replacing the alternator on a 92?

The tensioner bolt is held at it's upper end by a bracket where you see the two 10mm heads. The threaded end goes through what I call the tensioner receiver. It's a threaded barrel with a flange attached through which the lower mounting bolt goes through. As near as I can figure, the lower mounting bolt goes first through the sloted arc track in the frame, then the tensioner receiver, and then the alternator lower mounting hole, and ends in a 3/8" long nut. I'm wondering if I got hte tensioner receiver piece oriented correctly. The mounting bolt is closest to the frame, such that the mounting bolts unthreaded portion touches it. The are then two possible orientation: the threaded "barrel" 1) on top of the mounting bolt, or swiveled down 2) under it. 2) (which I did I think) permits the alternator to slide up to the highest point of the arc slot, and down to the middle before the alternator hits the AC. 1) seemed to permit it to go a little lower, but the angles at the top extreme (before adding the alternator) seemed all wrong.

The belt passes over the drive shaft and the AC as well as the alternator, and I do the alternator last. ribs are aligned on both other pulleys.

Any ideas please?
David

 

tensioning bolt: adjusting bolt
tensioning (bolt) receiver: stay
pivot bolt: upper through bolt
mounting bolt: lower through bolt

 

It has been awhile but I believe the last time I installed an alternator on your generation Accord I put the belt on the pulley then installed the adjuster. I would suggest you look at the DIY section to see a manual. The 1994 edition should work. You can also roll the belt on if it is just a little short of going on by starting the belt then turning the alternator pulley.

 

couldn't see pic, hope this uploads and helps

happy 4th

 

what do you mean it passes over the drive shaft??????? do you mean crank pulley ?? I hope...

put the belt over the crank pulley LAST.don't put it over the ALT last.......get a 19 mm socket, extension and rachet,. put it around compressor and alternator, put is over crank pulley ,, , hold the belt on crank pulley so it wont slip off and turn the pulley,,with the tools ,,,,,
assuming you got the correct belt and that the adjuster bolt is far enough out ,and assuming you did not get an alternator with a different ( bigger ) pulley , it will work , done it like this more than a hundred times

 

Rolling the belt on the crank works even better but a little harder at home. I used to do that method on the old Volkswagens and never loosened up the adjuster, just cut the old belt and rolled the new one on as long as old and new were OEM belts.

 

Thanks for the manual page. It's better than Hayes. Unfortunately it doesn't show the adjustment screw receiving piece which I may have put back incorrectly. It does show the mounting nut on the bolt the adjustment bolt receiver goes though.

Kris may be right on putting the belt on first and then the alternator. I was just hoping we did something wrong as it was very difficult to install the alternator, apparently due to restraints each bolt imposes on the next. it took us ~2 hours. We had to remove the adjustment bracket before we could line up the holes for the pivot bolt. Then it was equally hard to put that that bracket back. Makes me wish I had paid a mechanic .. but how had can it be?
10 hours hard. Great car though.
David

 

It turns out I installed the alternator incorrectly - more specifically, the adjuster bolt receiving bracket was flipped. (I should have guessed something was up when it wouldn't adjust through the full length of the slot.) A friend taught me to look for the wear marks caused by the nut that pushes on the bracket around the hole that the lower mounting bolt goes through (This bolt slides through the arc in the die cast to permit adjusting position.) If you flip the bracket so the hole for the mounting bolt is closest to the nut, but keep the "barrel" part, where the adjusting bolt screws into, underneath, it works like a charm.

This piece gave me this trouble because it isn't visible from the top side and I completely removed the adjusting bolt before removing the sliding mount bolt. Then it fell completely free. If possible, next time, try to keep the adjusting bolt assembly intact before removing the lower mounting bolt. This would have narrowed down the choice of 4 positions for the receiving bracket to just 2 - and the wear marks tell you which of the 2.

Thanks to all who gave advice on this one. The frustration factor was probably the biggest barrier - thankfully I had a mechanic friend call to offer help.

 

I searched the web last night to try to find you a photo but none showed the lower bracket even the write ups on doing timing belts, but I knew you would sort it out. Somehow it always happens.