03' 2.0L Altenator removal
 

Has anyone pulled an Alt. out of one of these?Manual says to drop out from bottom, but must remove exhaust and maybe crossmember.Not sue if I can pull cruise aside and charcoal canister off and get it out that way?thanks

no u cannot pull canister off u must remove it from underneath.. what i did was the bracket from block to intake i removed it and never put it back in and that gives u enough room to remove it from the bottom

ok-thanks.I will check it out.I thought I saw two screws holding the canister bracket to the firewall?Have to take another look.

its not the canister that is the problem.. u cant get it from up top cuz the intake and firewall and strut tower are in the way.. i have taken mine off something like 6 times this year.

ok-Thanks for the feedback.Need to pull mine off and get rebuilt.Just waned as much info as I could get to make life easier.

alternator r&r
 

alternator will definitely come out the top, as i have removed and replaced mine twice,and both times it came out through the top.

move charcoal canister and unbolt and move to the side the cruise control unit,and yes it will come right out the top.

no removing other stuff,other than the stuff like the power steering belt.....
also,the top alt adjusting arm where it is mounted to the engine,loosen it a very small amount....

once you have done it this way, the alt will come out in around 20 minutes,give or take a little time,but nothing else has to be removed at all.

i don't know where that all started about the alt not coming out through the top,but just give it a bit of thought.... why would the factory design it so all that stuff has to be removed just for an alt replacement?????

more on alt replacement
 

by the way, the charcoal canister i think just slides into it's mounting bracket....can't recall that exact part,but you get the general idea here.....not at all hard to replace,right through the top.

i saw someone said the manual said to remove and replace it through the bottom,but out through the top is way easier,no disconnecting the exhaust or screwing with the axle at all.....

that has to be the hardest way i have ever heard of to replace an alternator......and to hear that the manual says to do it that way....just stupid...

I remove them from the top. Always have,always will and i have replaced at least 100 that way.

Thanks for the responses, but about 1.5 years too late.Did the job long time ago thru the top.

Yea, I figured. Other people read the threads and can get something out of the posts though.