alternator pulley removal

[turbod]

Hi, has anyone got experience in removing the clutch pulley from an alternator ? I have had a look at the proper removal tool and it looks like the outer spline is just a holder to remove the centre bolt ? Is it possible to remove and refit this pulley without the correct tool ? I ask this as my friends alternator bearings sound noisy (loud whine ) and I was going to fit some new bearings tomorrow as the alternator is good apart from the whine ? As always any replies would be appreciated cheers

 

[turbod]

Sorted it, turns out that the idler pulley was knackered and the belt was also just about to snap, just one puzzler though the alternator has been replaced in the past with a solid non clutch pullied one, I asked the bloke at the parts place and all his alternators are clutch pulleys for this car in different ampages, I think the alternator is off a petrol car and was probably a bit cheaper

 

[RUM4MO]

That is a nuisance as I thought that the TDI engines annoyed the alternator unless a clutch was included in the pulley, time will tell, maybe these clutches help out the other areas of that auxiliary drive system? (and this lead to this problem?)

 

[turbod]

That is a nuisance as I thought that the TDI engines annoyed the alternator unless a clutch was included in the pulley, time will tell, maybe these clutches help out the other areas of that auxiliary drive system? (and this lead to this problem?)

Not sure why the diesels have this clutch, I think its job is to let the alternator freewheel once it gets some inertia built up, the alternator fitted seems to be one from a 1.4 / 1.6 petrol which revs higher negating the need for the clutch and I guess that is what has ruined the tensioner. Apparently when the clutch starts locking up in the freewheel direction it makes the tensioner jump all over the place.... If that makes any sense ? Either way the wrong alternator is going back on, it has been on for three years plus and the car is about rotten now

 

[RUM4MO]

I seem to now remember that it is the roughness of a TDI engine, ie short high pulses when the individual cylinders fired that has brought about the need for these clutches in pulleys.

I think that direct injection petrol engines also have them, certainly there is a large lump on the end of the alternator pulley on my wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI 110PS - again as these engines are a bit rougher than their indirect injection equivalents.

 

[cheshire cat]

going back a long time there was some hi speed video which illustrates the point ---I think utube

 

[turbod]

Thanks for the replies guys, the car is running noise free now... I'm not going to change the alternator on the car but now understand why the tensioner had eaten itself, it was only the pulley bearing that had gone but it explains a lot. If it was a much newer car I would consider it, but the car is clocking on to 150 000 miles now and the tin worm has set in and the clutch probably only has a year at best left on it.
I will try to find the youtube video