75ZT Community

Please see the two photos. I wasn't happy with charging meter readings and then the battery light came on during a long trip with a meter reading at the battery of 11.99 volts with the engine running.

I now have the alternator loose in the engine bay resting on top of a loose air con compressor. And so I managed to unplug the wiring harness and found as the two photos.

The wiring harness to the plug has only 2 wires (blue and light green)

I suppose I am safe to fit a 2 pin alternator?

Any tips on which way I move the loose compressor and alternator to get the alternator out of the engine bay? Do I need to remove the dip stick tube?

The Compressor should be able to move out of the way along the subframe, if you have bent down a metal tang as i suggested then the alternator can be lowed down and out from under the car.

Thanks Steve.
Although I used a torque wrench. How do I know if the air con belt is over tight? Trying to double check tension, on the long stretch of the air con belt, I struggle to twist the belt side to side more than 45 degrees. It just feels a bit tight as if too tight and could wear out the air con tensioner plastic pulley

In case it helps to say I took three brackets/bolts off the long cooling pipe and so I did not need to bend any bracket. I positioned the alternator so that pulley at the top and it kind of drops out and back in easily.

I am going slowly checking all sorts and for example cleaning/painting bad parts on an other wise good subframe. It seems the past owners have driven for a short while without an engine undertray. But I can see a shiny new turbo and new cat and new full exhaust. But when they did that they forgot the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve) valve filter which was far too dirty causing blue smoke revving at idle and I changed. Was clear of smoke after a new PCV (and air) filter.

Ed3 wrote:Thanks Steve.
Although I used a torque wrench. How do I know if the air con belt is over tight? Trying to double check tension, on the long stretch of the air con belt, I struggle to twist the belt side to side more than 45 degrees. It just feels a bit tight as if too tight and could wear out the air con tensioner plastic pulley

In case it helps to say I took three brackets/bolts off the long cooling pipe and so I did not need to bend any bracket. I positioned the alternator so that pulley at the top and it kind of drops out and back in easily.

I am going slowly checking all sorts and for example cleaning/painting bad parts on an other wise good subframe. It seems the past owners have driven for a short while without an engine undertray. But I can see a shiny new turbo and new cat and new full exhaust. But when they did that they forgot the PCV valve filter which was far too dirty causing blue smoke revving at idle and I changed. Was clear of smoke after a new PCV (and air) filter.

Hi ED.
I always mark mine before undoing it, and try to put it back in the same position, but add a little more as the belt will stretch slightly over time.

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45 degrees sounds about right to mm through

What am I doing wrong here? I am Trying to put the main alternator belt back on. I cant get enough slack to slip around the crank pulley, - as in my photo attached compared to the Haynes Youtube at 3 minutes 56 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UMKBRJ3988

In the Haynes youtube the alternator belt starts with almost slack enough to fit around the crank pulley. Whereas mine seems to not want to be slack enough and the 24mm ring spanner (ground thinner by a neighbour) is slipping off and so damaging the tensioner nut.

I have taken the belt off a few times to see if it settles better when refitted.

It is the belt that was on there before I started fitting a new the alternator. I have the direction the same. Not sure if I should renew the belt out of caution?

(As in my photo, at least I have managed to paint some of my front subframe with black Hammerite. I use a lot of black Hammerite on the underside of the Rover 75)

HI Ed.
The trick is to get the belt on top the the crank pulley then turn the crank pulley so it pulls the belt onto the crank pulley wheel, they are tight to get on that's for sure.

Use a wedge of wood to stop the spanner coming of the pulley nut.
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These are my ground thinner spanners i use for the job.
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get the belt onto the top of the pulley as mush as you can then turn the crank pulley to pull it the rest of the way on.
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Thanks Steve, In case feedback is useful for people searching the topic, attached is a photo following what you said with the belt now on and tools I used. I found a 50p wooden spatula meant for cooking has a long wedge like shape and works well to hold the 24mm spanner onto the tensioner nut. (The 24mm spanner has been ground thinner to fit into the tight space). I used a 22mm socket for the crank pulley.

In case I keep the car a long time I made an effort to not fit a remanufactured alternator or the lower 100a but fitted a 120a new HELLA 8EL 011 711-541 (2 Pin connection). https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365675231784 But the ebay parts system does not recognise this BMW part as fitting a Rover 75 CDTi whereas the big suppliers can confirm it does (sometimes by using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) number).