Alternator pulley removal - is pulley standard or reverse threaded?

I'm in the process of trying to remove my alternator pulley using a special tool that I just purchased - but I'm questioning the sizing because it doesn't seem to fit snuggly into the bolt that holds the pulley on. The tool is 10mm x 12 point to remove the bolt, and has a 33 spline sleeve that locks the pulley itself. The sleeve fits perfectly into the pulley, but the center piece doesn't want to fully seat. EDIT: I've confirmed the tool does indeed fit - it just required a bit of tapping to get it seated fully. That being said, I've only replaced an overrun/free wheeling pulley once before. If I remember correctly, I hold the alternator shaft in place with the center tool and then turn the pulley itself counter-clockwise to loosen it? Does that sound right? Thanks Charlie

CHARLIE watch this.Hope it helps You Tube

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Thanks Schnell. That makes sense. I'm going to operate under the assumption that the threading is the same as in that video. It sounds like you essentially lock the pulley in place and then turn the center bolt counter-clockwise - essentially spinning the pulley off.

Glad it helps you.There are lots of other such videos on You tube. Bosch Part for my car # is F-00M-991-305 Porsche is 997-603-154-00 Use Kroil. Yemv

lol...wow ...what a coincidence. Found out the clutch in my pulley is dead last night. Dealer = $360.00 AC Delco = $75

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DIY...^That's^ what makes these cars truly affordable! What was tip-off that the alternator clutch had gone bad? Noise? No charging?

Even if you DIY and use the porsche part....its still $360.00....lol. That kind of price gouging should be a crime. The battery light briefly flashed at me during a 4th gear pull....and we began the investigation.

That's silly price. We can get a brand new Bosch alternator for our car for $277 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000IYAAYE/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=V2MH46P7FGPA&coliid=I3JO4MD22230LO

exactly.

"Even if you DIY and use the porsche part....its still $360.00....lol. That kind of price gouging should be a crime." I agree... but the Porsche font is pretty cool

Not $360 cool! lol

especially since it's only on the box...

FYI - I got the pulley from Pelican for like $40. I've been noticing a whine during cold startup in cooler weather. Removed the belt and found my upper deflector pulley was going bad - so I replaced it. During the troubleshooting I shut the car off and continued to hear a whine - which indicates either the pulley on the alternator or a bearing inside the alternator. I'm betting on the pulley. Just rolling it around with my fingers it feels slightly off. I'll know soon. For those that don't know - it is an over run / clutch style pulley. Basically its designed to allow the alternator to freewheel or spin at a higher RPM with momentum in the event of the engine RPMs sudden dropping. My understanding is this keeps voltage output more consistent + less wear on the belt since it isn't being used to brake the alternator's momentum when the engine RPM drops. So, when you shut the engine off, the alternator continues to spin for a few seconds - which helps narrow down where a noise is coming from since all other pulleys stop immediately.

I'm still not 100% sure which way the pulley unscrews - any help would be appreciated. From what I can see, looking at the thread on the new pulley, it tightens by turning the pulley to the right and either holding the alternator stationary or turning alternator shaft left. So if I'm correct that means to remove it, you spin the shaft right and the pulley left. Can anyone confirm?

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Considering the engine rotates clockwise when viewed from the engine compartment, what you said above makes a lot of sense (the engine tends to tighten the pulley bolt when it rotates).

Alright. I got the pulley off. For the record, the pulley unscrews counter-clockwise. Mine was on there very, very tight. I could not break it loose using a fairly long 17mm wrench and 1/2" drive ratchet. I even bought a 550 ft/lb compact impact gun from Harbor Freight and it did absolutely nothing. After several failed attempts at brute force, I figured out a trick that worked splendidly - only a slight cut on my forearm as collateral damage. Basically - I used a breaker bar between the two wrenches, and levered one against the other - pushing the outside one clock-wise and the inner one (that was locked in the pulley) counter-clockwise. Here is a pic. I'm going to put together a short YouTube vid as well in case someone else gets stuck as I did.

A high powered Impact Gun is specifically mentioned as not approved for this application. Well done for achieving a good result anyway ! For others who try this a few days of Kroil treatment is recommended.It can do no harm. The technique has 3 elements. 1. Apply modest amount of Kroil to the joint 2.Tap lightly with a flat-face punch & hammer to 'encourage' the Kroil to work into the cracks. 3. The most difficult of all - Patience. You need to do this several times a day for several days. Most are too impatient ,leave a less effective product (like WD40) on for a few minutes and then whale on it Glad you used a more elegant technique - and it worked ! BTW the spline tool is available on Amazon/Flebay for a few dollars

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Thanks for pointing that out - you're correct. I tried it out of desperation/frustration and discovered that although it was advertised as high powered, it wasn't very powerful. The trick levering the breaker bar broken things loose with minimal effort, leading me to believe the impact doesn't deliver nearly the torque they advertise.

If you have a good-quality strap wrench with a rubber strap (not a chain strap, for obvious reasons*), you can also use the strap wrench to keep the pulley stationary while removing the bolt. I have found that strap wrenches work especially well on the pulleys that are grooved - like the alternator pulley. If you have a strap wrench with a chain strap, a couple of layers of old bicycle inner tube wrapped around the pulley should be sufficient to keep the ribs protected.

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and if that didn't work, get a bigger hammer !

BFH or powerful Impact gun probably = new alternator.The impact would damage the bearings in the alternator or the mountings ? A few squirts of Kroil.....

it was meant in jest.....