88 CRX alternator- not enough space???

Hello All,

Hey I got myself into a pickle this time. Sometimes I do routine
maintenance on my 88 Honda CRX SI myself. And sometimes I like to fix
minor stuff. (my downfall is my curiousity and willingness to pick up
a wrench outweighs my education / knowledge level of the problem. )

Story goes like this;

Started the CRX yesterday to find the alternator belt was broken and
with further inspection found the alternator pully is seized won't
turn at all. So I remove the alternator pivot bolt and adjusting bolt
and get the alternator loose. Only to find I can't get the Alternator
to come out. I am trying to remove from top. Can't squeeze it thru the
engine and master cylinder etc. So I look for other avenues and see
the alt bracket is in the way, so I remove that, still won't come out.
Now I see the master cylinder is in the way. I don't want to remove
this.
well after an hour of turning the alt this way and that way, I decide
to loosen the bolts to master cylinder attached to the body of car.
Still not enough room. So I take the master cyl bolts completely off
and pull master cylinder out... leaving brake lines attatched though,
Man I am thinking this is really bad... so immediately put master
cylinder back into place and tighten the bolts
and close hood to car and come to the net...

Help....

#1 How do I get the alternator out? Whats the trick???
#2 Did I mess up the master cylinder and now do I have to bleed the
brakes. (I hope not... I have never done this...forgive me I am a girl
with to much wrench curiousity).

#3 if I have to bleed brakes- what's the best efficient way to do this?


Thanks in advance.
smiles,
annette
p.s. when removed master cyl no brake fluid leaked out.

 

Jack up the car, support with stands or blocks, crawl under, remove
the alternator from underneath.

Then your wrist may have problems supporting that alternator, because
it's a one-handed job. Recruit a boyfriend to help.
No, you shouldn't have to bleed the brakes if you didn't disconnect
any lines. However, when's the last time you changed your brake fluid?
Maybe a thorough bleed is a good idea anyway.

For amateurs without equipment it's a two person job. One with a
muscular leg to pump the brake pedal, the other with a wrench.
Further instructions are available if you decide to go ahead with the
task.

 

If you get the car up on ramps or jack stands what does it look like
from below? I can't remember exactly what it looks like in my '91 Civic
which is probably really similair to your CRX. If I wasn't a hung over
wimp right now I'd go outside and look at my car. Its right around zero
where I live right now. My memory is kind of foggy, but I really think
you might be able to drop the alternator from underneath the car. My
Honda service manual doesn't mention removing other components in the
alternator removal procedure. I can't help you with your master
cylinder/bleeding question though.

Mark

 

my brother and I replaced the alternator in his 89 CRX a couple years
ago, it was a tight squeeze but we did get it out the bottom.

 

I'm more or less an amateur, though a very handy one. Did my front
brakes (rust removal and new pads) recently with the aid of Tegger's
awesome brake FAQ, and changed the fluid in the whole system. It's
actually pretty easy, and can be done by one person, though slightly
easier with two.

I figured I'd have an easy time of it by getting a MityVac vacuum pump,
but because I didn't have any teflon tape handy too much air was getting
in through the bleeder screw threads for the vacuum pump action to work.

Instead I just stuck the clear hose that came with the pump in a clear
cup, pumped a few times, then went to check (for the right side
wheels--left side I just craned my neck)--when the fluid ran clear with
new fluid in the hose instead of that way-too-old used-brake-fluid
coffee-color (clearly the previous owner had never done it), I tightened
the screw. Actually, new fluid is sort of a light straw color. The
change was quite obvious. If your fluid is a dark coffee color, do
change the fluid ASAP--the more water in the system, the more your
brakes will rust from the inside out.

You have to be careful to keep adding fresh fluid to the master cylinder
to prevent any air from entering there, so don't get carried away with
the pumping, and keep a close eye on the master cylinder. I ran through
most of a quart container of fluid in doing my 94 Civic.

There was a fair bit of rust in the front brake cylinders. Someone here
suggested pushing the pistons in (AFTER you open the bleeder screw) to
clear the especially rusty fluid--I'd recommend that. Use a C-clamp to
do this. Think I have a 6", which makes it nice and easy. BTW, the
bleeder screw need be opened only a half-turn or so, as I recall.

Annette, don't apologize for "being a girl with too much wrench
curiosity". More power to you--no such thing as too much curiosity, for
any gender--as long as you read up, and ask for advice when you get
stuck instead of breaking something. ;-) Get yourself a shop manual from
http://helminc.com ($56 for the 88 CRX), and have a blast.

 

fastest way is to remove the right hand axle.
and take it out the bottom.
Chip

 

It clears without removing the axle, at least on a CRX. I've done it.

 

in my 98 civic, if you remove the bracket that
the alternator pivots on, there is plenty of
room and it just falls out (From the bottom).
There are 2 bolts to remove from the bracket,
mounted directly to the engine block.

My Haynes manual said to remove the driverside
driveshaft, it was wrong...

However, the CRX may be different.

 

My experience is there isnt quite enough room to squeeze it out the
bottom without removing the driveshaft from the hub.

I tried both with a hatchback and a wagon.

-Pete