Alternator Mud Shield Installation - Or Not

[LawnMM]

I attempted this over the last day or so, and for the TLDR crowd, gave up and abandoned the idea.

Couple photos showing the orientation of the shield on my alternator, which as you can see, is off the truck.

I was committed to the project. Even with the alternator out I could not figure how to get the shield and the alternator in place at the same time to bolt up.

You need to remove the hose from the intercooler to the throttle body for access to unbolt the upper mounting bolt where it would line up if there was room for it, which there isn't.

This was a photo from beneath I took for reference on the belt routing for putting things back together.

If you can get this thing in there you're a better man than me, it just doesn't have the space to slide in laterally with the alternator in place, which is how it seems to need to mount.

I bailed, anybody considering this I'd save your money. Wasn't a total loss it was basically a dry run for an alternator swap for me. Just didn't work out for the mud shield.

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[Grish]

Couldn’t imagine how that would even be fun to put on. When I replaced my alternator a few months ago it had me madder than hornets. Worst gosh dang location, design, setup I’ve ever seen. Damn I was pissed trying to get it back in there.

 

[LawnMM]

Couldn’t imagine how that would even be fun to put on. When I replaced my alternator a few months ago it had me madder than hornets. Worst gosh dang location, design, setup I’ve ever seen. Damn I was pissed trying to get it back in there.

I've got some other stuff going on in life, tinkering with the truck is kind of a welcome distraction and it's oddly relaxing.

Plus, this wasn't a big deal. I'm out like $50 bucks worth of parts that didn't work out, whatevs.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I was just thinking about this item the other day.

There was an initial rush to get one but no one ever came back with installation instructions or results.

Now we know why ?

Thank you for doing this and following up with your experiences, even though it didn't go as planned.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

I attempted this over the last day or so, and for the TLDR crowd, gave up and abandoned the idea.

Couple photos showing the orientation of the shield on my alternator, which as you can see, is off the truck.

I was committed to the project. Even with the alternator out I could not figure how to get the shield and the alternator in place at the same time to bolt up.

You need to remove the hose from the intercooler to the throttle body for access to unbolt the upper mounting bolt where it would line up if there was room for it, which there isn't.

This was a photo from beneath I took for reference on the belt routing for putting things back together.

If you can get this thing in there you're a better man than me, it just doesn't have the space to slide in laterally with the alternator in place, which is how it seems to need to mount.

I bailed, anybody considering this I'd save your money. Wasn't a total loss it was basically a dry run for an alternator swap for me. Just didn't work out for the mud shield.

Crazy thought here...super glue them together and install as one piece??

 

[PltFX4]

I am no off-roader, but as a on-roader, I would be worried about heat build up in the alternator... it is air cooled (may have a "fan" like item built in but I don't know) and would imagine it relies on air flow through it to keep temps down. (Unlike some older BMWs (maybe other brands also) that had water cooler alternators... sound like a oxymoron... electricity and water... what could go wrong.)

 

[Dr. Zaius]

... (Unlike some older BMWs (maybe other brands also) that had water cooler alternators... sound like a oxymoron... electricity and water... what could go wrong.)

My co-worker who used to have (key words are Used To Have) a BMW X5 can tell you all about the joys of a water cooled alternator that left his wife stranded just after it went out of warranty.

Only a mere $1600 later and she was back on the road.

A couple of months after that, something in the front suspension went out at a cost of $2k+

They traded it after that got fixed.

 

[LawnMM]

Crazy thought here...super glue them together and install as one piece??

Sorry, health issues are making me slow on replies.

I don't think it would stick together through the install. Lotta bumping and boinking getting into position.

 

[Av8or1]

I didn't know this part existed. Thanks, I just ordered one for my 2.3L land rover build.

It will be a lot easier to get the shield on that now, with the engine naked, than in a few months

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