[Dave A.]

What's wrong with your alternator? Are you upgrading to a higher output alternator or just replacing the stock unit? If your stock alternator is giving you trouble it may just have worn out brushes or a bad voltage regulator. New brushes are inexpensive but a replacement regulator can sometimes cost as much as a rebuilt alternator. To get to the alternator, you may want to approach it from underneath the car with the front end up on ramps or jackstands. Just be sure to disconnect the battery before you disconnect the wire on the covered post on the alternator to prevent any accidental electrical short to ground. 8)

 

[Dave A.]

You have an 84 or 86, correct? Loosen the belt tension adjuster and the pivot bolt on the alternator first to loosen the single wide belt so that you can slip the belt off of the alternator pulley. Then remove both the adjuster bolt and the pivot bolt to remove the alternator. You can inspect the brushes by removing the sheet metal back cover on the alternator. Your TSRM will have a very thorough rebuild procedure that's easy to follow. I don't have a scanner just yet or I would gladly send you a copy of the pages. Maybe someone can point you to the proper section(s) in the online TSRM. Pages CH-? and ?

 

[Dave A.]

Your best bet would be to go with a new set of OE brushes from the Toyota parts dept.. They are reasonable in price and will last as long as your old set, roughly 80,000 miles or longer. The next best choice in my opinion would be a new set of Beck/Arnley brushes. Cleaning the alternator case is best done with the alternator completely disassembled so you can get to all of the hard to reach areas. If you don't want to go that far with the overhaul, just use a good citrus based degreaser (Orange Blast made by White Lightning) and hot water. Harsh solvents can degrade the varnish coating on the stator and armature windings so it's best to use a non-solvent based degreaser. But, make darn sure to remove the voltage regulator first since moisture can get inside the regulator and damage it. Dry all parts thoroughly with compressed air and reassemble. Don't forget to clean up the slip rings on the armature. You can use a very fine grit sanding sponge to do this or some 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Good luck!!