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[Nigels]

It's just taken me 3 hours to remove the alternator -not to replace it mind you, just to remove the knackered one. Either  I've reached new depths of ineptitude, or the boys on the Vauxhall assembly line have a near pathalogical hatered of anyone who might dare to look under the bonnet. They seem to have taken great delight in restricting access to anything that might be even remotley serviceable. Anyone got any plasters? My knuckles look like I've done a couple of rounds with one of those caged gorillas from the UFC.

[terry paget]

Nothing is easy on these V6 lumps, is it? They assemble them on the factory assembly line, pop them into the engine compartments (snug fit), connect cables and hoses, and off they go for 7 years or 150,000 miles without trouble. Then the warranties expire, first buyers get rid of them, and they end up on e-bay for us lads to buy and enjoy. When things go wrong, they take hours to repair and graze many a knuckle.

I am in the middle of changing a thermostat. On a Mini, Ford escort, 10 minute job. On an Omega V6, 6 hours.

Alternators, starters, cam belts, similarly.

[symes]

well you got it done---I use ratchet spanners on nuts as much easier still cost you time--not cash 

[RobG]

Remove multi-ram pipes, disconnect battery, slip the aux belt.
Remove the two alt. mounting bolts and pull alternator forward.
Disconnect the wires from the rear of alt. then remove

[chrisgixer]

Yep, struggled like fook with mine. One bolt from the front one from the back. (Iirc) pitfa job. You'll notice those that pronounce it easy have plenty of practice. Which always helps of course. But its a real shit to learn first time. Ime.

[plym ian]

Oh how I love my easy access 4 pot over you v6 boys always moaning ;D

Don't think I've ever so much as brushed my knuckles

[dbug]

No problems getting it off, I had initial problems getting the fixing bolts through on replacement.  Still a bloody fiddly job - need plenty of plasters to hand

[chrisgixer]

Oh how I love my easy access 4 pot over you v6 boys always moaning ;D

Don't think I've ever so much as brushed my knuckles

Shadap you

[chrisgixer]

Fitting, in the end, think I fitted the bottom bolt loosely...laid the top bolt in the holder/casting at the back, then tilted the alternator up into position using the bottom bolt as a pivot, then pulled the bolt forward by poking a magnet on a stick through the castings to pull the bolt forward, once the alternator was lined up with the holes.

Then its a case of getting a spanner on that top bolt from the back, and doing it up.

Coupled with vx insisting the pre face lift 3.0 item they'd given me was the correct one for my face lift 3.2, due to a labelling error.... It didn't go well tbh.

[dbug]

Fitting, in the end, think I fitted the bottom bolt loosely...laid the top bolt in the holder/casting at the back, then tilted the alternator up into position using the bottom bolt as a pivot, then pulled the bolt forward by poking a magnet on a stick through the castings to pull the bolt forward, once the alternator was lined up with the holes.

Then its a case of getting a spanner on that top bolt from the back, and doing it up.

Coupled with vx insisting the pre face lift 3.0 item they'd given me was the correct one for my face lift 3.2, due to a labelling error.... It didn't go well tbh.

Yep that's what I did, but I pushed a correctly sized bolt in from the front sufficiently to hold alignment, then forced the top bolt through from the back pushing the guide bolt out.  Think I used a plenum bolt or an old cam tensioner bolt as the guide bolt