2001 3.0 SC alternator removal

Hi there fellow super custom folk, yesterday the van failed to turn over like a typical flat battery on a vehicle.

RAC came out as we are on holiday in Dublin from the Uk, mechanic said after testing the twin batteries that are quite new that definitely too low on juice to start the van.

I had left a fog light switch on and suspect it had ran them down for 2-3 hours?

Anyway then he tested alternator and said wasn’t charging the battery’s barely and also it was missing a bolt.

He managed to replace a bolt to tighten it but still not charging batteries. Van was jumped and took huge power to do this from 2x RAC power jumpers.

Now in garage for alternator and just wondered is removing it very hard and does anyone feel it might be something different??

So much appreciated panicked new SC owner

Not hard at all. A bit tedious because it under everything. Hardware is all 10/12/14mm for the entire job too.

-disconnect the battery
-Drivers seat has to come out to remove the access cover underneath
-ac compressor comes off…just to move it out of the way you don’t release the refrigerant or anything.
- finally It’s right there underneath.

It uses a 60/70 amp alternator off a hilux/whatever you call a 4Runner over there.

Good luck. Mine had been fiddly to tension just like yours with loose bolts. It has been trouble free after I tightened the mounting hardware far tighter than they should need. Motor just likes to shake things loose it seems.

Hope you have an awesome weekend ahead and your van is on the road soon
-Bryan

Bryan much appreciated so much!
Re removing drivers seat is this very hard? as Irish Uk mechanics seem not used to the Japanese way!

You’re stretching my memory buddy but here goes.

So there are 5 14mm bolts that hold the seat in front and back. Pretty sure at least. Slide the seat all the way back to get the front ones and then all the way forward to get the back ones. It’s heavy and if you do it in that order you can just roll it into the back seat without scratching anything up.

Cover comes off the parking brake handle with Phillips screws front and side.

Now every 12? mm bolt holding the cover comes off. One or two are under the parking brake which is why the cover comes off.

Then a decision. The parking brake cable is affixed to the cover on the bottom. You can just try to rotate the entire cover out of the way, but if you can’t you’ll have to release and remove it. If you’re struggling ask me and I’ll show you how to do it, but the hope is you don’t have to. Fingers crossed it rotates enough.

Then take a beer break.

Now you can see the compressor on top. Just take off the mounting bolts to move it out of the way. Don’t touch the lines.

Now you should see the alternator all the way down there.

Doesn’t take too long, but it can get tiring bending over the cab so prepare for that and what not.

Good luck! You got this Sir.

Bryan thanks a million your a

Hello Celticfolk

Fully agree with blgravely. When removing the front seat don’t forget to unhook the electrical contact for the parking brake and seatbelt warning lights (and reconnect on completion).

If you have the double front batteries (like my LH119) you may also have the 2.7kW starter, which is the biggest Toyota fitted. It’s a hungry beast!

A recent alternator thread I contributed to is here:
https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t4417-alternator-for-3l-lh107-engine

It has links to a good company, though in the UK. It also shows some alternators have the vacuum for brake boost, 4wd actuation and other things. On some vans the vacuum is generated elsewhere. Not sure about yours.

The link in the above post also show indicative UK prices and alternators are not madly expensive (just pricey) and you don’t need a Toyota one. They are also repairable!

Next, the ‘similar topics’ at the bottom of the page have some relevant threads that are well worth a view, especially the ones with pictures.

There might be a worm driven system to tighten the alternator belts (there are generally two identical belts) and the worm drive helps. Loosen the pivot bolts before the worm drive and when tensioning, fully tighten the pivot bolts last.

For general assistance head over to the Hiacesouthest web site and check the resources there (esp the manuals).
Also note the details on the van’s build plate (under LH seat) and head over to the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue. The landing page is most likely:
https://toyota.epc-data.com/regius_ace/

Modify this to your exact van (based on build plate) and enjoy the resources there. It’s useful as a parts resource (linking into the Amayama site but there are plenty of others like MegaZip) and the exploded parts diagrams show how almost everything is put together. Sometimes you might need to look into several sections but it’s superbly useful alongside the available manuals.

HTH and good luck!