Tools & Supplies for Replacing Alternator Brushes

Series Summary

Your car is a complex machine made up of simple machines that have many different parts and processes that must be checked for breakage, leaks, and wear. A properly working alternator is essential for running your engine. At some point you will need to remove and rebuild or replace the alternator in your vehicle. Most commonly the alternator brushes wear out and need to be replaced. Would you to know how to replace alternator brushes yourself to save money on auto repair? The process is not as complicated as it sounds, and makes a great do-it-yourself weekend project. In this free auto repair video series learn how to remove your alternator, inspect it, and replace the alternator brushes from certified mechanic Nathan McCullough. Nathan will tell you what tools and steps are required for removing and rebuilding an alternator. He will demonstrate how to test a car battery, how to remove the intake ductwork, how to remove the serpentine belt, how to dismount the alternator, how to remove the voltage regulator and alternator brushes, how to inspect a voltage regulator, how to replace worn alternator brushes, how to install the voltage regulator on an alternator, how to reconnect the electronics to the alternator, how to install an alternator, how to install a serpentine belt, and how to install the intake duct on your engine.

Video Transcript

"In this clip we're going to talk about the proper service procedure to remove, inspect, and overhaul your vehicle's alternator. In this step we're going to talk about the tool required in order to properly service your vehicle's alternator. What I have here in front of me is a good standard and metric socket set. I have my heavy duty test light for circuit checking. I have, now this is just an example, the one that it actually takes is going to be smaller than this, but I want you guys to get a look at what I'm talking about. This is called a torx bit. Some people also refer to it as a star driver. See the star pattern on the end of it. This is for disassembly of the alternator, once you have it off the vehicle. I have my magnetic tray, of course, for any fasteners and alternator components we take out and a brush kit. That's the little box right here. This is the only wearing component inside your alternator. Of course there are bearings and seals and diodes and things of that nature inside of it. However, the most common failure with an alternator is the brushes are worn out. What I'm going to do is take and open it up and show you what we have inside here. That is a brush. This is a spring loaded connection that makes the electrical contact between the commutator and the voltage regulator. It's made of graphite and they pretty much wear down just like, say, a brake pad would. As the commutator rubs on it, the material gets lower and lower and lower and lower and lower and eventually burns into the wire and destroys the commutator. These are the tools required and the supplies necessary in order to properly service your vehicle's alternator."