Your Ultimate Guide To Alternator Bearings

The principal function of the alternator bearing is to reduce the friction in the alternator system. The friction generated during the rotational motion takes away energy generated in the form of heat, thus reducing the efficiency of the system and damaging the parts of the alternator in contact.

Alternator Bearings minimize friction by providing smooth metal balls or rollers and a smooth inner and outer metal surface against which the balls can roll. The balls or rollers allow it to spin smoothly. The bearing of your alternator reduces the loss of the engine’s mechanical energy due to friction and helps ensure a smoother flow of the mechanical energy to the pulley.

An alternator has a lot of moving parts, and if one of these parts starts to break down, you may hear some unusual sounds. A damaged alternator bearing produces sounds like whining, grinding, screeching, or rattling which can be heard as soon as the vehicle is started. The sound may or may not be continuous and may fade out as the engine speed increases or decreases. If you continue to drive the automobile for several days or weeks, the sound will become louder. It may be heard regularly, and in severe circumstances, the alternator may get extremely hot, emitting a burning odour due to bearing friction.

When your vehicle’s alternator bearing goes bad, it will show symptoms such as squeaking, grinding, whining, and knocking. The rotor can spin freely inside the stator owing to the alternator bearings, but excessive dirt and heat cause them to degrade. The rotor will not spin efficiently if the bearings fail, and it may finally seize. When an alternator bearing wears out, it tends to pull the alternator belt out with it. This means that a bad alternator bearing will not provide a smooth rolling motion and will cause a hindrance in the rotation of the pulley. In either case, a non-charging alternator will leave you stranded on the side of the road with a non-functioning vehicle sooner or later. If you hear any type of the above-mentioned noises, the best solution is to get your alternator bearing replaced before the issues escalate further.

One can drive with a bad alternator bearing for a limited time. However, if the bearing has failed, then it is only a matter of time before your vehicle starts stalling because your vehicle’s battery would be exhausted as a result of a bad alternator which a damaged alternator bearing can cause. When you go faster, you'll hear whining, squeaking, grinding, or knocking noises. Symptoms include the dull cabin interior lighting, dim headlights, and a dead battery.

If your alternator bearing is damaged, it is necessary to get it replaced on time to avoid further problems. It is possible to change the bearings on your own by using the right tools and following the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Preparation

It is important to undertake all of the required safeguards before beginning as you deal with an alternator, a key engine component responsible for battery charging. The very first step needs you to unplug the battery so that there is no electricity in the system.

Step 2: Removing the Alternator Half

Step 3: Remove the Rotor

Hold the rotor firmly in place with soft jaw pliers, then remove the pulley nut with the proper socket wrench. After that, attach the puller to the rotor and pull it out.

Step 4: Remove and Replace the Rear Bearing

The alternator bearing can be accessed by removing the rotor. Use the puller to remove the alternator bearing by slowly turning the puller until the bearing separates from the rotor shaft and installing the new alternator bearing. If it is not going inside, pound it with a hammer, but make sure not to damage the bearing during the process.

Step 5: Remove Front Bearing Retainer Plate

Proceed in the same manner as you did with the alternator half removal. Remove the bolts that hold the retainer plate using your socket wrenches. The plate should come off easily once all of them have been removed.

Step 6: Remove and Install New Front Alternator Bearing

Now slowly hammer out the front bearing with your hammer and brass punch to avoid damaging the other parts. Then, take the new front bearing and insert it into the slot of the old one to properly set it in, use the hammer and bushing drivers. Check for loose bearing by trying to turn and twist the shaft.

Step 1

Remove the key from the ignition and turn off the engine. While the engine is running, never inspect the alternator bearings.

Step 2

Open the vehicle hood and locate the fan belt and remove it.

Step 3

Gently turn the alternator by hand. As you turn the alternator, reach down to feel the alternator bearings. The alternator bearings may be poor if you hear squeaks or sounds when the alternator turns, or if the bearings feel rough. The fan belt must be pushed up and down and if the bearing is in good condition, the belt should not move.

The bearings generally reduce friction by providing smooth metal balls or rollers and a smooth inner and outer metal surface for the balls to roll against. These balls or rollers "carry" the weight of the device, allowing it to spin smoothly. Therefore, the lubrication between the rollers wears off over time, and they have to be re-lubricated to keep them functioning. Similarly, an alternator bearing requires lubrication at regular intervals for your vehicle’s optimum performance. 

Grease is the most common type of lubricant used for the lubrication of the alternator bearings. It is recommended to use a grease gun for lubricating the bearings. However, it must be noted that different lubricants have different properties and, therefore, always check the manufacturer-recommended lubricants for optimal performance and never mix different types of lubricants. It is advisable that the grease, grease-gun, nozzle, and re-lubrication nipple must be free of abrasive materials and other impurities because bearings rotate at very high speeds, and the contaminated grease may not reduce the friction effectively, thus, affecting the durability of the bearings.

A bad alternator won't sufficiently charge the battery while the engine is running and this can be immediately diagnosed by carefully observing the below-mentioned symptoms:

The alternator is driven by either an accessory belt or a serpentine belt with the crankshaft pulley. The alternator pulley rotates typically two or three times faster than the crankshaft pulley to create the power required at lower engine speeds, such as idle. The alternator pulley revolves around a shaft supported by alternator bearings or bushings. The growling or whining noise will alert you to a problem if the pulley is not in proper alignment with the belt, is slightly bent on the shaft, or the alternator bearings and bushings are worn out.

Alternator difficulties cause dimmer lights. . The lights will not work properly if the alternator bearings are not turning because they are only getting power from the battery and not from the gas. Dim lights, without other symptoms, are usually caused by dirt or worn bulbs, but the alternator could be the culprit if all other possibilities have been ruled out.

If the alternator is not correctly charging the battery, the battery will not be strong enough to start the automobile confidently and smoothly. If the automobile stalls after running for a while, the spark plugs may not be receiving enough electricity from the alternator to keep the engine running because of the damaged alternator bearings. A stall occurs when the engine slows or stops, it refers to an abrupt stop in the engine's rotation. It's a term that is widely used to describe when an engine suddenly stops running and rotating.

Features

• Frame is made of high-quality steel

• Engineered to have the least amount of rotational weight possible

• Improves efficiency while reducing friction

• Provides a high level of quality and performance

• Long-lasting and durable

For more products, please refer to our Timken Alternator Bearings section.

SKF is a well-known bearing manufacturer, and they claim that their products are as good as or better than OEM assemblies. Their products have high reliability, high load capacity, low friction, temperature resistance, heat resistance, low wear, easy installation, low lubricant consumption, and optimum performance and are available at an economical price. Their products are crafted and designed by experienced industry professionals.

Features

• Alternator Bearings have high durability

• Require minimal maintenance 

• High levels of operational dependability

• Have high load capacity, low friction, temperature resistance, heat resistance, and low wear

• Provides hassle-free installation

For more products, please refer to our SKF Alternator Bearings section.