not so alternative alternators

[B-Hive]

Hi all..

Just thought i'd give the collective a little heads up on the supposed alternative Mitsubishi alternator. B1 had very noisy belts and they didnt align properly. She had a Mitsubishi substitute alternator, So i ended up installing what I thought was a genuine Citroen unit from a wreck that I bought. Same issue!!!!

After months of adjusting and readjusting the belts i finally thought i'd take a more measured approach. In so doing i found that the swapper alternator was a mitsubishi as well (albeit visually slightly more bespoke to the job).

After careful deliberation, it was obvious that the right side bush/thread unit didnt allow the alternator to be far enuf to the left. So i bashed it out and installed it backwards. This allowed the substitute alternator to move the required 3mm left. A similar size spacer inserted in the left side of the bracket then ensured that the alternator was fixed where it needed to be be.

PS in a nut shell : mods/cheap substitutes can be a right royal pain, and not worth the huff n puff for the sake of a few $ or in your case pounds!!

Loving the silent belts finally