[Engine] valeo alternator CL15 rebuild

[smutts]

Just a quick heads up for those who love to fix things.

My old valeo CL15 alternator had knackered bearings.

Several youtube videos of people rebuilding these.

"How hard can it be?"

Well, as it happens, bloody difficult.
Rattle gun takes the drive pully off easy.
The stator is glued to the front case with glue, & the stator's 
phase windings are welded to the diode pack in the rear case 
so to separate the cases the welds have to be cut.
Now what is supposed to happen, 
is the axle is tapped through the front bearing with a soft hammer, 
the actuality is with the extra ten years since the you tube videos
were posted, the shaft has seized in the bearing.
By the time you have used sufficient force, (big inside out bearing puller)
the shaft is still stuck in the bearing,
but you have wrecked the bearing plate & distorted the cases pushing the shaft 
with bearing through it all.
Also the shaft is VERY soft, mine looks like it had the hardness of plasticine.

Bin time.

So, don't bother to try anything past swapping the regulator/ brushes. 

[evdama]

Useful info.
I once had a chewed up starter motor on a BMW motorbike and went to a local electro workshop to see if they would rebuild it.
Initially optomistic they climbed down and got me a quote for a refurbished one which was only slightly cheaper than a new one.