Cleaning alternator

[iOnic]

Anyone have any do's/dont's for cleaning an alternator? What should I use to clean it and what should I avoid?

Will degreaser/brake cleaner do any harm? It'll be well dried before it's ever used again but I just want to get all the grease off it before I put it back on the engine

[MR2BOY23]

On a related note..

I dropped some oil on my alternator while doing an oil change, about a week later it stopped working.

[gepsk8]

don't unless u can know how to strip it down propably and reassembly it

you would have $&#$% ur slip ring and brushes dropping it in oil

[AceSniper]

would only use a wire brush to clean housing more than that strip it down... de-greaser could get into the bearings and brake down the grease

[kim0663]

lol.... i just dunked mine into a bath of degreaser, cleaned the $&#$% out of it,

then sprayed it all out with $%##loads of wd40 and dried for a few weeks, it's back in.

Guess i made a death wish for it so i would be expecting it to die soon....?

[matt dunn]

Guess i made a death wish for it so i would be expecting it to die soon....?

Quite possibly.

[CelicaGT8]

If you just wash it with jiff, scrub it, rince it off with water, let it dry for a few days then it sould be fine, Iv done it a few times, dont see what jiff can do to the brushes.... especialy if you rince and dry it.

Although i have had one catch fire....

[Dell'Orto]

If you only want to clean the exterior, take the casings off and clean them, they're not normally too hard to pull to bits.

[CelicaGT8]

Most people dont no how to, or cant be botherd tho

[iOnic]

Shit didn't think about that Brad....thanks mate! I'll take the casings off and give them a clean. I only wanna do the exterior so that sounds like the best idea.