saturnfans -

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would add my procedure in case someone else has this issue. Just for reference, mine was a 2008 Astra XE.

1. Disconnect battery
2. Remove air box and hoses.
3. Release tension on tensioner and remove belt from alternator
4. Lift passenger side front and remove tire.
5. Remove two bolts holding alternator (11mm 12pt)
6. Remove alternator from engine. This will probably be a little tight as the alternator threaded nuts pull tight against the mounts... a little prying and the alternator will come off.
7. Remove the nut holding the power wire and the electrical connector. This is a massive PITA. The wires aren't long enough so a lot of this is done blind. Plus the little electrical connector has a locking tab that is difficult to remove. Mine, of course, broke the little tab and I had to blindly use a screw driver to pry the tab out.
8. There was no way the alternator is coming out the top of the engine bay, so don't waste an hour trying. The key, as the other poster above stated, is to take it out thru the wheel well. I didn't have to monkey with the engine mount at all. What I did is to angle the alternator so the pulley is pointing toward the wheel well and slightly forward and slightly down. The flat part of the alternator should be on the upper right and the bolt holes should be in roughly the 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock position. The alternator will just barely fit thru the wheel well. I didn't even have to remove the splash shield.
9. Reinstall in reverse order obviously.

 

Thank you.

 

Just for future reference the way to get it out is to remove the passenger side engine mount while the engine is supported by a floor jack. Then you remove the alternator out the opening in the wheel well (remove front passenger tire and plastic fender panels) as you raise and lower the engine just enough to get it out. It won't come out if the engine is lowered all the way and won't come out if it is up all the way. There is a sweet spot right inbetween high and low where if you rotate it the correct way it will come out.

smwalker

 

Video on the alternator change, with some music

 

This is what a new GM OEM alternator looks like (it is labeled Bosch 120A made in Spain). I don't know how the 2008 installed alternator might differ (other than a clutch pulley was added to the auto transmission cars in a service note and on the "updated" alternators)

The "push" connector which I think had a security tab was very difficult to remove. We can see the female side of that which might help when thinking about removal on the car, where things are tough to see and reach.

Service note shows an additional two wires bolted on; I'm not sure I remember that extra (ground?) wire.