Just realized my "quick" alternator swap was anything but quick

Thought I could swap out a bad alternator on my 2001 Civic in an afternoon. Three days later I was still fighting with a seized bolt that required a torch and a six-pack of patience. The YouTube video said 45 minutes, but they didn't account for rust from ten Buffalo winters. Took a full Saturday and two trips to AutoZone before I got the new one wired up right. Has anyone else had a simple job turn into a weekend project because of hidden rust?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkerp8010d ago

Rip that YouTube promise is such a lie lol. Rust always turns a 45 minute job into a whole weekend battle with a breaker bar and swearing.

the_zara5d ago

Can we all just admit that you and @robinp72 are basically describing my exact driveway right now?

robinp7210d ago

Exactly. The person in the video always has a garage with perfect lighting and a brand new tool set. Meanwhile I'm under my car with a half broken socket that's been used for 10 years. And they never show the part where you have to apply so much heat with a torch that you worry about burning your house down. It's like a completely different universe from what happens in my driveway.