grease covered alternator

[superratsun]

so i picked up a new alternator today, and it is covered in grease, and crap, whats the best thing to use to clean it all off and out without wrecking anything inside it?

[izzo]

brake cleaner works great, cleans it right up, leaves nothing behind really

[datzenmike]

Scrape off all the crap you can on the outside and rinse off with brake cleaner and bristle brush. I don't think there's much to harm on the inside, bearings are sealed, diodes are only 12 volts so it would take a lot of contaminant to have electrical flow between exposed terminals. I've driven through some big puddles and the alt output will drop and the charge light will come on because the water gets all over the two brushes. It always came back on line well within 30 seconds.

[I'm BLUE]

Careful ,,, that might eat aluminum ? :huh:

[superratsun]

thanks guys, im gonna clean it up tomorrow

[datzenmike]

Negative. Besides the contact is for a very short time.