Starting this thread to help future 1998 owners get some clarity on this puzzling repair.

On these XJs, every gen & model has a different process, and no two are the same,
so I am looking for direct experience with 1998 4.0 models with A/C only.

When I removed the battery tray, the A/C lines were directly blocking alternator removal from the top.
It looked like there was no chance in hell the alternator could fit past them.
I was scared to detach the alternator in such a tight space without an exact game plan, and gave up.

Some people say they had to disassemble the entire A/C system to get at the alternator.
But, in this video, she is able to remove it, and seems to have tons of clearance.

This video has a 2000 XJ, and the A/C lines are very differently routed.
Has anyone here removed an alternator from a '98 with the A/C lines from the top?
Did you have to move them?

Something is very off in this video.
You need to do a frame by frame analysis to notice it around 2:35
The A/C hoses seem to have a lot of flex, and when she pulls the alternator,
the black hose seems to have been totally shifted laterally.

Did the father disconnect the A/C lines prior to filming this last step ?
Exactly at 2:38, there is a ton of play in that black line. Like it's disconnected.
The few seconds of removal are heavily edited and jerky, and it's hard to see what's going on.

 

During your initial posts, I wanted to warn you. But you already had your mind made up and rejected the one person that already tried to warn you. So I kept it to myself.

I tried to remove mine from the top, just like everyone said. It was not possible, and I spent -far- too much time messing with it.

If I had just removed it from the bottom from the beginning it would have been a 1 hour job or less. A few more bolts, but not difficult.

It was my air conditioning lines that blocked the removal. It would almost fit through there, but not quite. Later I realized that if I had put a wood block under the oil pan and lifted the motor a little, I -might- have been able to slip it through. Because it was only blocked by about 1/2" of clearance.

If some people have gotten theirs out through the top...good for them. But if people provide that guidance without having actually done it themselves, not cool.

 

No, you did not warn anyone about A/C lines blocking removal.
In fact, you advised how to remove the battery tray bolts. (wrong path)

But, thanks anyway for the verification that it's not possible to remove from the top with A/C lines.
Then how do you think they remove it in the video????
My theory is that the A/C lines are detached off-camera.

I agree that it's not cool to post bogus information

I am going to ask these posters how they removed it from the top,
or if they ever did the repair in the first place.
dzywicki
XJwonders
Ralph77
97grand4.0

It is mind boggling that there can be so many contradictions on something as basic as an alternator removal.

 

I sent those 4 guys a PM, so hopefully we can get to the bottom of this

 

Its the internet. So its not really so mind boggling. The same exact thing happened with my Honda Accord a few weeks ago, so it is not even limited to any particular type of vehicle. There were people with videos showing the alternator coming out through the top on the Honda, but when I went back and watched the videos more carefully, I realized they carefully edited the videos to make it appear like they easily pulled it up and out - but it was never actually shown. When I politely questioned one of the video creators about the omission - they just passed it off as bad editing, or their battery died. But ultimately, Its a free video on youtube - so I learned my lesson and moved on.

My point: if you only use the internet for vehicle maintenance information - you are in for some serious frustration. It has to be combined with some actual technical resources (FSM, Haynes, Chilton, etc) and a good dose of common sense. (I like to use the internet primarily for "background" knowledge on the job (things not to forget, common issues that may impact the job, chemicals and materials to have on hand, specialty tool requirements, and tips & tricks to make the job easier).

 

I'm out.

 

Same thing is the video I posted above.
The A/C lines have so much play that they MUST be disconnected, yet the father never mentions that.
Really sad when video makers post fake videos with steps left out for click bait.
I have never seen this in the BMW world. Ever.