Thread: Oil leak from Alternator

TD5? Just looked at RAVE,the alternator has an oil supply pipe, sealed with an O - ring, and an oil return pipe, which looks like it is a rubber pipe , sealed with clamps. The supply pipe is smaller than the return pipe, if the alternator is new, can't see any reason why it would not be a quick fix, my guess is you left out the supply O - ring. Bob [ get yourself a RAVE DVD, makes it so much easier]

Could be the o ring behind the vac pump or it could be the seal on the shaft which you have to remove the alternator to fix. Take the rear half of the casing off the alternator and you will see the seal. If it is a new alternator it is unlikely to be the seal, i would think.

It's an isuzu, but I upgraded the alternator and can't remember what it's from so it was more of a generic alternator question. I do have a rave somewhere but I haven't seen it for a while.
I guess I'll pull it apart and see what I find.

Before you pull it off clean all the oil off it and have a close look at it while it is running. If it is the oring you will find oil on bottom of the vac pump assembly. If it is the seal you will see the oil drip/run off the rear mounting leg of the alternator as they have a drain hole in the rear casing and most of the oil that gets past the seal will drain out there and run down the leg.

It's coming off the vac pump. Hopefully I have the right size o-ring in my collection.

Make sure oil isn't getting on the starter motor. Oil got in mine and killed it.

After much procrastinating, and time spent cleaning up the yard after the Aus day storms, I finally pulled apart the vacuum pump. From what I can see, it's missing an o-ring altogether.

There was an o-ring between the vac pump and the backing plate, but no o-rong between the backing plate and alternator. There is nothing stopping the oil from getting past the plate through the hole where the shaft goes and there is a recess in the rear of the alternator, so something is obviously wrong. Hopefully I have the right sized o-ring in my collection.

Yes, there should be an o ring there. It is a very thin viton type one so hopefully you will have one that will fit.