I had to replace my alternator due to a very loud and whiny alternator bearing. I figured having a general overview might be helpful for others that dive into this project. Sorry, no pics. When I'm in garage mode I don't really think about it so this will be a wall of text.

Car
2005 XC90 2.5T FWD

Issue
VERY loud alternator bearing. Sounded like a power steering pump running on no fluid.

Special Tools Needed
Depends on your accessory belt tensioner type. I have an accessory belt tool from Harbor Freight and a T50 torx socket for my tensioner. Some are just a 14mm bolt. A magnet is nice if you drop any bolts into the abyss below.

Parts
I found my alternator on eBay. My car has 276K miles on it so finding an alternator with only 100K miles on it for $50 sure beat a new one for $300.

CHF 202 fluid for the PS pump.



First things first
1. Disconnect the battery. I honestly forgot to do this until trying to remove the alternator terminal bolt. Sparks...oops.



Power Steering Pump Removal
1. You may want to suck out your fluid first. I opted to unhook things and just tried to minimize the splatter.
2. Unhook the reservoir.
3. Remove the (2) hose clamps and (2) hoses from the reservoir. Drain reservoir and set aside.
4. Remove (1) hose clamp and flex hose at the pump. Be ready, this will get messy.
5. Remove 8mm bolt holding rigid hose that goes to the rack. Pull hose out.
6. Take tension off the accessory belt and remove belt from PS pump. Push wrench/accessory belt tool toward the FRONT of the car to remove tension.
7. Remove (3) 10mm bolts holding PS pump. This is done by routing a socket through the holes in the PS pump pulley wheel.
8. Remove the pump and drain fluid from it.



Remove Alternator
Special Note: The alternator is held on by one bolt up top and two bolts on the bottom. But the alternator is sandwiched between the AC compressor and the engine block. So you'll need to remove the alternator bolts and only loosen the AC compressor bolts.
1. Double check the battery is disconnected, remember, sparks.
2. Remove (2) hose clamps holding the lower turbo hose. Remove the hose.
3. Remove (2) 10mm bolts located between the alternator and AC compressor.
4. Remove (1) 10mm bolt located just behind the PS bracket.
5. Loosen (2) 10mm AC compressor bolts located below AC compressor. You can get to one from below but I found it easier accessing them from above, but it's a stretch. This should free the alternator.
6. Remove the 13mm terminal bolt which will allow you to remove the wire going to the alternator. I found it easier to shift the alternator to get to this connector. It's hidden under the intake manifold. Not impossible but certainly a pain to get to.
7. Remove the small electrical connection.
8. Finagle the alternator out. For me this involved turning it about 29 different directions and really pushing the water pump hose out of the way but it worked. I really didn't want to deal with antifreeze so I didn't remove the water pump hose.



As usual just reverse the steps to reassemble. Wrestling with the accessory belt was especially fun but we finally came to an understanding. Do be careful not to get PS fluid in the new alternator. I covered mine with a rag before putting the PS pump back on. Make sure to use the correct PS fluid. I'm not sure how much it matters but $20 for CHF 202 is better than what a new rack would cost.

 

Nice write-up! To save a few steps; if you don’t need a power steering fluid flush, it is easy to do this job without disconnecting any of the power steering lines or draining the reservoir. Just remove the lines from the various c-clamps, release the reservoir from the coolant tank and you’ll have enough slack to place the pump on top of the engine. A bungee can help hold everything in (or out of) place temporarily. I’m only speaking for the XC90, but the rest of the 2.5t P2 cars look the same in that area under the hood.