has anybody ever experienced an armature that drifted in the case causing problems?
I can't get the pulley off (I've never been able to pull one of these off) but I can tell the drift is caused by some sort of circular retainer drifting out of the front of the case (on the inside, drifting toward the center)
I was able to push the retainer back in with the curved arm of pliers for a wedge, but I have no idea how likely the retainer will move again or not.

Just wondering if anyone has ever dealt with this. It's a very nicely chromed case so I don't want to toss it.

The front bearing has a stamped steel retainer plate, the 3 fingers of the retainer clip into the front cover. If the retainer fingers aren't properly clipped into the cover, the rotor can drift for/aft.

Thanks John, that's VERY informative! My alt does not have the retainer (since its a Chrome unit, whoever built it left the retainer out!). apparently the circular thing I can barely see is the bearing itself!

Worked fine for 12 years till this. Unfortunately I can't get the pulley off to deal with this in a correct way.

I don't have the correct puller but I've seen other people try that tool with no success. Others have success I am sure.

I've never had the correct puller fail, works on P/S pulleys too.

You can rent that puller from AZ. I typically use a hose clamp around the bottom of the jaws as close to the pulley as I can get and tighten the HC up as much as possible. Keeps the jaws from spreading and sliding off.

https://store.alternatorparts.com/463500-bearing-retainer-chrysler.aspx

I went and borrowed a puller from autozone. It worked! Pulled two pulleys from alternators and i am using the rotor from the spare, that has the bearing retainer in place compared to the rotor from my chrome unit.

Seems those retainers can be important! Maybe not today or tomorrow, but maybe twelve years down the line!

seen a lot of rebuilt units, not have the retainer installed . . .