OP
OP
ledzilla
Active member
Well, I went to pull the alternator out for now before installing the new belt, and I ran into trouble. I dropped the original adjuster bolt earlier this year and it just plain disappeared. Couldn't find it anywhere which leads me to believe it's trapped somewhere under the hood where I'll never likely find it unless I do some sort of comprehensive restoration project. I used a bolt and flanged nut with a yellow zinc chromate coating to replace the old bolt and that worked well until today. I thought what I used was Grade 5 or 8, but the threads stripped right out and the bolt spins in the nut without coming loose. So, figured I'll just remove the bolt that holds the bracket the engine. Nope. The head rounded off. So at the current moment the alternator is stuck. I don't have enough time today to run to the store to get some bolt extractors before I run out of daylight, so with any luck I can get to it tomorrow if the cold snap we're expecting doesn't arrive too soon. If that all works, then I can get the alternator and bracket on my bench so I can cut off the nut and bolt.
I gotta say, I don't think I've ever encountered this before. When I get a wrench onto the nut, it's definitely on there as it will move in whatever direction I spin the bolt when I don't hold it in place. And I can feel the bolt spinning and heating up when I try to work it with my cordless ratchet. Once I get it all apart, I'll go order some new hardware and make sure it's at least Grade 8. Really don't want to mess around with this again.
I gotta say, I don't think I've ever encountered this before. When I get a wrench onto the nut, it's definitely on there as it will move in whatever direction I spin the bolt when I don't hold it in place. And I can feel the bolt spinning and heating up when I try to work it with my cordless ratchet. Once I get it all apart, I'll go order some new hardware and make sure it's at least Grade 8. Really don't want to mess around with this again.
