Alternator Charging Issue

[ledzilla]

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.

 

[Tiha]

Dang, yeah that sucks.

Bolts today you never know.

You can take a hammer and a chisel. Try to smash the nut a little if you can get to it. Sometimes that will make the grab some threads.

Otherwise you are trying to cut the heat off I imagine? To get it out?

 

[L\Bronco]

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.

That sucks Led
I have had luck put a good prybar between the bracket and the alt and pry like mad while holding the nut and running the ratchet or impact (if you have space)
this might take 3 hands.
sometimes the little bit of pressure starts the threads coming off.
Good luck.
Cheers!

 

[Jimbo26]

Whatever it takes- and sometimes ya have to get C4 explosives involved.
That eliminates All the issues

 

[ledzilla]

OK, so I got ahold of a set of bokt extractors and attacked that bracket bolt. The bolt head snapped off right quick. So, the alternator is now removed, but I have a bolt stuck in the motor. Since I'm just terrible at bolt extraction, it's going to have to wait until I can get over the shop nearby to have them pull it. They did a good job remove an idle pulley bolt from my '03 Marauder's motor, they'll likely be able to get this one, too.

I also pulled out my angle grinder, gave it a diamond cutting wheel, and cut off the adjustment nut and bolt once the alternator was removed. I'm not sure how it happened, but the threads were completely gone on the nut and the bolt. No wonder it wouldn't come loose. Can't say I've ever had that happen except with really cheap low strength hardware.

Something I noticed when I had the alternator out was a lot of belt material on the front of the casing. I attached a photo. A little surprising given that it spins freely. Again, maybe the voltage regulator was stuck on maximum output and causing a lot of drag.

 

[L\Bronco]

Hey Led
That looks like belt all over the housing.
Id check your pulley width to make sure the belt is wide enough, and verify that the alt pulley width matches the other pulleys on the engine.
Cheers

 

[ledzilla]

Hey Led
That looks like belt all over the housing.
Id check your pulley width to make sure the belt is wide enough, and verify that the alt pulley width matches the other pulleys on the engine.
Cheers

Yeah, I've gone through that before. It's the best sized pulley I've encountered. Smaller and the belt sticks way out and doesn't stay in the groove all that well. Wider and the belt sits too low and gets shredded fairly quickly.