Hi, I've been having a heck of a time loosening one of the bolts securing the alternator on my 74 century. I've use deep creep as well as a 2.5 foot breaker bar. It is starting to round the edges of the bolt. I'm not sure, but it might have even cold welded to the mount. Anyone have any ideas on trying to dislodge this dang bolt? Thanks. Pic is attached.
Make sure to use a 6 point socket, use an impact impact wrench if you have one. Let the impact wrench tap tap tap it loose. PB Blaster is also a great lubricant for stuck bolts.
Once it is rounded it is hard to remove. I was trying to remove a bolt from my flywheel. I rounded it off. It was in so tight I could no even get it out with vise grips. I went to Sears and bought the Craftsman Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set Here is a link to it; http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00952161000 The bolt out worked for me . I used a 1/2 rachet. It was still tough to get out but it did come off. Make sure you have it on all the way. Good Luck, Bob
Did you spray where the bolt goes into the head also? Sometimes I tap the end of a stuck bolt with a hammer to help jar it loose. Just don't smack it so hard/much that it flattens it and changes the size ot it!
Its probably siezed to the aluminum case of the alternator. Try moving the alternator as if you were adjusting the belt and see if the alternator moves independently of the bolt.
What is the bead of stuff ringing the bolt head? It looks like it is weldeduzzled: Can you remove that with a screwdriver? o No:
I actually tried that one too. But that was before the deep creep, not sure if it mattered too much. Thanks for the help guys. I'll look into some of those things.
The head of the bolt looks a bit greasy or oily. The first thing I would suggest to you is getting some carb cleaner or brake cleaner after that thing and getting it as free of oil, grease and any lubricant you sprayed it with as possible. As mentioned earlier, does the alternator move without moving the bolt itself? It looks like the upper bolt has been removed and the alternator is stuck in place. Is that correct? Try moving the alternator in either direction and see if that helps at all. I assume you sprayed something like WD-40 or PB Blaster on the spot where the bolt goes through the back of the bracket into the cylinder head? If not, try that. One trick I have used only works if you have a really good bolt head to work with. Using an impact socket (they are most all six point sockets and quite strong) and breaker bar, take the biggest box end wrench you have and slip the boxed end over the handle of the breaker bar. Pull on the wrench in either direction and see if you can get that bolt to turn just a bit. Once it moves at all, you should be home free. That is a cheap and easy way to gain A LOT of extra leverage. Of course, that is the ONLY thing I have ever used my 1 1/4" box end for....... Well, that and to 'encourage' a few people in the past to leave me alone..... The last suggestion I have if the bolt is stuck in the alternator rather than just maybe rusted in place would be a few judicious raps with a hammer on the head of the bolt. You don't want to hit it too hard as stated before so that the head flattens and takes a bigger socket than you have now.
If you are going to continue to work on projects (like I am) you will not regret buying the Craftsman Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set. It only takes a few minutes to remove the BOLT
To me that looks like a nut that is welded solid to the bracket. Have you tried to get att it from "the other" side? Per. :beer :beer
I had to resort to taking a sabre saw to the alternator once to get this bolt removed. It had broken just inside the alternator housing. Signs to look for are would be as you move the alternator, as if you are loosing or tighning the v-belt, the bolt is turning with the alternator. I would try drilling a small hole into the alternator mount area that intersects the center line of the bolt. Then spray PB Blaster into the hole soak the bolt throughout its length. When this is soaked then apply heat to the aluminum mount area with a propane torch. The rock the bolt back and forth as the two dissimiliar metals have corroded together. When assembling make sure you apply antisieze to this bolt not only where it screws into the cylinder head, but along the length that goes to the support and through the alternator mount. Hope this helps
Washer It looks to me that a washer is welded to the head , I would try and grind the welded area down some and then try to use the bolt remover from craftman or a shallow socket with a breaker bar,I would also use some low heat right on the head also and then spray with some lubercant as it cools down so that it can seep in the threads. You might have to do it a few times? GOOD LUCK! Don
Wow, I sure hope that is not my case. Did you cut off the mounting brace or part of the alternator. I picked up that craftsman set. I need to use it on three bolts holding my battery tray in anyways. They literally are engulfed in rust and are rounded. I will probably try it on this bolt after I assess what the best method to get it out is. Also the bolt is incredibly long I really cant even feel where the other side is. It has been terrible weather out the past few days so I haven't been able to get out there to try anything more.
I had that happen to me ,the bolt head snapped off about an inch back,the shaft of the bolt welded itself to the ac bracket.I ended up sawzalling the bracket off and destroying the alternator,even then it was a pita!I hope you dont have to get that drastic but you might.
heres a simple solution, weld a nut to the bolt head then loosen it.can even use a bigger nut,if that dont work get the f%^%$%^&^ torch out and cut bolt head off and wiggle bracket off of bolt. goodluck Ray ________ grandma Cam
I had the exact same problem on my former 350 (may it rest in peace). The bolt had essentially become one with the alternator. I finally bought an electric impact wrench and about 30 seconds after I got home, all was well. It broke the bolt loose, and once free, spun it quickly enough to back it out of the alternator itself.
Well, I didnt exactly find a solution to the problem, but i found a way around it for what i needed to do. I figured out that someone had actually tack welded the bolt to the mount, most likely because the alternator was consistenly coming loose. Now, it just so happens that the bolt is not threaded through the alternator, just threaded to the head. So for what I needed to do, the alternator would still pivot around the stuck bolt. I just had to pull the alternator ridiculously hard and i was able to pivot it enough to take the belt off that I needed to get off. If all that makes sense...So in the end if I have to ever get that bolt off I'll still have the same problem, I just worked my way around it.
