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Ideas on getting this bolt unstuck

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Too bad, eh? I thought Bob's solution (as usual) was slick!

I've been whacking the end of the bolt thread on the right pretty good already, I think I've already damaged those threads. I just hit it with PB again so I'm going to let it soak some more and see where I get to.

I think I might have to cut the bolt down on the right side and then get a punch in there and just whack the heck out of it. Is that fails then time to start sectioning the bolt I guess.

Any special drill bit I'll need if/when that time comes?

I really appreciate the ideas guys - that bolt is coming out one way or another.
 
tdskip said:
I think I might have to cut the bolt down on the right side and then get a punch in there and just whack the heck out of it.
Click to expand...
Counter-productive, IMO. You've already beat on the bolt hard enough to deform it, and if you deform it inside the hole it will just lock that much harder. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Any special drill bit I'll need if/when that time comes?[/QUOTE]I tried a left-hand drill from HF, but it didn't work any better than an ordinary right-hand drill. Just an ordinary twist drill will do fine, as long as it is sharp and cuts straight. That bolt won't be hard enough to require carbide (which is also more brittle); and all those fancy coatings you see in the catalogs are just about maybe keeping the drill bit sharp longer. Ordinary HSS should last long enough for one bolt.
 
Hmm, another thought : You could probably disassemble the alternator in place, and pull the rear half off complete with the stator ring and windings. It's only 4 or 5 screws. That would leave the rear part of the bolt exposed for more rapping and soaking in PBB. (PBB sometimes takes a long time to work.)

Then if that doesn't roust it; put a 6-point socket & breaker bar on the head of the bolt, and twist it off. That should let you pull the front part of the alternator and the spacer off; which might give you enough to get the bracket off.
 
TR3driver said:
tdskip said:
I think I might have to cut the bolt down on the right side and then get a punch in there and just whack the heck out of it.
Click to expand...
Counter-productive, IMO. You've already beat on the bolt hard enough to deform it, and if you deform it inside the hole it will just lock that much harder.
Click to expand...

Well scrap that idea - thanks for pointing that out Randall.
 
Tom-

If you are at the point of bolt destruction, I'd go with Randall's thought on a breaker bar and giving it a big tug. It might come loose, or it might shear and you can remove that front spacer and slide everything off, or it might shear and you still need to get out the hacksaw. Not sure if the one failure leg is all that bad at this point.

Randy
 
My 74 TR6 was stuck the same way. I was able to rotate the alternator up and down while tapping on the loosly installed nut. Also tapping on the section that is stuck might help. Now, all that's holding it together is stubborn. Who has more?
 
TR4nut said:
Tom-

If you are at the point of bolt destruction, I'd go with Randall's thought on a breaker bar and giving it a big tug. It might come loose, or it might shear and you can remove that front spacer and slide everything off, or it might shear and you still need to get out the hacksaw. Not sure if the one failure leg is all that bad at this point.

Randy
Click to expand...
He says he already has the bolt turning so the breaker bar idea isn't going to help anymore.
If it absolutely won't move any other way, I would dremel grind the bolt head off, and dismantle the alternator enough to spread the halves and slip it out of place. THEN you can get to it with a BFH, vice grips, heat, thermonuclear devices etc.
 
AltaKnight said:
He says he already has the bolt turning so the breaker bar idea isn't going to help anymore.
Click to expand...
Hmm, maybe I'm confused. I took the post above to mean that he had those parts turning on the bolt, and that the bolt was still stuck in the bracket.
 
Didn't notice that the bolt turns now. Maybe put a vice grips or wedge something against one of the spacers and see if you can determine which one is frozen then? Keep the spacer wedged steady, and try to turn with the breaker bar, and continue tapping, and give us an update!
 
This could be the dumbest suggestion yet but here goes.
Soak the offending part with PB and park the vehicle on a steep inclne so that you have gravity working to assist the flow of the fluid
Also how about the cold vs heat contraction vs expansion method to free things up
A lump of dri ice my suffice

Sorry, just trying to "hep"
 
Hi guys - sorry if I confused anyone. The bolt is <span style="text-decoration: underline">not</span> turning. The spacers are but the bolt itself isn't and I think the head will shear if I put any more turning muscle on it with the breaker bar.

So the good news is that with the spacers turning I should be able to get the PB into the center housing where it has to be hung up.
 
Well, you've got it beat then, just do what Jerry suggested and turn and tap at the same time, it should work itself out slowly I think!
 
Success!

Funny thing is that it backed out as if the thing was threaded even though it doesn't appear to be and the '71 isn't. It kept backing out ever so slightly and then just popped loose.

Thanks guys!

P1010439.jpg



P1010440.jpg
 
It looks like the PB Blaster did it's job. Good penetration there. I really like that stuff. It better then all the others I've tried, although Kroil is pretty good also.
 
tdskip said:
Funny thing is that it backed out as if the thing was threaded even though it doesn't appear to be
Click to expand...
Yup, frequently works that way.

Congratulations!
 
I have used a product called "KROIL" with really good results. Soak it in and wait a day. Good Luck.
 
Strange,

On my 73 that bolt is not threaded. It simply feeds through the alternator and spacers and is secured by a nyloc nut on the back. I was able to just feed the bolt through with some gentle taps of a hammer once the spacer were aligned.....

Ooops, sorry, posted before I read the whole thread. Glad that you got it out....Wish I could have responded sooner.

Cheers,
Tush
 
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