Alternator bolt jammed??!!

[drftnassmofo]

alright..when i got my car i looked down in front of the engine and saw that there was a bolt sticking out that holds on my alternator..its about a cm. away from hitting the fan blades and its all crooked n errything..i tried to just bolt it back in and it didnt budge ...so i tried to pull it out and it wouldnt go there either..wtf should i do..im scared to really drive my baby...any help would be great!

[DAEDALUS]

Sounds like something didn't thread in properly, and maybe was overtorqued till the bolt bent? Usually they break, but maybe it's a soft grade. Take a pic if you can. I'd guess you just have to force it out and replace it, but you'll be really fooged if it breaks off. If it's securing the alt just fine maybe just leave it as is and worry about it later if the alt fails. Probably easier to replace the fan and/or water pump if the fan starts to hit it.

[drftnassmofo]

yeah...i tried to take all the belts off but..nope..theres three diff. belts!!!so yeah..prolly would be easier to get a new fan...but now my belt makes that squeling noise almost whenever i start it up and i was wondering if its /c the belt isnt tight enough b/c of the at. bolt??

[JDNISMO]

LOL I just posted about this a second ago. I had the EXACT same thing happen. I remember trying to stick it in and pull it out and it didn't seem to want to. So I just got a buddy and he wiggled the alternator as much as he could, while I lightly tapped on that bolt with a hammer. I think the weight of the engine makes those holes not want to line up, and btw you are gonna need to get a nut with a lock washer for the other side, that bolt does not thread into anything. If your bolt is visually bent then you may need a new one I don't know.

btw, I don't know if you have a single or dual cam, might make a difference, this was for my s14.

[drftnassmofo]

yeah..its dohc..do you know where i could go to find one or would i be better off at a junkyard? after you did it did the belt stop squeeling after strt up?

[drftnassmofo]

thanx jd..i pryed the alt. with a bigazz screwdriver and pushed till it felt ryte then pounded it through..i was thinkin bout doin that before but thought i break suttin till u told me you had to do it before...prob. fixed..thanx mansam

[sileightysomeday]

how important is the alternator tension bolt? mine seems to be all loose and moving around....

[drftnassmofo]

wow...really old thread....well your supposed to have the correct tension on all accessory pullies...so they spin and create voltage...or for ac or p/s..etc. if a belt gets loose it may not work properly so your batt. could die easily...just find a lockwasher and nut that fit the bolt and make it toight..after a day or so of driving check it again and if it stays on you can be pretty sure it aint gonna come off and stop worrying about seeing it every time you pop the hood.