...and then this happened!

[Dave6T4]

We went to a little local car show on Satuday. On the way home, I heard a distinctive "rat-a-tat-tat" from under the hood. I immediately pulled over and stopped to see what had happened. The long bolt that attaches the alternator to the head sheared off and slid out enough to touch the fan blade. No real damage, just a big inconvenience. A nice couple allowed me to back my car into their farm laneway to await a tow truck. CAA membership paid for the roll-back and 20 mile ride home. Now I have to try and get the broken piece out of the cylinder head. Hopefully, it does not have to come off.
I asked the operator if he could wait around the corner until after dark to unload at my place. He said my membership card would not cover that. Chev guy next door, and Ford guy across the road.

 

[Don Frelier]

Not a Chinesium bolt was it?

It should come right out.

 

[69a100]

The long bolt that attaches the alternator to the head sheared off and slid out enough to touch the fan blade.

A bolt with no stress on it doesn't "just shear" from driving? There's more to this story than what's being told! JMHO

 

[ricks_RR]

the best part is you were driving your car while there's didn't make it out of the garage .

 

[Don Frelier]

You probably could have dropped it off around the corner, knocked the bolt back in and idled it home if you were really that worried about what the neighbors think.
It may have been broken for some time.

 

[Runcharger]

I had the same thing happen to my year old, 1976 Dodge D100 with a 400 in it. Of course mine happened in the middle of nowhere in Northern B.C. on my way to Fort St. John around 11PM. I was lucky that some farmers stopped on their way home from the bar and I limped it to their farm and jury rigged a shorter nut and bolt to get me where I was going.

 

[Carcinogen]

Common to break these especially after all these years. Should be easy to come out, first try using broken bolt to screw it out.

Have not had much luck with replacing long bolt with recent purchases that lasts. Anyone have a source for good long alternator bolts? Newer bolts seem to be not as durable as old factory bolts.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

We went to a little local car show on Satuday. On the way home, I heard a distinctive "rat-a-tat-tat" from under the hood. I immediately pulled over and stopped to see what had happened. The long bolt that attaches the alternator to the head sheared off and slid out enough to touch the fan blade. No real damage, just a big inconvenience. A nice couple allowed me to back my car into their farm laneway to await a tow truck. CAA membership paid for the roll-back and 20 mile ride home. Now I have to try and get the broken piece out of the cylinder head. Hopefully, it does not have to come off.
I asked the operator if he could wait around the corner until after dark to unload at my place. He said my membership card would not cover that. Chev guy next door, and Ford guy across the road.

View attachment 1328865

View attachment 1328866

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Very sharp lookin' '67 you've got there. We should get together for a cruise sometime!

 

[Thrashingcows]

I had the same recuring problem on a 340 years ago, I checked belt/pulley alignment, different belts and tried different tension on the alternator belt and it would randomly snap the bolt off. I tried grade 8 bolts and they sheared faster than the grade 5 bolts. Never did fix the problem but the grade 5 bolts would last months before breaking, and I eventually sold the car.

 

[Dave6T4]

Very sharp lookin' '67 you've got there. We should get together for a cruise sometime!

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Sharp looking R/T yourself. I just think these cars are beautiful in light yellow. I bought a new Super Bee in 1969 and it looked similar to your R/T. My car was a "post" coupe and did not have a vinyl top. It was Sunfire Yellow with black stripe and black interior. Mine also had the side scoops and RamAir hood. I eventually came up with a fibreglass Six Pack hood and had Magnum 500's on it. It had 383, automatic and factory 3.91's on a Suregrip. Power disc brakes, and Hemi suspension, with 26" rad cooling package. It was $3650.00 out to the door. The dealership ordered it that way, and I bought it the same afternoon it came off the car transporter.

 

[khryslerkid]

If there isn't enough bolt to get a hold of hopefully you have a mig welder. Place the same size nut over the broken bolt, weld through the hole in the nut to attach it to the bolt. (Minimum wire speed)

I have used a small chisel to make a slot in the end and turn them out if they are loose.

Good luck, Great looking R/T

 

[Dave6T4]

If there isn't enough bolt to get a hold of hopefully you have a mig welder. Place the same size nut over the broken bolt, weld through the hole in the nut to attach it to the bolt. (Minimum wire speed)

I have used a small chisel to make a slot in the end and turn them out if they are loose.

Good luck, Great looking R/T

I think I am going to have to pull the head off and take it to an engine/machine shop. The bolt broke off below flush, so there is nothing to grab or weld to. I tried chasing it out with a sharp punch and hammer with no luck.
I wonder if was slightly too long a bolt, and bottomed out in the tapped hole.

 

[khryslerkid]

I think I am going to pull the head off and take it to an engine/machine shop. The bolt broke off below flush, so there is nothing to grab or weld to. I tried chasing it out with a sharp punch and hammer with no luck.

Drill and easy out?

 

[Dave6T4]

Drill and easy out?

I have tried that too, but the bolt is so hard that my drill has little effect.

 

[dadsbee]

Grind a similar diameter bolt to a point and mig it quickly to the broken one and you should be able to turn it out while still hot. I had a broken bellhousing to block bolt broken below the surface that I could never get out decade's ago. Doing the above during restoration had the broken bolt out in 5 minutes.

 

[Moparnocar]

I think I am going to have to pull the head off and take it to an engine/machine shop. The bolt broke off below flush, so there is nothing to grab or weld to. I tried chasing it out with a sharp punch and hammer with no luck.
I wonder if was slightly too long a bolt, and bottomed out in the tapped hole.

You can still weld a nut on it, just be careful, and reverse drill bits/good easy out etc

 

[Thrashingcows]

Grind a similar diameter bolt to a point and mig it quickly to the broken one and you should be able to turn it out while still hot. I had a broken bellhousing to block bolt broken below the surface that I could never get out decade's ago. Doing the above during restoration had the broken bolt out in 5 minutes.

I've done the welding a nut onto a broken bolt many times, but have never come across grinding a bolt to a point and then welding it to the broken bolt....Will add that to my list of things to try...Thanks!

 

[#41]

I have never in 40+ years had a problem with that bolt on an old Mopar... or even heard of someone who had. You'd think the larger part of the stress on the bolt happens at the bracket, but then again the bolt is smaller diameter where threaded. Interesting.