OK, I'm not going to let this ruin my day......

Pivot bolt on Alt. broke off and is now in stuck in the Alt. I did a search, but didn't quite find anything. I read that I should drill, but not sure what to do next.

I can walk to the AZ from my house, one way is about 30 minutes. I don't mind the walk, so if there is anything down there that could help me, please inform me, and I'll try and tackle this tonight.

Or is it better (and less cussing) just to take it to a machine shop tomorrow?

Thanks a lot.

__________________
1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

A picture would sure help...
Where exactly it broke might affect the action needed....

So the alternator is free ... off the engine ? Where you can put it under a drill press ?

Did it break on the shoulder or the threads ?

Do you know why it broke ?

Hey there LM

Well my darn camera doesn't work since the wife took it through the airport screener. It's just a white screen now.

I have the Alt off in my hands, off the engine.

It broke clean off on the shoulder I guess. Nothing is sticking out if that is what you mean. Half the bolt in my hand, the other in the alt.

I had it in wrong and was backing it out. I think I may have overtightened it as well, prior to backing it out.

Thank you.

__________________
1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

You can try to use bolt extractor to get your broken bolt.
I don't know if AZ carries any bolt extractors.
Here is the link from Irwin Industrial Tools:
http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/productDetail.jhtml?attributeId=IRWNUP000160&currentType=BM1000005


Gook luck


David
_______________
1985 300 D Turbo

What I do in situations like that is avoid drilling if possible. It sounds like the bolt broke off level with the alt case.

Clean up the broken bolt with a grinder or Dremel.
Weld an apprpriate size nut to the broken bolt.
You may have to build up the bolt with a few tacks.
Remove broken bolt.

95% of the time this entire process can be done in under two minutes. Much faster process than drilling and using cheesy extractors. Much cheaper than having to purchase quality extractor sets.

You have the right attitude here!

If you know that drilling's involved, but aren't sure what to do next, then I would suggest getting a machine shop (or at least someone who's done this sort of thing before) involved. Experience can help, patience is important, and the right tools can make things much easier.

You might check this link for one guy's suggestions for removing studs from heads, blocks, etc. Your situation, where the assembly can readily be taken off for surgery, is vastly preferable, but many of the same principles apply. One warning here is that it sounds from your description that things may have gotten cross-threaded, in which case it's not just a matter of getting old, corroded threads to let go of each other. IMHO, that makes it even more likely that surgery will be required. I've done this sort of surgery a few times (in a machine shop and on parts still attached to a vehicle), but I didn't enjoy it much!

Either way, it's all easier in a machine shop setting. If the original threads in the piece being saved are salvageable, then the proper tap is required to clean them up. If the threads are beyond repair, then a machine shop might have the stuff on hand to install an appropriate threaded insert.

Good luck with it!


-- eskimo

hmmm
I have heard of this welding on a nut idea somewher...

Welding a nut on is one of those tricky situations if the bolt is broken off level....easy to weld the stud to the part you are wanting to get it out of... then you really have a problem... if it is sticking out then welding is a great solution... I use " high alloy 1000" available at the usual welding places.. BUT ALSO available at Ace Hardware stores....
The guy in the link had it at least half right... he figured out he needed left hand thread drill bits... but stopped too soon... what you do is take about 3/4 ths of the bolt out....and use a left hand thead tap and then a left hand bolt to screw into it with... so as you tighten the left hand bolt it is unscrewing the right hand broken off bolt... spreads the pressure all over the place... on the left hand bolt being screwed in ... this should be a grade 8....

Wow, that was a great link eskimo.

I am moving in one week, and everything is packed here and there, and my home is a wreck. With the exception of a few tools I can't seem to find anything. Tomorrow I will start again. I may just take it to my buddies shop and see if he wants to tackle it.

I must be in a great mood, because when I saw what happened I just laughed. Then I accidentally stepped on my new sunglasses and broke them too! Man!!!! What a day!

It's funny though. One bolt gone wrong and I can't drive it at all. :p

I'll post what happens tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to make a glass of tea and sit on the porch. LOL

__________________
1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

I guess those weren't Maui Jim's ($$$$$$) you stepped on.

__________________
84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)

haha, no. Never could justify spending big $$$ on shades...I always sit on them and break them!!! I have the worst luck with sun glasses.

It was like Chris Farely skit: break the bolt, step on my shades....all I had to do next was bonk my head and then fall through the coffee table.....

__________________
1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

LOL that's great.

I go through nine to ten pairs of sunglasses a year.
No way I could ever take care of seeing glasses if I had to.

I once had a bolt that had the head completely ground away from a pulley that had come loose on the shaft and moved towards the bolt. I ended up going to Sears and just as I was in the tool dept they had a video of Bob Villa talkign about the Craftsman Easy-out extractor. I bought a set ($19.95 gets you 2 different sizes) and I when I got back I put one of them in my portable drill and putting the drill in reverse I slowly ran it on the bolt. After a few turns of the extractor it grabbed the bolt and-viola- the bolt was backing itself out. Right then and there I was sold that there was NO BETTER way of getting out stuck bolts and screws.

I have found that you have to make sure you have the drill run slowly otherwise the cutting edge of the extractor will simply chew a hole in the bolt or screw.

Good luck,

__________________
Frank
84 500SEL EURO 101K ( JUST LIKE MY 1ST WIFE. GLAD TO GET RID OF HER! )
85 300D 310K (sold)
90 350SDL 184K sold
83 300D 118K (sold)
88 300E 153k (sold)
93 400E 105K (sold)

I don't know anything about the craftsman extractor (but I am a huge fan of craftsman tools)...I would advise caution on using any "el cheapo" extractors though...I have had them get me out of a real jam... but if you break one off in the hole then you have a chunk of hardened metal in the hole as well
VERY difficult to drill out for another try. Trust me!

Here's what I would do. Go to a junkyard and get another bolt. You are going to need one no matter what you decide to do. Go to a parts store and buy a remanufactured alternator using the now defective alternator for core charge. Before exchanging, remove your voltage regulator and keep it for a spare.

Good luck!!!

__________________
Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)