Unfortunately, the stud you bought is probably as grade 5.5 and the nut is
an 8.8.  The washers are who knows what.  It will probably fail again.  This
is one of those applications that needs good hardware.  Grade 10.9 studs
with prevailing torque lock nuts and through hardened washers are needed
here.

Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Eaton <Peter_Eaton@ZD.COM>
To: Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU <Vanagon@GERRY.SDSC.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, December 02, 1997 2:28 PM
Subject: 84 GL Alternator Bracket

This piece 'o hardware led to such a fun Saturday afternoon.....

I notice the belt is squealing, so at lunchtime I check and find that the
nuts are missing from the studs in the block.  Oh goody, a project....so I
check the Bentley, remove the alternator, give the two half-inch remains of
the studs a couple light taps with a hammer and manage to unscrew them with
a pair of pliers.

Off to the hardware store for a pair of 8mmx36mmm replacement studs,
washers and nuts.

Now we're rollin': Use the pliers to thread the new studs in, put the
bracket on, contort the fingers from above to get the washers and nuts
on....and then try and figure out how to get a wrench in that little space.
No good from above, no good from below.

An hour later (out of breath from cursing the guy who designed this) I took
a 6 inch box end wrench, scored it with a hacksaw, clamped it in a vise,
and snapped it in half with a hammer.  Spent the next two hours leaning
over the motor maneuvering the abbreviated wrench into place and tightening
the two nuts one-eighth of a turn at a time.

Five minutes to put the alternator back on and I'm back in business.

Two questions:  Did I miss an easier way to do this? (I wasn't about to
remove the coolant pipe or the exhaust.)  And why wasn't that cursed
bracket cast as part of the block (or just welded onto it)?

Anyway, just wanted to let the next unfortunate soul know that it can be
done without removing anything but the bracket.

Pete