Frozen lower left alternator bolt

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Enjoying it again

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Need some help please. Have a frozen/seized lower left alternator bolt on a 318. This bolt hold the two metal brackets for the alternator and passes through the water pump and timing chain cover into the block just above the fuel pump opening. This bolt is seized. Any suggestions on what to do so as not to snap this bolt in two? Thank you in advance.
 
photo of the bolt you are trying to remove would be helpful
 
That would be the right side. Unless your Alt is on the Driver side? Heat would be my first choice.
 
I think you're going to have to accept the fact that you will be opening up a can of worms with your frozen bolt problem.
The bolt is rusted stuck in the block, and more than likely you will have to remove the water pump, timing cover, and then drill out the remains of the threads that's left in the block.
Either accept the fact that the bolt will break, or just grind the head of that bolt off, or keep twisting till the bolt snaps in half, and remove all the others off the water pump, and timing cover.
And who's to say you might have other rusted stuck, frozen, bolts too.
You got a dilemma, on your hands.
 
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Well 72dart6pak, you have your own opinion thinking a 40-50 year old bolt stuck, rusted, frozen, in the block will come free without breaking off.
That bolt most likely is probably half rusted away, too, after the threads that are still in the block.
Sure, try the flame wrench first, but the heat won't really get down into the block.
 
Need some help please. Have a frozen/seized lower left alternator bolt on a 318. This bolt hold the two metal brackets for the alternator and passes through the water pump and timing chain cover into the block just above the fuel pump opening. This bolt is seized. Any suggestions on what to do so as not to snap this bolt in two? Thank you in advance.

Ok stick with me here.:D
Just in front of the block (where the threads in the block are) you can drill a small hole through the aluminum timing cover into the bolts hole.
This will let you spray a lubricant into that bolt channel in the casting without affecting anything else.
The lube will be contained between the bolt threads in the block and the bolt head on the front of the water pump.
Once the bolt is out that little hole in the casting won’t affect a thing.
Sometimes those bolts are corroded up the shoulder as well, and the above method can help that also if that is the case.

I give the bolt head a few smacks with a hammer to help shock the threads loose.
It works most of the time and is easy to try.
 
Ok stick with me here.:D
Just in front of the block (where the threads in the block are) you can drill a small hole through the aluminum timing cover into the bolts hole.
This will let you spray a lubricant into that bolt channel in the casting without affecting anything else.
The lube will be contained between the bolt threads in the block and the bolt head on the front of the water pump.
Once the bolt is out that little hole in the casting won’t affect a thing.
Sometimes those bolts are corroded up the shoulder as well, and the above method can help that also if that is the case.

I give the bolt head a few smacks with a hammer to help shock the threads loose.
It works most of the time and is easy to try.
That is a quite interesting idea. I will admit that my first thought was to agree with @hemi71x and prepare for the rusted, broken bolt drill out dance. It would be great if you could take a picture and show @Enjoying it again exactly what you are talking about. I really hope it works. If not, drag out the Easy outs.
 
I used to go to all the Pick-n-Pull wrecking yards, and one of the things that i used to do was to pull timing covers off the small block engines for resale purposes, when they had 25, 40, 50 % off sales.
Especially 68-69 covers, with the molded in timing marks.
I must have pulled dozens and dozens off donor engines, and also being a professional auto mechanic, earning my living.
At the PNP's i didn't care if a bolt was rusted into the engine block.
I would just twist the bolt head, until the bolt busted in two.
After all, i was just going for the cover, and didn't have to put it back together again.

That small drill hole, and rust bust penetrate, is a good idea.
Never thought of that.
Good idea to try, nothing to loose.

Maybe the op will reply how he finally got everything apart.
 
That is a quite interesting idea. I will admit that my first thought was to agree with @hemi71x and prepare for the rusted, broken bolt drill out dance. It would be great if you could take a picture and show @Enjoying it again exactly what you are talking about. I really hope it works. If not, drag out the Easy outs.

I have gotten 3 out of 4 frozen water pump bolts this way.
The one it didn’t work on sheared the bolt shank and left a couple of inches still in the block.
Tapping with the hammer and vise grips got that one out after the pump and timing cover were off.

In the picture there is a ridge where the bolt shank runs through the pump housing and timing cover.
There is a ridge just like that for the lower bolt.
Swing the alternator up and drill that with a 1/16 bit anywhere along that channel into the bolt opening.
Fill it with something like PB Blaster or WD40 and let it soak awhile with an occasional smack or three on the bolt head with the hammer for shock value.
Give it a day or over night to soak, then very lightly try and see if it moves.

3F458D19-D7C7-4CD5-93FA-ACCF591FC891.jpeg
 
Don’t use WD40, you are trying to get a stuck bolt out, use a good penetrant!
 
This is easy, but it's time consuming. Here's how you do it. Make preparations to remove the timing cover. Cut the head of that bolt off when you get all the rest off and ready to remove the timing cover and wiggle the timing cover off the headless bolt. Then you can get to where it screws into the block and spray penetrant on it where it does into the block and smack the end of the bolt with a hammer. Rinse and repeat with a pair of vise grips on the bolt bouncing gently on it counter clockwise. It will come out. Eventually. The problem will become that may not be the only bolt you have to cut the head off of. When you finally get the bolt or bolts removed, go into all those bolt holes in the block with a tap and clean them up GOOD. Finally, upon reassembly, coat the threads of all the bolts with high temp red RTV and the long bolts that run completely through the water pump and timing cover coat the shafts of those bolts as well to keep the shaft from seizing up on the timing cover. That's the only correct way to do this job and completely repair it so it can be taken apart in the future. Anything less is a waste of time.
 
This is easy, but it's time consuming. Here's how you do it. Make preparations to remove the timing cover. Cut the head of that bolt off when you get all the rest off and ready to remove the timing cover and wiggle the timing cover off the headless bolt. Then you can get to where it screws into the block and spray penetrant on it where it does into the block and smack the end of the bolt with a hammer. Rinse and repeat with a pair of vise grips on the bolt bouncing gently on it counter clockwise. It will come out. Eventually. The problem will become that may not be the only bolt you have to cut the head off of. When you finally get the bolt or bolts removed, go into all those bolt holes in the block with a tap and clean them up GOOD. Finally, upon reassembly, coat the threads of all the bolts with high temp red RTV and the long bolts that run completely through the water pump and timing cover coat the shafts of those bolts as well to keep the shaft from seizing up on the timing cover. That's the only correct way to do this job and completely repair it so it can be taken apart in the future. Anything less is a waste of time.

The oil pan and possibly the gasket, the pump and timing cover, realigning the timing cover and sealing it again.
No thanks.
Not without every possible attempt at getting the bolt out in one piece first.
 
The oil pan and possibly the gasket, the pump and timing cover, realigning the timing cover and sealing it again.
No thanks.
Not without every possible attempt at getting the bolt out in one piece first.
It's no big deal in reinstalling a timing cover back onto a small block engine.
What's the big deal?
That's what they make RTV silicone gasket sealer for.

Reinstalled many timing covers in my career, after doing a timing chain, and gear job, in my profession as an auto mechanic, without any problems at all.
 
It's no big deal in reinstalling a timing cover back onto a small block engine.
What's the big deal?
That's what they make RTV silicone gasket sealer for.

Too many people can’t even get the bolts back in without the oil pan down, let alone align the balancer hub in the seal.
Sure you and I can, but…
Just saying I would try everything else first.
 
Too many people can’t even get the bolts back in without the oil pan down, let alone align the balancer hub in the seal.
Sure you and I can, but…
Just saying I would try everything else first.
Putting a timing cover back onto an engine is a no brainer, that any skill level mechanic can get the job done without difficulty.
It's just nuts and bolts.
 
The oil pan and possibly the gasket, the pump and timing cover, realigning the timing cover and sealing it again.
No thanks.
Not without every possible attempt at getting the bolt out in one piece first.

What's happened is, that bolt is married to the timing cover. All the way through what....2" of timing cover. It was assembled dry. It'll be a miracle if it comes out and if it does, there are three other bolts that go through the same way. That bad boy would be coming apart over here and that problem would be gettin fixed. I've never understood why people always want to look at the bare minimum to get something going, instead of fixing the entire issue to where it;ll never, ever happen again. But hay it's not mine.
 
What's happened is, that bolt is married to the timing cover. All the way through what....2" of timing cover. It was assembled dry. It'll be a miracle if it comes out and if it does, there are three other bolts that go through the same way. That bad boy would be coming apart over here and that problem would be gettin fixed. I've never understood why people always want to look at the bare minimum to get something going, instead of fixing the entire issue to where it;ll never, ever happen again. But hay it's not mine.

Whatever.
I didn’t suggest the method I did to argue about it.
Just to get a frozen bolt out without it turning into a fiasco for the guy.
I’m done with the subject.
 
It's just a stuck bolt. Over the internet.
 
Whatever.
I didn’t suggest the method I did to argue about it.
Just to get a frozen bolt out without it turning into a fiasco for the guy.
I’m done with the subject.
Well trailbeast, you initially had to put your 2 cents into the topic with your reply, and then i rebut your statement saying it's a no brainer, and then you get ticked off at me with my reply.
So it's ok for you to put your reply in, and then you don't like it when i reply.
 
Hello Every Participant. Thank you for your input that was directly related to the question. I appreciate the various scenarios and will consider each carefully. I am sorry that my question has caused division and hard feelings which is the very reason I nearly did not post, which was my first, as this has sadly been the outcome of other posts viewed. Thank you
 
I totally disagree with members in this post. Mr gloom & doom should be there screen name.
 
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And nobody mentioned an air hammer.that would be my first step. With beating on it, the gaskets need replacing regardless what everyone thinks. A timing chain and gears too.
We are trying to save a 3 dollar bolt when it all should come apart anyway.
I just got a used 360 with mileage unknown. Water pump and a new timing chain without thinking twice. Sealant on threads and anti-sieze on the shanks. Clean all the threads.
 
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