damn bolts...!

[KIERAN A. LAVIN]

Brian wrote:

> jacked the car up, pulled the wheel off, moved the splashguard, located
> the alternator tensioner bolt... proceeded to wrench it to the left,
> moved fairly easily... until... it SNAPPED IN HALF!! right at the top
<snip>
> bonus question: who knows what i did wrong.. i know the answer... after
> the fact.

Did you forget to loosen the lower bolt at the bottom of the bracket?
I did this last summer and wound up snapping the long bolt as well.  It
sucked being a Saturday night at 8PM with most places closed or closing
soon!  I had another incident where I lost the bolt that goes into the
alternator through the block that the long bolt screws through.  That
happened on a weeknight late(r) at night.  That sucked too because I
couldn't find the right size bolt anywhere and wound up rigging something
to get me to work the next morning

> that would fit and was long enough. (8mm-1.25pitchX100mm long), yeah Ace
> has though... shoot... Home Depot right?... dang.. well guess i'll drive
> 30min to work and see if i have any on the shelf.. (i work at Fastenal)

Yeah, them bolts are impossible.  Nissan always makes it hard ;)

kieran