Date:         Sun, 3 May 2009 09:01:57 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Alternator bracket needs repair
Comments: To: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <833410.61473.qm@web33501.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

After the stud broke, the hole probably got messed up as the stud is a grade
P.C. 10.9 making it a bit if a bear to drill out. You gotta know what you're
doing. 

The studs usually fail due to an alternator failure or the wrong
nuts/washers being used. Adding to the breakage cause is some folks will
leave the lower bolt slightly loose to allow easy belt adjustment. 

There is too much extra material around theses studs. The best fix is a
heli-coil, and good bolts or studs with good nuts or even al metal lock
nuts. The washers should be wave lock or hardened flat. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Keezer
Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2009 1:02 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Alternator bracket needs repair

I'm considering buying a '84 Vanagon at a low price that had a loose
alternator. The owner agreed to allow me to investigate, and I found that
the lower stud had been broke off, so he PO dirlled and tapped it to a
non-metric size of 7/16. The upper stud which is 8 mmm can be replaced, but
I am reluctant to use the 7/16 stud .
 
At this point I begin to call the person who drilled the hole for the 7/16
and idiot because he drilled it offset instead of center drilling. 
 
If it was center drilled, I would drill out the old stud. The hole  was
instead drilled to 7/16 is about a 16th of an inch lower that the original. 
Drilling to the proper 8 mm will probably open up the hole to outiside the
case. 
 
I'm not familiar with this problem having driven an inline -four powered
Vanagon 13 years. 
SO what is the fix? 
What a wimpy dumb design VW had to place a heavy alternator  on two 8 mm
studs. 
 
Robert
1984 Vanagon