Sometimes the old jalopy fights back!

So this morning I was just getting on my way to watch the sunrise when my old jalopy made a screeching noise, which it does not do. I let off the gas a bit, and it quits, which tells me it is the one and only fan belt that must be loose. I coast on into the gate station to a well lit location and pop the hood. There is not a lot that can wrong with the fan belt on my car, one fan, one alternator and the crankshaft. I could tell it was loose so I grabbed my little canvas tool bag from under the seat to get the 9/16 wrench I knew that allow me to adjust the alternator to tighten the belt. I start wrenching on the adjustment bolt only to find the whole assembly is loose. I also grab the 9/16th socket and ratchet so I can tighten the lower mounting bolt as well. It did not take long to realize that the lower mounting bolt was sheared off. Man oh man I thought, I was a couple of miles from the house, how was I going to repair this. It was only a bit after 5am and while there is a NAPA right beside the gate it would not be open for some time.

I keep a small supply of items in the tool bag, fuel filters, a set of points and condenser, a couple of spark plugs and what not but not a bolt like this. This bolt is almost 6 inches long and although the bolt in use was not a grade bolt I was pretty sure the replacement would be at least a grade 5. So back to how do I get home? It obviously has to be repaired somehow to get back home, I pondered the possibility of just taking the belt off and setting out for home and hope that we did not overheat, it is a small 6 cylinder car so I was pretty confident I could make it, that would be my fall back, last resort repair. What else could work in the short term? I removed the broken bolt and found that my quarter inch drive socket extension fit through the hole and the end was big enough to not fit through the alternator. I slipped it in and with the firm grip of a pair of American made Vise Grip brand pliers I had my repair and I was off to the house, squeak eliminated. I considered leaving the repair it had worked so well but I could hardly afford to give up the extension or the vise grips.

I made it home, transferred all my Sunrise watching gear from the jalopy to the Town and Country and we were off to watch a magnificent sunrise together. After all of that we cleaned house and later I went looking for a 6 inch long, 3/8 inch diameter, grade 5 (minimum) bolt and the necessary flat and lock washers to make the repair. Sounds simple enough huh? WRONG. I started where I always start when working on my car, NAPA. They are a bit more expensive but I have learned my lesson, over and over again sometimes it seems with going to the discount parts places. They call them discount places for a reason, you get a discount but you also get inferior crap so it is a trade off. Anyway my buddy at the NAPA tells me no joy on that, and asked what I was doing. I tell him it is for the alternator bracket on my 58 Ford, to which he replies, the 58 Ford did not have an alternator, it came with a 35amp generator. He knows his business for sure. I explain to him in my journey to having air conditioning in the jalopy I had to first get the generator changed out for a higher amperage alternator and I had to fabricate all the bracketry from scratch, that explains it he says with a laugh.

I continue my fools errand a with stops at three different discount places and even the Home Depot and Lowes and an Ace Hardware. The Home depot and Lowes representatives did not even know that bolt hardness was graded – should have not wasted my time going there. Anyway, I come home empty handed and know that I will be calling my fastener vendor tomorrow from work, he will be able to provide me that bolt I just know it. The old Jalopy will be as good as new and able to continue to take me to the beach for the sunrises for many a day to come.