Alternator mount loose stud?

[alhnelson]

Hi all:
On my 440, I noticed a small rattling noise and found what appears to be a loose stud going through a bushing on the rear mounting ear of my 2 belt alternator. The forward ear is bolted to an engine bracket and so the stud or bolt is doing nothing but vibrating around. It can't fall out as it is too long to slide all the way forward or backward.  It's in a very difficult place to get at or see. The front end of the the stud is squared off so it could be tightened with a small wrench. My only guess is that this had been screwed into the block or head and had had a nut on it for additional support for the alternator, and the stud could have broken off at the block. I can feel a slight indentation as if there was a place where it had screwed in but can't get a good look at it. It seems that with a two eared alternator, there should have been a continuous bolt going through both ears as a mount which isn't the case as this has been bolted through the front ear. It may be the rattling bolt/stud was somehow inadvertently left there when the new engine was put together. I would have to drop the alternator to get a good look at it. Before I do this, does anyone have any knowledge of this stud and know whether it should screw into the block?

Thanks
Al
#3401

[JerryT]

AL
The stock bolt goes thru the bracket,alt ear,pipe spacer,alt ear,pipe spacer and threads into the engine head. The bolts do brake and you may have a home/factory made work around deal. The performance world does sell beefy brackets for the 440. I can get to mine easy from under the fender well.
Jerry

[alhnelson]

Jerry:
Thanks for the info. I did get the broken stud out by removing the bolt and nut on the front ear of the alternator and passing the broken stud  through. Even though I still can't get a good look at the block, I can see by examining the study that it had broken off. It appears that the aftermarketing bracketing on the front of the alternator is pretty sturdy and should do the job as is. Thanks again.
Al

[alhnelson]

Jerry:
Thanks for the info. I did get the broken stud out by removing the bolt and nut on the front ear of the alternator and passing the broken stud  through. Even though I still can't get a good look at the block, I can see by examining the study that it had broken off. It appears that the aftermarketing bracketing on the front of the alternator is pretty sturdy and should do the job as is. Thanks again.
Al

[Richard Peterson]

Rather than mess with the stock long bolt that everyone has had problems with, I use 2 bolts, one at the back and one at the front.  It takes awhile to put the back one in, but you never have to worry about it being a problem once it is there.