Learned something that I thought I would pass along. This may be common sense to somebody, but this was the first time I had every heard of this. While working on replacing the water pump in my 460, I had one bolt that would not move, despite three days worth of being soaked in PB Blaster. THis was the bolt that runs trhough the bottom of the smog pump bracket to mount the alternator. The head of the bolt snapped off, and this bolt is about 6 inches long. The alternator and smog pump bracket should have then slid right off, but would not move. This was last taken apart in 99 and the truck has been about 6,000 miles since then. The bolt was not froze up in the head, but the alternator was frozen to the bolt. THis can happen anyitme you have contact between metal and aluminum, such as the alternator housing and bolt. The two metals cause corrosion when they come into contact. I had to use a cut off wheel and cut my alterator up to get it off. Once I cut the alternator out, the bracket slid right off, and the bolt came out of the head with a pair of pliars. Coating the two surfaces with anti seize would have prevented this problem, and according to a compnay that rebuilds them, once they seize up like this, the only way to get them off is to cut them off. Had I not already had the smog pump, radiator, etc out of the way, I would have had to tear all this off just to get this bolt out. If you replace an alternator, take two minutes to coat the bolt that it pivots on in anti sieze, it cost me three days!

 

Every bolt I've turned replaced on my rebuilt f-250 (except two I think) have 1600 degree anti-seize. been there done that (not the exact thing, but you know what I mean). Aluminum + steel/iron + water = very bad things.

 

Along the same lines, whenever I have to replace something I like to use new stainless steel hardware. It's a little more, and not as easy as just throwing it back on, but you'll thank yourself if something has to come off again.

 

the only problem with stainless is it is only grade 2, whereas most bolts are grade 3 or 5.