Cardinal Grammeter Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I've heard of one guy talking about "tightening all his bolts" before going on a long trip because the L-series engine vibrates so much. Well mine fell out and slid back over an inch - I have no idea how the fan belt stayed on and kept doing its job (at least enough to keep the warning light off and the water pump turning.) Having every SAE bolt and screw know to mankind, I had to go to Lowes to buy a M8 x 1.25 - 25. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 The L16 only used two bolts into the block for the alternator mount. This was fixed in the later L18 and L20B with a third mounting bolt. The alternator bracket on my 521 shook loose and snapped off both bolts. Quote Link to comment
Cardinal Grammeter Posted December 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Good Grief! That's pure nasty! A lot worse than losing the adjusting bolt, huh? When it snapped off did the adjusting bolt fail or hold? I guess the 3-bolt change is acknowledgement that the engine does vibrate. (I've noticed when below zero and the motor mounts are like rocks, that vibration goes everywhere. I even bot new mounts for $5 each on RA but hey, I'm too lazy to replace them. ...what was I thinking.) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Two bolt mount is inherently unstable on the axis around it. Like a two legged stool. It was rattling badly in place. A friend made another mount under the distributor and moved it to the other side. Quote Link to comment
Cardinal Grammeter Posted December 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Ratling is not good. And yes, 2-bolts has a very stiff and very weak axis. Is there much of a bad on the block? If the pad is narrow that is double bad. A 2 bolt U-bracket is used in V8's a lot - the Studebaker V8's have a cast feature on the exhaust manifold with 2 studs holding just such a bracket. But then V8's balance much better. I know that some 4-cyl's have a balance shaft which means the 4-cyl cannot be balanced well. Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) What mounts you buy? My L16 has a lot of issues of broken bolts and alternator always coming loose lowered cars the bolts would always bust since L16 used smaller bolts. I went with a turn buckle adjuster for my alternator Edited December 16, 2019 by banzai510(hainz) Quote Link to comment
Cardinal Grammeter Posted December 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 I bought the engine mounts. But they are probably hard too since they were manufactured many years ago. Cold weather really makes a difference as the rubber in them gets harder and more engine vibration is conducted to the frame and then body. If I would replace mine, I would try to make them softer by drilling holes in the rubber of cutting some of it away. (Must be done in such a way as to not start tearing and failure.) Quote Link to comment
G-Duax Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 I through my factory alternator top bracket away years ago, and went to a turn buckle set up. First seen these in Japan, so I made my own. 2 Heim joints, one left hand, and 1 right hand, and a piece of hex bar in between. I have extremely stiff engine mounts, and spin the dog snot out of my L4 daily, with 4.62 rear gears, and hardly a day goes by that it's not running over 100 mph down the freeway. Yes, vibrates like a bumble bee on crack, but the alternator has never loosened it's self up. Nearly 3=1/2 years ago tossed the V-belt also, and now run an 8mm HTD timing belt, another idea that I'm applying to all my engines now.... 1 Quote Link to comment
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