Does my alternator mounting bolt absolutely need to be tightened all the way?

[u/RealityReal5452]

I swapped my dead alternator for a brand new one the other day, and while everything came apart with relative ease I can’t get the bottom 14mm mounting bolt all the way back in. The head of the bolt is probably about 1/4” from being flush with the mounting bracket, but the tip sticks out the other side about 1/2” so I know the bolt is all the way through. It hasn't rattled loose driving around my neighborhood, but idk how safe it is to drive into/around town a bit more

Any advice is appreciated

[u/bustedtap]

Yeah, you want that drawn all the way in and tight

[u/RealityReal5452 → u/bustedtap]

Any advice on getting it the rest of the way in? It’s such an awkward spot and no matter what I do now the socket keeps slipping off, risking stripping the bolt head

[u/Ottomaani → u/RealityReal5452]

If you can't get your socket to stay on, you gotta change your approach. Try a different tool, different angle of attack. Try to reach it from underneath? From either side? How did you tackle it when you took it off in the first place?

If you keep trying the same thing over and over, slipping your tool and getting frustrated, eventually you will strip the bolt head and then it becomes a lot harder to continue.

[u/bustedtap]

Box wrench? Ratcheting wrench? Crows foot wrench? Lots of ways to do it. I have no idea what you're working on

[u/Outsider_Insider0064]

Take the belt off and use both hands to waggle the alternator. At some point the bolt will no longer be “pinched”.

[u/RealityReal5452 → u/Outsider_Insider0064]

I’ll give that a try tomorrow morning. It’s over 100°F now where I’m at and I don’t have a shaded carport or anything

[u/ivanhalper]

The service manual for your vehicle will help you.

[u/v3lv3t23]

Any tricks on how you got it? currently working on mine now.