This job was going smooth until I broke 1 AC compressor bolt and the the 4th one will not come off. I also have one last bolt on the Alt and can't seem to reach it with the AC compressor in the way. Radiator is out and everything. Any suggestions? This is starting to **** me off and I need to finish it soon. Honestly I can't believe how many bolts I break on this car its bad. Its the only thing that can turn a 2-3 hour alt job into an half/all day one...lol

 

you broke what?! first..seeing as though you're in the NE, it should be standard for you to presoak any bolts with PB blaster

second, pics of what you're talking about.

 

yeah I didn't have any pb blaster I am dumb for not doing that. I was hoping I could get it off since I got the other 2. Now 1 is broke and the 1 is really tough I even used an impact wrench and its still not coming off. Its just the ac compressor bolts. 1 broke. The a/c compressor is not even being used and I looked around too see If I can remove the bracket but it looks like 1 of the bolt brackets is directly behind the ac compressor.

Lastly Do i really need to remove the Ac compressor to get the alt out? I mean the long bolt is tough to get but I think I can take a stab at it again. Im gonna go use some heat now. I got a propane torch

 

i havent replaced my alternator before, so i cant tell you...sorry. as far as the alternator bolts...since you have one broke, you're going to have to get the compressor off and get:

1: another bolt
2: another bracket (possibly)

 

my compressor is the broken bolt not alt. I tried everything and heat and impact and the compressor bolt is not coming. I am just gonna end up breaking it and hoping it will slide off or just drill it out I guess.

 

You need to get that compressor out first before you can get the alternator bolt. After you get the compressor unbolted just hang it by its hvac hose. Be sure to not let the connector supplying power to the compressor to be strained, sometimes you might think the hvac hose is holding the compressor but really all the strain is on the connector.

As for the ac bolts. Get a better impact. Jk jk. Breaker bar for the stubborn bolt. Try tightening it a bit first to hopefully unseize it. If you cant repair the compressor bracket just buy a used one from a junkyard. Worst come to worst just cut the bolt stem, near the middle of the compressor. Just be sure you can get bolts and the bracket from a junkyard.

 

Wait... you removed the radiator?

If you dont have enough room to slide the compressor off the broken stud just pull it out as far as you can and use a saw to cut the bolt down.

 

The bottom one is broken at the head and the top one diangle of that is really on there. I tried every breaker bar I have and it just keeps bending. lol. I tried heat and my impact gun is actually the strongest impact gun out there. A IR Ti. lol.. And I and soaking it with tons of Penetrating butter and Something Wrench stuff. Its like pb but thicker, I can cut the bottom one but the top one is a different story. I took off 2 of the bracket bolts in hope of it just coming off with the compressor but Nissan was stupid and put a bolt behind the compressor that holds the bracket? WTF?

 

Yes I did. It was easy and got the hose out of the way. Plus I needed new fluid anyway. I don't know why ppl make a big deal of removing the rad. It is the easiest rad I have ever done in my 15 years of working on cars. lol 2 tiny bolts. 2 fan plugs, 2 (annoying tho) hoses and its Done. lol

I just figured it would give me a lot more room to work with, but I can't even get at the alt long bolt with the compressor in the way and even give it enough leverage to bust it if I get in there with an extension

 

A Ti IR wont remove it? Even the 3/8ths is a beast. If you have an air grinder you could just grind down the head of the bolt... Eventually something has to give. Be it your breaker bar or the bolt. Seized bolts aint fun. Had a seized lugnut on an f150 once. 1/2 IR couldnt remove it. My 2.5 foot breaker bar with a 2 foor cheater on it couldnt either. Even with the 300lb lube guy standing on it. I eventually just cut the nut off. Serious PIA. Im not sure what kind of tools you have but a decent breaker bar with cheater pipe should do it. If not just grind down the head of the bolt.

 

it cause my ****ty air compressor that is why. lol its my friends and a home one. it only goes up too 150psi. lol and my gun takes 5.0cfm per a trigger pull so i am not chilling at 150psi the whole time. It goes down fast. Husky piece of ****. lol

 

damn thats cRazy. haha. Make sure you always anti seize those lug nuts. haha. I wish I had a cheater bar. I am low on heavy duty tools I don't even have a lot of half inch drive **** anymore.

 

Heat is your friend. You've got the get the area where the threads are red hot.

 

yo S1 man, this is a bish lol. I dont envy u man.

I broke a bolt for my ac dryer and could not get that **** off. Pissed.

U try any of those bolt removal kits?

 

Hmmm, a little about compressors. Normal air tools are safely rated to 90 psi, although alot of people go up to 150 for the extra power. Running 150 psi can damage an impact, however I doubt it will hurt your Ti. An impact thats rated at 5.0cfm means it needs a compressor that can pump 5 cubic feet of air a minute to keep the impact running at full power indefintely. If the compressor can only do say 2.5 then the impact will use alot of air and eventually the compressor will be unable to replace the air that the impact is taking. And thats at 90 psi, using 150 will drain the compressor faster. But depending on the tank size the impact should run at full power for at least 5-10 seconds.

You might try renting a breaker bar from an auto parts store. Or just bite the bullet and buy a decent one, ie craftsman if you a diy'er, better if your a professional. Just make sure its 1/2 drive. Then find the longest pipe you can and goto town. If you need a pipe for a cheater bar just take your breaker bar to home depot and find the right size.

One more thing im sure you already know but is worth stating. Make sure to lube your impact. Grease the guts and lube through the air inlet. For lube you can use almost anything. Alot of guys I used to work with would use ATF.

 

Don't remeber if theyre is room or not.. but try giving the head of the bolt a few whacks with a BFH before trying to loosen it.

 

Soooo, what happened? Get it fixed?

 

So I got it. guys. Thanks for the input. I still couldn't get the damn compressor out. Saving that job for another day. I need to get it professinally removed. Awful awful design by nissan. I mean really the bolts on top have a gap were Water can just sit when it spashes up and sit there for a long time thus water welding the bolt. so really really bad design. I ended up just draining the AC system and just removing the hoses to get at the Alt bolt.

 

I got my friend on it and we ended up rounding the bolt off and it was his idiot fault for using a 12 point. and I didn't know it until after. lol We used the biggest cheater bar and for some odd reason the bolt or head kept "twisting" but the shaft was not. It was the weirdest thing I ever saw. Water welded bolts are the worst. Thankgod I just removed the A/C lines, I just hope because I evacuated the system I don't screw up the condensor and dryer cause there is no r134 in there anymore. driained the hp and lp valves.

 

Glad to hear you got it. Sucks about not getting the compressor issue resolved. Considering that you opened the ac lines, combined with age, it would be a good idea to replace the drier. You can then either vacuum and recharge the system yourself or take it to a shop.

Oh, and just to be safe you should replace the orings on the hoses you disconnected, last thing you want is for it to leak when you get it charged up.