Mark V headlamp door hinge bushings - SOLVED

[Dan Szwarc]

The guy in the UK should probably do this. Not everyone has the patience or time or skills to fabricate or kludge something even like this.

If it takes more than an hour or two, $10-20 is like nothing comapred to the frustration of trying to make a work-around.

[v8moneypit]

Well, I finally got round to having a proper look yesterday and took the headlight cover off. The bushing was there, but the bolt was loose! cleaned everything up and put it back together (that outer bolt is a pig to get to!!) and it all works
Don't you just love it when it's this simple?!
So thought I'd change the worn alternator belt. Simple job. Until the bolt breaks off in the alternator! You win some. You lose some!
Thanks for all you help everyone.
Steve

[Dan Szwarc]

I've had a siezed alternator bolt and corroded harnsses on my 77. It was a 4 hour job to replace the weak alternator. Good thing it wasn't my daily.

Thanks for letting us know. It's fun researching these obscure problems and finding solutions even if it turns out they aren't needed. The posts are here for others to find if they were to look.

[1Bad55Chevy]

I've had a siezed alternator bolt and corroded harnsses on my 77. It was a 4 hour job to replace the weak alternator. Good thing it wasn't my daily.

Thanks for letting us know. It's fun researching these obscure problems and finding solutions even if it turns out they aren't needed. The posts are here for others to find if they were to look.

4 hours!

I would have broken that bolt off with my impact and found a new bolt before I would fight it for 4 hours! How did you end up getting it out?

[Dan Szwarc]

The lower bolt was seized into the aluminum spacer. I got the two pieces and alternator out. That too an hour.

Then had to soak, grind, and torch the spacer and bolt to separate them from each other without destroying them. That probably took an hour or more.

The harness needed repair and I had to extract more of it, solder, seal, tape, and route to reinstall. That was easily another hour.

Add the normal loosen, remove, install, and belt tighten of the alternator itself, plus put away all the tools and cleanup, not to mention head-scratching and WTF-ing during every step, the total was four hours. Should have been about 30-45m.