FRporscheman

Hey guys, long story but my AC compressor bolts snapped. After wrestling with it I got it to hang out loose and extract the bolt remnant (I know I'm a lucky SOG). But now I need a new m10x50 bolt. Where from the car (968) can I pull a bolt? Is there a bolt I can take from somewhere else, so I can limp to the hardware store?

This is my only car here so I'm in a pinch.

Tom M'Guinn

From my notes on tearing apart my motor, looks like the A/C compressor has a M10x50, the castor blocks are held on with M10x65, and the engine-side of motor mount arm use M10x55. Don't think I'd run without any of them though. Ace Hardware should have an M10x50, no? I probably have one in garage if you are near the south bay...

josephsc

M10 is 17mm outer-circumference, right? That's a tough one....

PET lists the spare tire on a 968 as being held on by M10x65 -- which is strange b/c the 944 has an eye-bolt. It also lists the rear sway bar mount as having M10x52.

GMS

The AC compressor bolt is not the normal DIN thread, run any of the bolts mentioned and the compressor thread will be damaged.

The correct bolt is M10 x 1.25 (thread pitch and the important number) x 50 Some fastener shops will keep it.

It usually comes out or breaks because the alternator belt was tensioned without loosening the compressor pivot bolts.

Tom M'Guinn

Well, as it turns out, I do have some M10 in 1.25 pitch -- I have a few flange bolts 50mm long, and a few regular hex bolts 60mm long (which could be ground down if needed). Let me know if you want them...

FRporscheman

Tom, thanks for the offer. Thanks for the help everyone. I looked around the whole car and the only accessible 17mm bolts (m10) I saw were for the motor mount brackets and for the caster blocks. Like Tom said I would not run without any of these bolts. I didn't know about the rear sway bar...

I ended up just putting the broken bolt nub back in and using that. It did after all get me home from 200 miles away last night, so I figured it could (and did) get me to ACE 5 miles away. They had the right bolts (yay!).

Joe, I found that on both my 968s the spare wass held in with a m10 bolt, where every 944 i've seen has an eye bolt for easy hand-turning. I have one of those on my cars now. I tried it though and it's the wrong pitch.

I have done a lot of R&R of that belt recently and every time I tensioned it I didn't loosen the pivots. Oops!

Luis de Prat

When you do, be especially careful to not round out any of the turnbuckle adjustment nuts. Those are side specific with reverse pitch and I ended up ordering spare nuts from Porsche and replacing them on both turnbuckles for safe measure.

FRporscheman

Luis, you were able to get the nuts separately? I looked in PET and the entire turnbuckle has 1 part number so I thought one couldn't order parts of it. Hmm. I would be interested in ordering 2 nuts and 2 eye-bolts for it - basically a new unit minus the center. I guess I'll call and see - thanks for the info.

Luis de Prat

Only the nuts are available separately, but in minumum quantities of 10 units, IIRC. The eye bolts are only available with a new turnbuckle.

Part numbers for the turnbuckle nuts and other stock bits in this thread.