BlackOp

I've searched and havent found an answer that makes me comfortable in removing/adjusting my alt. Seems like a LOT of people end up breaking these.

Here is what I know...there are eyelets on the ends..these fasten the turnbuckle to the actual car. There are two nuts that have opposite direction threads...these allow rotation for proper tension and hold the setting in place. There are pivot bolts on the compressor.

Can someone please explain in simple, numbered steps the proper order of loosening this thing.

Here is what is confusing me. Where are the pivot bolts on the AC? Which do I loosen first..the ends or the nuts. Do I have to loosen both ends? AT which point to I loosen the pivot bolts..first or last?

This shouldn't be this confusing should it?

Thanks..

V2Rocket

The bolts are the ones that the AC compressor actually hangs from on the bracket. I believe they are 17mm heads. One in front, one in back, with the heads on the outside of the bracket. They are threaded into the bracket, no nuts. Just loosen them a little.

Then take two 17mm wrenches, one a little thinner than the other and use them against eachother to loosen each end of the turnbuckle. Once they are broken loose the nut should be able to turn by hand away from the turnbuckle. Then use one of the wrenches (sometimes your hand will work) to turn the turnbuckle bottom towards the front of the car to loosen the belt.

968 GUY

If you look at a parts list, it may help to make it more clear for you.
Basically, if you are tightening or loosening the adjuster, you want little pressure at any pivot point.
Loosen the bolt holding the compressor to the mount.
Loosen the jam nuts on the adjustor.
Loosen the bolts holding the adjustor to the cpmpressor and mount.
Adjust.
Torque bolts to proper torque.

BlackOp

So..I got the passenger side nut loose but the driver's side nut has semi-rounded corners (from previous use). The wrench keeps slipping around it..of course. Should I just remove the entire turnbuckle and replace it.

ernie9468

VISE-GRIP.

BlackOp

I dont know..it's on there pretty good. I coated it a few times with PB blaster.

Just to I confirm that I'm not a total idiot...the long one is the one I should be adjusting, correct? (stock photo)

Jfrahm

IMO the best way to adjust these is to:

1 - Spray the threads with penetrating oil
2 - Loosen pivot point bolt(s) on the accessory
3 - Break loose and loosen the lock nuts (note one is reverse threaded) These can be stiff.
4 - Loosen the end bolts (in the loops at the end of the turnbuckle)
5 - Adjust the length of the turnbuckle and set belt tension
6 - Tighten end bolts
7 - Tighten locknuts
8 - Tighten pivot point bolts

If you get creative with the order of the steps you can use the awesome power of the turnbuckle screw to break mounting points or the turnbuckle. Often this is not noticed until the parts fall off on the highway. Do not leave anything loose either or stuff will fall off.

UltimatE157

Well, you should be adjusting whichever is attached to the AC compressor.

BlackOp

Yeah..that's the one...but with the way this is going, I wouldn't be surprised.

So If I cant get this last nut loose...is there anything wrong with just taking the end bolts out and replacing the entire turnbuckle? I'm sick of jacking with this repair....truly.

I cant get to the bottom alternator bolt as the belt is in the way. Clark's garage listed this to be loosened after the belt was removed.

BlackOp

Ok, here is a thought...if the passenger side nut is loose and the turnbuckle has to be turned in that same direction to loosen, is the stuck bolt (driver's side) position irrelevant? Essentially the middle piece will be moving away from the driver's side (stuck) bolt.

I dont want to break anything...especially the compressor mount.

944Ross

Did you see the comment above about one side being left-hand threaded? Sure you're turning the nut the correct way?

You need both locknuts loose and backed off. If the nut is genuinely beyond usefulness and still stuck, I'd cut the belt and simply remove the turnbuckle so you can work on it on a bench. If the bad nut is the left-handed one, you may have to order it, but it's still cheaper than getting a whole new assembly. Being in Salt Country, I'd put copper anti-seize on the threads when putting it together.

BlackOp

Yeah... I was turning the nut opposite of the one I loosened. I may just buy a new one..this is getting ridiculous.

Volhv

I had the same problem. I am assuming some previous "mechanic" did not realize one side has reverse threads, and jammed it even tighter. (one can see which way the protruding threads slope)

After placing one end in a vice, and spraying Kroil on it everyday for a week, I managed to loosen it off. It took a lot of force. I also sprayed penetrant inside the hole, after removing the other rod end.

Jfrahm

It's sort of a double reverse that confuses a lot of people. Not only is one thread LH but because they are on opposite sides you actually move the wrenches in the same direction relative to the car.

That is to say, if you put a wrench on it and then tapped the wrench with a hammer to pop the locknut loose, if you were tapping towards the rear of the car on one side of the turnbuckle you would also tap towards the rear of the car on the other. [The direction you actually swing will be determined by which way the turnbuckle is installed on the car so check first.]

Hitting a combination wrench with a hammer is IMO a good way to pop stuck nuts and bolts loose without rounding them. You do not hit it hard, just a sharp rap while to keep the wrench tight with the other hand. The impact shakes things up. It is very important to keep the wrench tight on the flats with the other hand.

Also for LH threaded stuff I always tell myself to "tighten it off" or "loosen it on" right before I go to work on it to keep from turning it backwards.

Cheers,
-Joel.

Jfrahm

Also for this part I do not know if a large flare nut wrench or a hacked up box end would be helpful or not. Maybe.

Keep the end bolts tight while trying to bust loose the locknuts. Otherwise a lot of your effort is going into bending or breaking the end bolts, which are much stronger and stable when torqued up.