Help Extra Bolt left over

jrflyboyVP2 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 01:05 PM

Hi all, I am just finishing up on a 2liter liner/piston change. I pulled the engine and tore it down for the change and now with the engine back in the car, I have a hardened bolt left over. It has a 14mm head, fine thread, 30mm long with a slight sholder at the head, and approximately 10mm diameter. I have no idea where it might go. The engine is a 77 spica spider engine. The bolt was in the can with the upper and lower oil pan bolts, as well as the drive shaft joint bolts. I know its not the right size for the oil pump bolts, any pan bolts, flywheel, clutch, or trany. Any ideas.

John R

**conedriver** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 01:11 PM

Maybe a mounting bolt for the cross-member with the rear transmission mount? (although these may have 13mm heads)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrflyboyVP2

Hi all, I am just finishing up on a 2liter liner/piston change. I pulled the engine and tore it down for the change and now with the engine back in the car, I have a hardened bolt left over. It has a 14mm head, fine thread, 30mm long with a slight sholder at the head, and approximately 10mm diameter. I have no idea where it might go. The engine is a 77 spica spider engine. The bolt was in the can with the upper and lower oil pan bolts, as well as the drive shaft joint bolts. I know its not the right size for the oil pump bolts, any pan bolts, flywheel, clutch, or trany. Any ideas.

John R

crashmctavish · #3 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 01:36 PM

alternator mounting bolt?

**papajam** · #4 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 01:40 PM

The bolt would appear to be an SAE grade 5 (three hash marks) 3/8" x 24 x 1 1/4" long. If so, it could have been used to replace an original metric bolt (but where's the nut?) that was not readily available at the time. If however, all hardware has been verified as being installed, I'd toss it in the SAE spare hardware bin.

jrflyboyVP2 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 01:52 PM

It is definately not a trany mount or alt mount bolt. I will try and verify if it is SAE thread. I just pulled the lower oil pan just to double check the oil pump bolts, and all three are there. Thanks for all the help, I am worried that I left something undone, but I can't find anything not bolted up.

John

**101/105guy** · #6 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 02:11 PM

Probably fell off that blue Vette in the background ;^)
14 mm is close to 9/16"

jrflyboyVP2 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 04:12 PM

Hey don't be dissing my baby, I bought that 73 new in 1973 and it was my very first car. That said, you all know the Alfa is much more fun to drive. Lighter, better handling, and higher reving better sounding motor too. But the 73 Vette sure gets lots of attention.

**101/105guy** · #8 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 09:06 PM

No dis' intended!
Here's my '65 Vette. Lots of fun, but the Alfas are better on the twisties!

**Bill S** · #9 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 06:49 AM

Are the outside engine mount bolts both accounted for? These are frequently strip fed with whatever works by a previous owner.

jrflyboyVP2 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 07:57 AM

I think it might be the engine mount bolt. The drivers side went in easy, but the passenger side would not thread in by hand. I matched up the bolts and they have coarser threads. I think this mystery bolt is a 3/8 24 as papajam pointed out. Some PO might have used it in that right side engine mount location. I am feeling better now. All I have left is the exhaust, alt, fan & radiator, hood, fluids, and interior shifter/boots. I hope to fire it up in a couple of days. In addition to the new liner set, I redid the front suspension, all new bushings and ball joints including new caster arms. I can't wait to take some twisties, but my Falken Azenis are a couple of years old now, and even though showing lots of tread, they don't grip as they used to. The compound seems to have hardened or something. I might have to spring for some new ones.

Nice looking 65 vette 101/105guy! Mines nothing special, except to me since it is my first car. I plan to redo the front end suspension, brakes, and drop a 383 crate motor in once I am done with the spider.

VeloceOne · #11 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 12:15 PM

Hi:
Are you sure that some "Friend" was not passing by, and just threw in a spare? In a previous life, I knew someone who worked around cranes and heavy equipment at times, and when walking by, if he had a bolt or nut in his pocket just may have dropped it on the floor of the cab...........

Regards Ian.

**Andrew** · #12 (**permalink**) 02-15-2008, 12:15 PM

1/2" head bolts are commonly used for the engine/trans bolts if an 8mm/13mm head bolt is not available. Not sure this one is long enough for that though.

I hope it didn't come from inside the engine, because whatever it would have been threaded into is screwed up with SAE threads now. It seems unlikely it was from inside.

Andrew

slyalfa · #13 (**permalink**) 02-15-2008, 01:07 PM

just to add to the pot of confusion.
but I have in the past taking a long SAE bolts and cut off the threaded part.
Then I used a metric die to thread it to metric. on the remaining non threaded part.
some times you just have to make due as no one selles metric.
I find this strange as nothing comes with SAE anymore even the US car makers use metric.

Chsmadden · #14 (**permalink**) 02-15-2008, 08:01 PM

I'm almost certain that it is a motor mount bolt. Did you buy new bolts? You may have bought one too many and it is well and truly a spare part

adenzeno · #15 (**permalink**) 02-16-2008, 02:31 PM

As my grandfather said when he guided me in replacing the water pump in my first car(68 Mustang-289 2 bbl), and afetr it was all bolted in and I had an extra bolt left

-"If you are a real shade tree mechanic, you always have some extra parts.." The the pump never leaked and was still on it when it was sold 4 years later.