One Lh threaded bolt and I managed to twist it off

[jrichker]

The title pretty much says it all. I was going to change out the idler pully because after 253,000 miles it was singing an unhappy song. Simple job - go to the NAPA store, pick up the pulley and put it on. And it would have worked that way except the bolt that holds the idler pulley on the tensioner arm had a LH thread.

I get out my long rachet, set it for counter clockwise turning to loosen a standard bolt, and find that things seem to be really tight. So I get out the 2 foot long pipe I use for a cheater bar. The bolt seems to make a pop and starts to turn. I get out the trusty air rachet and start turning away. Gee - this doesnt't seem to be coming off even though it is turning good. Then it finally does come off: I see aluminum on the threads - Humm, not good. I get out my close up glasses and look more closely. OOPS - there is much aluminum on the threads and they are left handed !!

Not only did I twist the theads out of the idler tensioner arm, I broke off the part of the arm that has the stub that the bearing fits on! OUCH!!! The $27 fix just mushroomed to $82. A subsequent search of 4 different junkyards didn't yield anything useful, so I am stuck with the tab.

Does anyone know of any other LH threaded fasterners that need to be noted and watched out for?

 

[jrichker]

bump for the dayshift...

You guys don't know of any other LH threaded fastners on the whole car?

 

[ss93cobra]

As far as I know you've managed to find the only one. Obviously, due to the rotation of the pulley, it's reverse threaded so the bolt won't loosen up as the pulley spins. -although it sounds as if you've figured that one out

 

[ss93cobra]

:OT: I was in your neck of the woods last week! We went down to Bradenton/Sarasota area for my sister-in-law's wedding and wound up cruising through Arcadia up to Orlando to take the kids to Sea World. Very nice this time of year except the fire ants can be annoying!

 

[Michael Yount]

For what it's worth - you've saved me when the day comes; I had no idea that it was LH threaded. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. But, as usual with you and your posts, thanks for helping out the rest of us.

Can you take a pic and post so we'll know exactly what you're talking about? Is this simply the bolt that goes through the center of the idler pulley itself? Not the one that holds the tensioner to the block, or head, or whatever it bolts to? I've had mine off the car of course, but can't remember a thing about it.

 

[ss93cobra]

Correct. He's referring to the pulley mounted on the tensioner arm, more commonly known as the tensioner pulley.

 

[Rick 91GT]

The fittings for the tranny cooler on a stock Automatic car (FOX BODY), stock rad are left handed.

They are the only other LH threads I know of on a Mustang.

 

[quikrnu]

I have done the exact same thing about 3 months ago. Finding a used one is not easy.

 

[93 teal terror]

I wanna say there is another one on the alternator bracket but I could be mistaken. I almost did that the first time I took the pulley off to polish it, but luckily I didnt get out the breaker bar.

 

[The Shape]

Only 235,00 miles and it was making a noise. Man Ford quality sure does suck.

 

[HISSIN50]

Joe, sorry to hear about that. i remembered that one of the bolts was LH threads - when i got mine the stock metal idler pulley (on the tensioner) was making some noise, so i got a [gasp] plastic one from the parts store.

i took the whole arm off cuz i could not get the pulley bolt off myself (i am a BIG guy, so if it does not come loose by hand, i knew something was wrong). i got lucky and tried tightening it (i sometimes do this on stuck bolts to break them free (like rocking a stuck car on ice) - i got lucky and it got easy (i knew it was LH threads or i just broke the bolt. LOL).

i have not come across any other LH threaded bolts, as i recall. also, one of the SN95 guys here in town had his tensioner pully go and i said it might be LH threads, and he said it wasnt. (just info for future searchers).

if all else fails, i can call around to J/Y's here in Tucson and mail ya one. stuff here in the desert holds up pretty well.

again sorry to hear that and good luck with it. if any three people had to engineer a fix, yourself, Yount and Rick are the first three i know could do it.

 

[squeeeg]

For what it's worth - you've saved me when the day comes; I had no idea that it was LH threaded. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. But, as usual with you and your posts, thanks for helping out the rest of us.

You saved me also. Sorry about the problem, If i find a used one around here i will let you know

 

[jrichker]

Thanks to everyone for their concern and offers of help. I got a new tensioner assembly from NAPA yesterday & am back on the road again...



Joe R.