Is there a way to repair the threads on the alternator shaft?

[SpeedracerIndy]

When I was removing the alternator from the fan housing, it fell and damaged the threads on the shaft. I had the nut on the shaft to protect the threads, but it mush have fallen hard enough to damage the nut too. I've tried a wire brush and file to repair the threads but they're damaged too bad.

Is there any way to repair these?

[crustychief]

Thread repair file. My son beat mine to a pulp removing the fan, I revived it with a thread file.

[crustychief]

BTW mine was worse than that.

[SpeedracerIndy]

What about the nut? The nut on mine is in pretty bad shape, I don't know how you's get a file in there.

[crustychief]

I used a dental pick, a bright light, some beer and a Steely Dan album and just took my time picking the threads in mine. Very hard to get a tap that size, I went to every tool place in San Diego.

[yelcab1]

Special nut on that one.

[crustychief]

Yes special nut. I did mine on a weekend. I was going to try Parts Heaven or Autobahn if I couldn't fix mine.

[SpeedracerIndy]

My nut is screwed! I don't think it would be possible to salvage the threads even with a tap. Is there a source for new or used alternator nuts anywhere? What is the thread pitch? It looks very fine.

Edit: never mind. It looks like they are available in the Pelican catalog. $6.25

Re-Edit: I was wrong, the 16x1 is NLA, *****! Back to the drawing board.

[Porsche_monkey]

You could take it to a machine shop. they well fix both by re-cutting the thread.

I would NOT re-cut a thread on a lug nut, in this application it will be fine. Should take less than an hour. $50 and out.

[MrJTP]

Find someone with a metric tap and die set and run the appropriate die on and off the shaft. Align if carefully to get it started! When it comes off the shaft threads should be fine.

[mede8er]

I'd ****can that nut....if worst comes to worst you could pull out the Dremel and chamfer the defective area...

[Dynamohum]

Lots of good suggestions here already.

You can also try a small angular file that is close on the thread pitch and gently go around the shaft filling it back into shape while following the thread.
If you can't find a file to match, take a fine hacksaw blade and grind the edges to suit your pitch. Don't be shy to try, you would be amazed on what can be done with a file and hacksaw with a bit of patients. I have chased galled spindles on transports with this method when a thread file was not available with fantastic results. Just take your time and go easy, it can be done.

Good luck

[Dynamohum]

P.S. start from a good section of thread and work into the damaged section. Don't start from the top or bad end because you have no guide to follow, but going from the other you have a guide.

Hope that makes sense to you?

[Zeke]

IMHO the shaft will repair, the nut is toast. I would offer the theory that if both are damaged, one needs to be replaced with new. I'm sure the nut is available somewhere.

[SpeedracerIndy]

Thanks guys. I think the nut is definitely trashed too, but the shaft is repairable. My bearings are a little rough too, so I priced a rebuild at the local auto electric shop. It would be around $100 for both bearings and brushes, etc. I found the same alternator with a nut and external regulator in the classifieds for $100, so that's what I am doing. now I'll have a spare that I can have rebuilt at another time.

I wish I had known how hard it is to find a 16x1 alternator nut before I pounded the alternator out of the housing and it smacked the concrete! I didn't expect that thing to come out so quickly, lesson learned.

[pozee]

I would think a machine shop would be the safest and best option to get the shaft repaired and matched up to a new nut.

[marlinaness]

depending on the year, you will not be able to find a new nut. I had to pick up on in Stuttgart. for the older ones e.g. 70 or 71 they are 16mm x 1.0 mm pitch and for others 17 x 1.5 pitch. nobody had the 16mm x 1.0. A nice german repair shop owner gave me one, it worked.

[MrJTP]

Search Pelican for this part number; 928-603-904-00-M262
The say it is the nut for an 81 911SC and they have 6 in stock. Or their computer thinks they have 6 in stock.

[vash]

i screwed mine up big time. this was before i learned JW's cool 2x4/gravity trick. i ended up buying a new nut from partsheaven. pelican was out at the time. the shaft? my alt rebuilder had the dies and fix it for me. he lectured me, big time.

i kept the buggered up nut, and keep it on my work computer to remind me not to go off half-cocked at work.

[86911cab]

This isn't the Alt. shaft, but its a picture of a set if needle files I use to repair buggered up threads. Just take your time and work around the shaft just below the bad towards the shafts end. You will be surprised how easy it is.

Here is the file set.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=468