Weird bolt/mount in path of serpentine belt on 1999 cobra?

[jmichalicek]

Damn, it's been a long time since I've been here.

I just got done replacing the belt tensioner on my '99 cobra and noticed that the belt actually runs right across a bolt or mounting stud of some sort in between the alternator and power steering pulley. Is this correct? It doesn't seem like it possibly could be, but it will have been like this for years... probably since 1999, but the motor was rebuilt in 2010 or so, so it's possible it was put together weird then. I've seen a few other pics, which I'm trying to find again, which look like it is the same way on those cars. Others appear to have a short bolt with a normal head on it where mine has the threaded post sticking out to hit the belt.

I've double checked the routing about 100 times now just to be sure I didn't do something stupid. The belt was replaced a few months ago when I had the throwout bearing replaced because it was all torn up then. You'd think they would have mentioned this if it was not correct.

Is there a correct bolt to go there which I could pick up from Ford and quickly swap?

 

[01yellercobra]

The bolt that goes there shouldn't have a stud on it. It should just be a regular bolt.

 

[jmichalicek]

Interesting. Going to have to see if there's a dealership near where I work (I can't think of one over there...) Should I be able to just go into the dealership and say "Come out here and look... I need the bolt that goes here" or is there something specific I should call it to get the right thing? Is there anything special about that bolt or can I just remove the stud that's there and put the correct bolt in?

It looks like I could safely cut the end off with a dremel to get it out of the way, which I may be able to do more easily than I can get to a dealership. That would make it easier to get a socket on there, too. I don't think I have any the right size which are long enough to go over the stud. Would I be ok doing that?

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions. I really have no idea wtf I'm doing... spent many years avoiding doing anything beyond oil changes because I just didn't have the time to learn. Now that I've got a kid I don't have the money to keep paying other people to deal with every little thing, so I'm trying to learn.

Now I really wish I knew when that got put on there... it can't possibly have been that way since '99. It seems unlikely that it's been that way since my rebuild in 2010. Is there any reason that bolt would have been removed when I had a head rebuilt awhile back?

 

[VirtualSVT]

Take it out go to a bolt store. Like Fastenal.

 

[01yellercobra]

You can either cut the threaded part off or do like Virtual said and go to a fastener store.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

hell you can probably find it at ace hardware...take it out and use the thread checker to get the right size and pitch then find one long enough

Although I wouldnt be surprised if they put the bolts in the wrong place and you could just swap them around to fix it...off hand I believe there should be two bolts like that at the bottom of the cover, one on each side of the crank pulley. Should be a holder on the wire harness on each side that would mount on that stud then another nut goes on top to help keep the harness from getting tangled up on any moving parts

 

[3B99SVT]

Is it a stud that hold the tensioner guard? I'll go out and look at mine later today. I don't have my guard bolted up anymore but the studs are still there. Are you sure your belt routing is correct? I'm pretty sure the '99 and '01 routings are different. If it is a stud to hold the tensioner guard I don't think the belt should go over it.

 

[jmichalicek]

I looked briefly to see if it looked like it was just swapped with a different bolt somewhere, but I didn't see anything obvious.

I have no idea if there's a fastener store or anything like that around here, particularly near the office... plenty of home depot's and whatnot, though. I may cut it for now and then try to track down the right thing... time is limited and I can probably have someone bring in a dremel or small bolt cutter today at work.

@3B99SVT it's actually on the other side of the motor from the tensioner. The stud sticking out is over on the upper driver's side in between the alternator and power steering pulleys where the belt just goes straight between those two pulleys. That pulley you can see in the upper picture is the water pump. There's another stud just like it up and to the right a bit which does have the previously mentioned cap and wiring mounted to it.

 

[Zemedici]

Lemme get you the ford part number for the bolt bud, hold on.


EDIT: Had my Parts Manager look at it, and he said you can just swap a bolt so that the stud doesnt interfere, he said they should all be about the same size.

 

[jmichalicek]

Thanks guys. Looks like I can probably just swap that with one of the bolts for the power steering fluid bracket and call it a day. Now I just need to get a socket the right size and long enough to fit over that stud.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

Lemme get you the ford part number for the bolt bud, hold on.


EDIT: Had my Parts Manager look at it, and he said you can just swap a bolt so that the stud doesnt interfere, he said they should all be about the same size.

thats what I was getting at, they just put that one in the wrong place so you can swap em around. I would check the bottom side of the timing cover where I mentioned, is there a bolt with stud on each side of the crank pulley? If not thats where it goes and there should be the brackets on the wiring harness down there just like the one you found

 

[jmichalicek]

thats what I was getting at, they just put that one in the wrong place so you can swap em around. I would check the bottom side of the timing cover where I mentioned, is there a bolt with stud on each side of the crank pulley? If not thats where it goes and there should be the brackets on the wiring harness down there just like the one you found

Ah, sorry, I misread what you said when you mentioned the timing cover before. Long week at work last week and so far this week. My brain is shot. I'll check that out.

 

[jmichalicek]

Well, finally got a chance to take a look (work full time, part time college, daughter's birthday this week... free time has been non-existent), and all I can find are the bolts with the studs. On either side of the crank pulley are two more long studs... passenger side one seemed to have an additional bracket attached to it. I'll stop by a dealership sometime this week, I hope, and see if they can get me the right thing.

Thanks for the help. I'm sure I'll be back sometime in the relatively near future with more stupid questions now that I'm trying to deal with some of this stuff myself.

 

[soccerman002]

Just cut the threaded part off and be done with it.