ok so i put in my a/c tensioner yesterday and my altenator bolt is stripped and i have no idea's for getting it off. to make matters worse it's the one on the bottom of the altenator. any suggestions, would be greatly appreciated.

 

vise grips and a new bolt... Maybe for that location needle nose vise grips. Well worth the investment.

 

you can also find some special sockets at most hardware stores, they will 'bite' into the bolt as you turn them

 

Heat that b****! Just try and shield the alternator from the heat. My mechanic friend told me, while helping me with some other stuck bolts, to try heat cycling. Heat the b**** as hot as you can get it with a torch (propane = good, mapp gas = better, acetylene = best), and then hit it with water till it's cold... Repeat. Do it three times, and then when the b**** is still hot the third time crank the vise grips as hard as you can on that b**** and torque it out (The heat cycling usually breaks it free). If you can get a grinder in there to flatten out the bolt head on a couple sides to make it easier to grip, or even maybe a dremel, do it.

The best (and usually easiest) if it's accessible, is to weld a nut onto it and use that. Unfortunately most of us don't have a mig welder just lying around. Thats my next big purchase.

 

I've used the following approach once. You can use a special drill bit that will remove damaged/stuck bolts/screws by drilling into it. Of course, this will only work if you can actually fit the drill:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/To...or%2B%25231.jsp