starter bolts loosening every time i drive it

[oldyout]

hello there,
first post.
anyway, i've got a 1982 fiat spider that's been suffering from starter issues for a while. i know next to nothing about car repair (i bought the fiat for next to nothing figuring this would be a fun way to learn about cars) and have found, over the course of poking and prodding, that the starter bolts were really loose, preventing the starter from nestling up as tightly as it should. so i tightened them up as well as i could without an air compressor and it drives fine for a little while.
i've learned to park it on my ramps every time i bring it home so that i can retighten those damn bolts.

the previous owner told me when i bought it that a. there was a front seal leak that, while tiny, would eventually need attention and b. that he'd just replaced the starter but found that the third starter bolt (the one you have to find blind) was too much of a hassle to put back in. so he didn't.

is this lack of the third bolt the reason why the remaining bolts want to jimmy loose? or is there anything else i can do make sure they stay tight?

thanks

[majicwrench]

Properly tightened, they would not come loose. YOU NEED THE THIRD BOLT. And if you felt like it, there is a product called locknut which will help secure nuts and bolts.

Welcome!

[wikkid]

Blue Loctite, which is a brand name, or Permatex thread locker. Red is very difficult to break loose - use it for stuff that will basically almost never need to come off. Blue works very well to keep them in place. No need to goop it on - just a bit is fine.

Other ways to keep bolts in place, fyi to file away for future reference: a lock washer, which has a cut in the circle, and the two parts only line up when you tighten down the bolt - the spring tension keep s the bolt in place.

Or, a nylock nut, the ones that have nylon lining inside the thread area - this stuff keeps the bolt tight.

Or, a lock nut: basically, a second nut tightened down on top of the first one, locked against it.

[oldyout]

i've been looking at catalogs and on ebay but haven't been able to find a replacement bolt. any suggestions?

[eddie124]

Any high-grade (8.8 is ideal) M8 bolt will do, with a length of about 60 mm, so you can get one on any hardware store that sells metric stuff (not sure where you live, so I don't know how easy it is to get metric bolts).

Do take the suggestion to fit locking washers, get some from the same place you get the bolt. Or use Loctite, or both.

Intermittent starter faults can also be caused by the body of the motor being loose, as it grounds through its connection to the bellhousing, so if it is not tight it won't work as well.

Cheers, Eddie

[unplugged]

If for some reason you can't get metric locally.
http://www.boltdepot.com
http://www.mcmaster.com

[So Cal Mark]

I'd look at the threads on those bolts closely, they may be worn to the point of replacement. Or the threads in the starter housing may be worn. That third bolt isn't difficult if you use a 13mm swivel socket and long extension

[RoyBatty]

Also, Do yourself a favor and avoid using an air ratchet or impact for installation of bolts like this.
You are risking stripping the threads and complicating your life. You might also have not tightened them enough with the air tool.
Use a manual ratchet and the proper extensions and adapters.