I bought a new alternator because they said I over tightened the bolt that holds the positive battery lead ?

Question

Has anyone ever heard of over tightening the bolt on the back of the alternator that holds the positive battery lead They said I cracked the plastic and it is causing it to short and draining my battery. Is this possible??They say it is common I have just never have heard of it before

Answer 1

Yes. it is very possible. The plastic around the bolt is an electrical insulator, and because most plastic is often no match for a steel machine s***w, it is quite plausible that it broke due to excessive torque. It is common, especially among amateurs, to misjudge the proper amount of torque to apply. You may also been a victim of a poorly designed or cheaply made part susceptible to damage.

It may be that you can get a replacement part. It might also be that it is inexpensive. If you are somewhat handy with the likes of electric motors (can get one apart and back together so that it works), it may not be too hard to replace.

It is easy to tell if something is draining your battery by using an ammeter. No guesswork required.

Answer 2

If the battery lead from alt. to batt. is grounded it will cause extreme heat and burn the wire.

Answer 3

If you had a direct short with the positive battery cable that goes to the alternator the cables would start to glow red after a short amount of time.  Worst case scenario is your car catches on fire or your battery explodes.  If it were actually shorting to ground it would be pretty obvious by the smoke from under the hood or the vehicle fire.  

Answer 4

Listen to RPK.

Not only is it possible, it not that uncommon.

Answer 5

Did you purchase a new one already? If so, then nvm. But if not, take the 'cracked' alternator to a parts store, where they can test if the alternator is still good or not. The shop could just be trying to get more money out of you...