Ok Im changing out the automatic transmission with a used (but good) replacement. It really has not been easy, however the concept on how to do things is relateively easy to undestand. The hard part is getting bolts un bolted, and things undone.

When it came to the torque coverter bolts, I have bought a flywheel (flexplate) stoper/mover. I am able to lock up the flexplate (flywheel) just fine when loosening the bolts.

I have loosend (but not taken off) 3 of the 4 torque converter mounting bolts. The fourth is freaking hell. First it doesn't move, at all. We spray it with wd40 and let it sit for a bit and try again. The wrench slipped off and ate a piece of the bolt head. We did this about 6 more times each with more force trying to get the last bolt loose. Finaly the box-end wrench is just slipping off bc the bolt head is eaten bad.

We tried vice grips 3 times. The first time I thought forsure worked, but apparently did not and it was just slipping on the head. Now the bolt head is eaten to hell. The vice grips get a good hold, but seem to just slip (feels like bolt turning, but its just the civegrips rotating on the bolt head.)


Now what do I do? I'm so irriated. Not at the car, but at 13 years of road salt snow and ice. Aughghghgh

What do mechanics do in a case like this!? Do I just go out and buy a cutoff tool and just buzz the bolt head off, or will that cause more probs?

BTW: no socket wrench or breaker bar is able to fit in the bottom of the bellhousing opening. We could only use a boxend (my mind slips me, the one thats like a boxend only its goes all the way around. )

Anways... now what. We're getting down to the last things. The torque converter is the last bolts before we unbolt the tranny mounts. Everything has taken along time, but these last bolts have put us on hold for 3 days.

Help!

TIA!!

 

Sorry one other thing: I expect a few of you guys to sway me towards teh 5spd (i;m working on lining that up) but Thsi is my driver car and ive been w/o transportation for almost a week. The auto i bought as a replacement was really cheap and i needed to get back on the road pronto. Help me out guys, thanks!

 

heat it up or cut it off

 

but if i did cut the head off (only thing i can think of is a rotary tool), how will i be able to get the tranny down? The toque converter will still be bolted to the flywheel/flexplate.

 

not bolted.. but the bolt bolt (bolt less bolt head) will still be threaded trough the flexplate and torque converter.

 

put a wrench on it and give the wrench a crack with a
hammer that will knock it loose.

matt

 

The head is what holds the bolt "shaft" to the flexplate. IF you cut off the head, it will no longer stay put, and your problem will be solved.

Since your current auto tranny is toasted, you'll want to use the torque that came with your new auto tranny (presumably better) anyway...it's a rule of auto trannies never to use an old torque in a good used tranny or a rebuilt one, as it contains burned fluid if it came off a bad tranny.

So, because of this, cutting the bolt head off will solve your problem.

 

Don't cut it that makes more problems latter because then if you can't easyout the stud that is stuck in the torque converter you have to buy a new torque converter. If it were me I would go buy a metal chisal, and a a good mechanics hammer. Take the chisal and make a groove in one side of the bolt that will make it easiest to hit it out counter clock wise. Once you get a big enough groove so that the chisal will sit in it take the hammer and keep beating it until it breaks loose. Also go to wal-mart and buy one or two cans of PB blaster it is the best penitrating oil in the world. Spray it on and let it sit for about thirty minutes then spray again. Keep doing that for about a couple of hours and it should come out with the easiest of force.

 

The torque converter isn't bolted to the tranny. It sits on the input shaft. The torque converter is only bolted to the gear ring, which is bolted to the counter weight.

 

Trust me do what hypntyz7 says,just cutoff the bolt and use the torque converter from your other transmission.

Cut it off with either a dremel or a grinder.

Good Luck

 

have u tried heating it? thats what i had to do to get mine off when i went 5-speed, get a tourch and get that ****** hot, it will come right off, i had to do this to 2 of mine. if that dosen't work do what hypntyz7 said


-Shawn

 

Thanks all!! I ended up drilling through the bolt (wasting two drill bits) and than putting a punch through the hole to turn the bolt out. Apparently whoever bolted it up forgot the lock-ring and washer and created super-screwed-up-torque!

Pictures of one demented bolt will be up soon!

Thanks everyone for your help, we've got the tranny down!