shawnk

Well I was 15 secs away from being done with my 5th gear syncro replacement when I snapped my last bolt off...


I was using a torque wrench and the rest went fine so maybe it is a bad bolt. Question is this:

It was one of the long bolts and it broke off at the very bottom end so do I try and take it out with the transmission together (about 6" to bolt fragment), take it to a shop and get it done (maybe they have a spiffy tool to take it out no sweat), or pull the transmission back apart until I get down to the bolt and extract it myself?

I know what everyone is going to say but I guess I have to hear before I have the energy to start again.

Shawn

Oh, I forgot the worst part I think - the syncro seemed fine - couldnt tell a difference from the one I got from mazda. If I still have the problem shifting to 5th after all this I might get mad. Especially since the last thing I did was switch out the pillowball bushings in the rear and I still have the clunk.

duboisr

TRY to drill a hole in the end with a long jobber bit then braze an easy out onto a drill rod and back it out . How far are you from Garfinkle in Murfreesboro Tn.He has customers from North Carolina. He has done this type of repair .

shawnk

I am about 90 min from murfreesboro. I am going to take it by a local guy and see what he thinks he can do with it. Thanks for the welding suggestion - I dont think about that as an option since I cant weld but I was trying to figure out how to get that much torque that far down and that seems to be an answer. If he is not confident I might give garfinkle a call.

Shawn

tom jelly

maybe you can silver solder it- easier than welding

duboisr

Brazing and silver solder require the same work and equipment. Brazing takes more heat and is stronger .

redrotorR1

Easy out. I break bolts all the time on my FD. I'm convinced every bolt in there is a one-time usage part.
As long as you didn't cross-thread the bolt, it should back out fairly easy. Otherwise, you may have to drill it out and use a heli-coil. (not fun)

shawnk

Took it to a shop and had it pulled for $40. The guy did exactly what duboisr suggested - welded a puller onto a long rod. I am very happy to have got it done - sure I probably could have done it but I still would have been cursing that it had happened the whole time (and it would have seemed to taken twice as long as it should have I am sure). Not the best $40 I have ever spent but certainly not the worst.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Shawn

duboisr

Good for you and you are welcome .