Tranny Bolt

Drewet88 · #1 05-30-2006, 12:30 AM

Hello my friend Andrew gladly let me use his automotive forums account so I could post my question. I didnt want to make one of my own because I doubt I would be using it to ofter (I'm not really a computer person) but here is my question.

What should I do?
I was removing my tranny bell housing bolts and stripped the last one. U know the one that you have to go through the tranny to motor mount with a 24" extension to get to. For some reason that bolt was a tad smaller than the other tranny bolts and it got rounded off....

I tried hammering a smaller socket onto it and trying to turn it but that just stripped it more and now I have a perfectly round bolt.

Andrew tried helping me out but the only thing he could tell me to do was "drill it out." And when I said no he said "ask automotive forums." As a result I am here asking for your help.

Please help me get this last bolt off so I can finally overhaul my engine (failed a compression test pretty badly)

Thank you for reading this
DeAndes

P.S. this took me almost an half hour to write (I am not a computer person)

Alibi · #2 05-30-2006, 12:41 AM

Yeah, Your'e probably going to have to drill it out. My first thought was to cut a groove in the bolt with a hacksaw and then use a large screwdriver to hopefully get it loose, but I'm not sure if it is even remotely possible to get a blade at the bolt to groove it. If you can get a welder to it, you may be able to weld another bolt to the rounded bolt and then try to unscrew it....but again you are left with the issue of space. Worse comes to worse, you will probably have to remove the entire tranny/engine assembly in order to access the bolt....

Good luck with it though

Drewet88 · #3 05-30-2006, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alibi

Yeah, Your'e probably going to have to drill it out. My first thought was to cut a groove in the bolt with a hacksaw and then use a large screwdriver to hopefully get it loose, but I'm not sure if it is even remotely possible to get a blade at the bolt to groove it. If you can get a welder to it, you may be able to weld another bolt to the rounded bolt and then try to unscrew it....but again you are left with the issue of space. Worse comes to worse, you will probably have to remove the entire tranny/engine assembly in order to access the bolt....

Good luck with it though

He doesn't want to drill it out because hs said it may make his bell housing weaker in structure. But I'm pretty sure he doesnt want to take out the entire tranny/engine assembly.

I think I'm going to try something I did a long time ago. I got a piece of pipe that was about the same diameter of the bolt head actually it was just big enough to slide over it. Then I got so JB Weld put it in the inside and let it sit overnight then I drilled a hole through the pipe and used a screw driver to turn the pipe which turned the bolt and I got it loose. The only problem is I didnt try it on a tranny bolt it was on a motor mount bolt and it was on an old ass Ford pick-up that was rusted so bad I had to scrap the project.
I dont know how well this will work on his car or if I can even find a piece a pipe that will fit over the bolt.

Maybe his best bet is to drill it out but I've never actually done that since he says its a 3/4 bolt (I thought it would be standard and not metric but I never saw the bolt before it got stripped) would I drill it out with a 3/4 drill bit?

He also told me to thank you for helping him out....

-Andrew

ChemMan · #4 05-30-2006, 08:32 AM

Sears sells special sockets for removing bolts that are AFU. They worked pretty well the couple times I've used them. Might be worth looking into.

Gocart879 · #5 05-30-2006, 04:21 PM

this may sound stupid, but i have use channel locks, "craftsman" and a small vise grips before to remove these rounded off bolts. give it a try its always worked well for me,

spinne1 · #6 05-30-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gocart879

this may sound stupid, but i have use channel locks, "craftsman" and a small vise grips before to remove these rounded off bolts. give it a try its always worked well for me,

This bolt is not accessible with vise grips. My advice is to go to Sears and get the sockets that remove stripped bolts. You'll need a fairly large one.

Drewet88 · #7 05-31-2006, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChemMan

Sears sells special sockets for removing bolts that are AFU. They worked pretty well the couple times I've used them. Might be worth looking into.

is the tool you're talking about called "pullers" because that was what my grandpa told him to go buy but when he asked autozone about them they said they didnt know what he was talking about and the only thing that he could do to get the bolt off would be to drill the bolt out...

Alibi · #8 05-31-2006, 12:59 AM

Oooh...I didn't think about the rounded nut sockets at Sears...One of those ought to do the trick

Another thing I thought of the other day was to try a dremel tool with a cutting head on it to cut a slit in the bolt for a scredriver....or to cut off enough of the bolt to pound a socket onto the now size-modified bolt....

But I would try the sockets designed for stripped bolts...If I remember right, they aren't too horribly expensive and odds are you'll need em again down the road to merit buying them anyway. I know sears has them, or if you have a good mechanic buddy he may a set as well (rounded bolts are a common problem to us do-it-yourselfers-to-screw-the-(generally) overpriced-mechanic-ers)

Drewet88 · #9 05-31-2006, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alibi

Oooh...I didn't think about the rounded nut sockets at Sears...One of those ought to do the trick

Another thing I thought of the other day was to try a dremel tool with a cutting head on it to cut a slit in the bolt for a scredriver....or to cut off enough of the bolt to pound a socket onto the now size-modified bolt....

But I would try the sockets designed for stripped bolts...If I remember right, they aren't too horribly expensive and odds are you'll need em again down the road to merit buying them anyway. I know sears has them, or if you have a good mechanic buddy he may a set as well (rounded bolts are a common problem to us do-it-yourselfers-to-screw-the-(generally) overpriced-mechanic-ers)

Hmmmm....
these sound like a tool I should add to my collection. Maybe I'll buy them for future use and just let him use them..
Do they come in different sizes like normal sockets?

spinne1 · #10 05-31-2006, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewet88

Hmmmm....
these sound like a tool I should add to my collection. Maybe I'll buy them for future use and just let him use them..
Do they come in different sizes like normal sockets?

Yes, but there are not nearly as many as in a normal socket set.

LeSabre97mint · #11 05-31-2006, 05:17 PM

Hello

Here is a link to the sockets that have been mentioned. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

Were you using a 12 or 6 point socket? I nearly always use a 6 point so the head doesn't get rounded out.

Dan

Drewet88 · #12 05-31-2006, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeSabre97mint

Hello

Here is a link to the sockets that have been mentioned. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

Were you using a 12 or 6 point socket? I nearly always use a 6 point so the head doesn't get rounded out.

Dan

Thanks for the link but I do not know if he used 12 or point socket. I can ask him and repost later.

Hmmmm $60 not to bad and it looks like its something good to have added to my tool collection. But I'll have to wait until friday to get it

Maybe he can find someone to borrow one from until I but mine....
I'll ask around.

Drewet88 · #13 05-31-2006, 05:31 PM

Second question where would be a good place for him to buy new bolts because he was talking about going to OSH or LOWE'S and I dont know how good their bolts are...

Alibi · #14 05-31-2006, 06:13 PM

A transmission shop would probably have one laying around or an auto store...my local Napa has a large selection of bolts and I can usually find one. If not, then a junkyard would probably have one and I'm sure it would be cheap.

So far, it looks like the bolt-out set would be best. I was in Sears today and I saw a set for $20, but the largest nut in the set may not have been large enough for the bell housing bolt. However, there could be a set with larger nuts for a similar price, but if not then there is that nice-looking 60 dollar set.

Drewet88 · #15 05-31-2006, 08:07 PM

I just came from sears and bought the $60 set. It looks like it should have every size bolt in it. I'm going to look at it now.

But it doesnt look like the sockets will fit onto my breaker bar because the back is round?
Maybe I have to go buy an adapter.

Man he is going to owe me I'm buying tools that I wont need to use anytime soon so he can finish his project.

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