last bellhousing bolt!

[JH924S]

alright i have all but one bellhousing bolts removed on the front BH. now how in the hell can you ge the middle driverside bolt off.
i can get a wrench on it it but it cant move theres no room at all and the clutch slave is outta the way as is the starter and torque tube .

manythanks

[SoCal Driver]

The worst bell housing to engine block bolt that I've ever removed is the one on the drivers side just below the speed sensors.

I had to cut down the depth of an impact (black) socket to just fit the bolt head and use a breaker bar from the top with the intake manifold removed. Use a Dremel tool with the cut off wheel to shorten the socket.

Soak the heck out of the bolt threads from the engine side also.

Once the bolt was freed I used an offset box ratchet to run it out.

Note: a four foot piece of water or gas pipe that fits over the end of the breaker bar is quite handy to have around. As is a local Sears to take the broken breaker bar back to!

The auto and stick have to have the nine socket head (allen) bolts removed that either hold the rubber automatic disc or the pressure plate to the fly wheel. If it's a stick loosen the bolts a little at a time rotating the flywheel with a large screw driver. Take out the sparking bolts to make it easier to turn. The clutch disc will stay with the drive shaft. You will not need an alignment tool to reassemble.

The stick's throw out bearing and the pressure plate has to stay with the drive shaft. The automatic has a retaining clip on the end of the drive shaft between the disc and the engine!

Oh yes remove the speed sensors and the entire dist. cap and rotor too!

Some sort of an adjustable lifting bridge should be used to lift the engine. Not so much as to take it out but to put it back in. You will need to be able to match the engine angle and rotation to the bellhousing to get the bolts back in. I also used a jack under the bell housing to assist in re-alignment.

There is more if you are interested.

[JH924S]

thanks for the method although id rather not cut my sockets, im doing a clutch job so if anybody has another method it would be very helpfull, scott R any tips?

[Scott R]

Yes, here is what I had to do. Since you have the torque tupe out of gthe way there is nothing holding the engine to the driveline. Get a block of wood and a small tire jack under the front pulley and angle the engine back just enough to get a socket on that bolt. If you still can't then get a swivel socket that is the "ball-and-socket" type you can get a bit more flex out of it. Now on my 951 I just used a hamer and a rod and banged a small indentation into the heat sheilding allowing me some more room.

[SoCal Driver]

So you would rather fight this than to get an cut down a cheap Chinese import socket?

OK.

You can "gain" a bit of space behind the bolt by dropping the motor down with the front crossmember. About a 1/2" for a drop of a few inches at most. You still have better access from the top with the intake removed.


Enjoy!

[Scott R]

Not dropping the motor, "tilting" it backwards is what I was thinking of.

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by Scott R
Not dropping the motor, "tilting" it backwards is what I was thinking of.

Be careful of the engine mounts if you are not planning on replacing them.

Also the large bottom hose between the water pump and the radiator.

[JH924S]

thanks alot ill try it tomarrow i got pretty frustrated and hungry. sounds like itll work i do have a swivel wrench. also socal my fathers rather expensive tool chest is not be mest with like that if you know what i mean but thanks for trying.

[JH924S]

oh one more thing the driveshaft is still connected all i have to do is press the clutch and pull out at the same time to remove it , correct?

[SoCal Driver]

Can't just run down to the Walmart and buy a six dollar set of sockets to finish a seven hundred dollar job?

"Daddies very expensive tools".

I take it he bought you the car too?

And the parts to fix it?

[JH924S]

wow its amazing how much of a tool you can be socal ,whats up your ass seriously, all i said was my i didnt feel like cutting my fathers sockets because im tryin not to destroy something that isnt mine.just because you would rather not spend the money on a good set doesnt mean others dont.i worked hard to pay for the car myself in full just as i ordered the new clutch from pelican with my own money you assuming prick. whattya gonna cry cus i didnt use your idea, why dont u make our self useful like scott R has been and quit *****in

[Scott R]

I found it easiest to have an assistant press the clutch in and then remove the torque tube. This also works well for re-installation of the torque tube later.

[JH924S]

thanks scott, again you have been very helpfull