Cascade Crew

aaron_sK · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: Torque Converter Bolts

It's been tought getting time to work on the car in between 10 hour shifts, but I got the trans stripped and cracked all the bellhousing bolts (easier than everyone says). Now I've got a serious problem though.

When the 700R4 first blew I had a shop remove and inspect it. And when they put it back together either they were on crack, or just screwing with me because the cranked the sh** out of the flexplate to converter bolts. They are tight enough that I snapped a 15mm Craftsman wrench in half trying to loosen them.

One new wrench later, I tried heating the bolts with a blowtorch (useless). Now i'm stuck with the trans sitting under the car on a jack (unbolted from the engine) and a torque converter I can't remove. The oil pan is in my way so there's no way I can get an impact wrench or breaker bar in there.

I'm done with it for the day, had to work this morning, then messed with the car all afternoon, but goddamn guys, any ideas? GM service manual says 35ft lbs. for these bolts. Bashy Bashy

chevymad · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject:

Rotate it so each bolt is lined up with the starter hole. There you should be able to get a better wrench on it. You can also use the old locking 2 end wrenches together trick.. then give it a good smack.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:43 pm Post subject:

Actually the dual wrench trick was how I snapped the wrench in two. Embarassed

Is it easier to work with the starter out of the car? Right now I left the starter in because I was jamming a screwdriver in between it and the flywheel.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

If it helps with space you can go ahead and remove the transmission, just leaving the torque converter on the flex plate.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:53 pm Post subject:

I was going to, but it really wouldn't help. Right now my clearance problem is between the engine and the flexplate, not on the other side.

chevymad · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject:

If you remove the starter you'll have access to the flexplate bolts through the hole where the starter mounts.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject:

Gonna have to try that. Thanks guys.

blue89 · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 7:19 am Post subject:

I always have a friend hold a big screwdriver into the teeth of the flexplate and leverage it against the bellhousing, while I wrench the bolts off. Is that not working?

I would advise against leaving the torque converter on. The hydrolic pump is run off of the torque converter tube. If you try to put the tranny back on and somehow jam that pump you can break it, causing you to buy a new tranny! Unbolting the converter from the flexplate and removing them together is teh proper way to do it.

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 7:38 am Post subject:

I'm not worried about damaging the tranny at all blue, it's already gone. Not worth anything more than a core right now.

iansane · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 7:41 am Post subject:

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

If I were closer Aaron I would bring my finest hammer over and show that b*tch who's boss. Laughing

Dewey316 · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 9:08 am Post subject:

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 9:08 am Post subject:

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject:

Haha... I was laying under there yesterday cursing the fact that I didn't have room for an impact wrench. Laughing

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject:

could you get a short 3/8" drive socket and wrench on it? I used that and I put the hollow end of my bottle jack handle on the end of the socket wrench to get the torque converter bolts off, when I took the 700R4 out of the Berlinetta. I think I smashed my knuckles into the trans tunnel a few times #$%^&*

Bobby or someone torqued those suckers on good.

83Z28BlackBetty · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 11:24 pm Post subject:

Sellmanb · Member Joined: 30 Nov 2004 Posts: 727 Location: Tigard, OR

DBL_TKE · Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject:

I can't remember, is there enough room for an air ratchet? (not an impact wrench). That's what I used to get my spark plugs out for the first time.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 9:41 am Post subject:

So have they been removed yet?

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 5:29 pm Post subject:

Yeah, that crap's long gone. Very Happy

I used B's idea of using the starter cutout. It took two breaker bars (one braced to the front pulley, and one on the flexplate) and I ended up having to crack a couple of them loose with a long wrench on the end of the breaker bar, but I got it out.

BTW, Ian, that plug you gave me doesn't fit anything on the T56. Don't know where it came from, but you can have it back. Laughing