Top Two/Three Bell Housing bolts

JayArr

Original poster
Member
Sep 24, 2018
504
Mission BC Canada
Hi All

I installed and tourqued the top three bolts on the bellhousing today and thought I'd share some details and a couple of pics for others.

I already had both drive shafts out to replace the u-joints and I don't know if they would bind up if left in,

I had read that you had to "tilt" the back of the tranny down to get at the bolts from underneath but what I didn't realize at first was that you need to remove the crossmember, I tried at first putting my floor jack under the crossmember and just pulling the bolts out of it but it won't drop enough because of the exhaust bracket so I moved my floor jact over to the bottom of the transfer case and removed the crossmember to mount nuts then the crossmember to triangular frame bracket bolts and then the long bolts holding the crossmember to the frame. Once the crossmember was out of the way I undid the two bolts holding the mount to the transfer case and unclipped a wiring harness holder and then removed it along with the exhaust bracket. Then I removed the exhaust pipe from the engine to the joint in that area to give me room. (unplug the O2 sensor.)

With all that out of the way I lowered the floor jack and the tranny sagged (but not all the way to the ground).

What I then saw was a very pretty sight and I snapped a picture. The three bolts you need to install become very visible and easily accessible.

The trouble now was getting an extension long enough. I tried putting all of my 6" and 12" extensions together and by using both 1/2" and 3/8" with an adapter it would have been long enough but there were at least a dozen joints in it and it was loose ans sloppy and I could see frsutration written all over it. I jumped in the car and hit the local auto store and bought a set of very long 1/2" extensions by Performance Tool, there are three in the set 30", 24" and 18". This is exactly what I needed now I had only one joint and it was easy to move and aim. I used a pice of rubber glove between the bolt and socket to hold it in place and had the bolts installed and tourqued in about 10 minutes. The extensions were $40Cdn which is probably about $25US and really... how much frustration does a tool need to eliminate to be worth that amount? LOL.

Pic attached of the extension I used with the manual thrown in for comparison.
 

Attachments

  • PC040001.JPG
    PC040001.JPG
    373.7 KB · Views: 29
  • PC040003.JPG
    PC040003.JPG
    391.6 KB · Views: 22

m.mcmillen

Member
Apr 29, 2016
554
Wisconsin
I have a 3 foot long extension that is 1/2" drive and goes down to 3/8" on socket end. I use a universal socket and a 1/2" drive impact and snug it down really good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrrsm

mrrsm

Lifetime VIP Donor
Supporting Donor
Member
Oct 22, 2015
7,641
Tampa Bay Area
I did a 4L60E R&R back in 2015 before I got hurt working on my '02 using an Air Power Milwaukee Pneumatic 1/2" Drive to a 3/8" Adapter and Two of those HF Ultra Long Pittsburg 3/8" Extensions. After laying on my back during a driving rain for two damned straight days in a row while trying to sit up and look over the top of the Transmission to get those damned bolts installed... by the time I was done... I had a Rock-Hard Six-Pack of Stomach Muscles that a Cat couldn't scratch. MY GOD... Why Didn't GM see fit to install Two Bolt-Down Plates on either side of the Transmisson Hump to provide easier access to them? Very Glad you got them all in!
 
  • Like
Reactions: JerryIrons

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
That works. I had dropped the engine and tranny onto the frame/crossmembers to access the top bolts from the top with a wrench. I looked like I had a fight with a feral cat but got it done.
 

Forum Statistics

Threads
23,273
Posts
637,498
Members
18,472
Latest member
MissCrutcher

Members Online

No members online now.