Top trans bolt won’t catch thread

[Number4]

****update - sorry all, I’ve been working on my sons ‘04 4.0 for some time, posting questions. Forgot to mention that when creating this thread. ****

I have every trans bell housing bolt back in, except for the top passenger side.

It goes and feels like it hits the metal plate. But if so, why would every other bolt go in?

 

[Number4]

Almost looks like there’s a bolt broken flush in it. Though, there’s wasn’t when we had it on the stand. Confused.

 

[410Fortune]

Likely not a threaded hole?
What trans? 5r55e?

 

[CDW6212R]

Can you put a smaller object deeper into the hole, a pen even? If there is a hole there, then my question is are the other bolts tight at all? The bolts should all be put in some threads, but not all the way before the others are started.

 

[Number4]

Likely not a threaded hole?
What trans? 5r55e?

5r55s. 2004

 

[Josh P]

Did the metal plate have the hole punched?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Sure a dowel isn’t in the wrong pace?

 

[Number4]

Did the metal plate have the hole punched?

Yes, and the plate can only go on one way.

Sure a dowel isn’t in the wrong pace?

Only two dowels, that I recall, were on the bottom. They kind of hold the plate in place.

I was thinking that the plate was off just a bit, we did have to shimmy the assembly to get the bolt below it through the plate hole.

But you’d think with every other bolt in, that all holes would line up.

 

[CDW6212R]

The separator plate was what I was thinking of, that the bolt is hitting the edge of the hole in it.

 

[Number4]

The top red “circle” is the bolt that won’t go in. In fact, through the bell housing I don’t even see a hole in the block.

The other image shows the threads clearly visible for the bolt that goes in.

 

[Josh P]

It could be a manufacturing defect, there never was a bolt there.

 

[Number4]

Well, found the issue. One of the damn bolts used to mount the engine to the stand broke off.

Ugh, I have no desire to pull the engine back out for this.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Well, found the issue. One of the damn bolts broke off.

Ugh, I have no desire to pull the engine back out for this.

View attachment 429859 View attachment 429860

wonder if it can just be left as is?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Well, found the issue. One of the damn bolts broke off.

Ugh, I have no desire to pull the engine back out for this.

View attachment 429859 View attachment 429860

Ouch. I feel your pain.

 

[Number4]

wonder if it can just be left as is?

I will let everyone know!

 

[CDW6212R]

I hate to read that, that's tough to fix. Are there six bolts in that 5R55S trans to engine?

If everything else is perfect with the other five bolts, in a stock combination, that might be okay. I say might because it is your vehicle, you have to make that decision. I have a project plan that will require cutting off the lowest mounting bolt hole from my 302, to make room for a six speed. I'm willing to do that with my truck, but I'm sure a dealer or expert would say don't do it. It's liability for them. For mine, I will make sure everything lines up perfectly before I snug the remaining five bolts, with loctite, and then torque them evenly.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Is it broke off flush? Could you turn it into a dowel? I’d probably run it….

 

[Number4]

I hate to read that, that's tough to fix. Are there six bolts in that 5R55S trans to engine?

If everything else is perfect with the other five bolts, in a stock combination, that might be okay. I say might because it is your vehicle, you have to make that decision. I have a project plan that will require cutting off the lowest mounting bolt hole from my 302, to make room for a six speed. I'm willing to do that with my truck, but I'm sure a dealer or expert would say don't do it. It's liability for them. For mine, I will make sure everything lines up perfectly before I snug the remaining five bolts, with loctite, and then torque them evenly.

It has 8 total. So 7 are in and I’m okay with that! Lol. It runs at this point, we botched the timing the first time, so I’m just glad to know it runs.

That said, I may take it out at a later date, lol, probably not.

 

[Josh P]

Probably not....

 

[BrooklynBay]

There are a couple of things which could be done to remove the broken bolt. Do you have left handed drill bits, easy outs, and other types of extractors? Do you have access to a stud welding gun? You could weld a stud to the broken bolt then use a Vice Grip to turn it out.