Bell housing question.

[Mad4slalom]

Hi all , some of you may remember my previous post regarding the bolt that has rattled out of my main shaft bearing support. ( one of the 4 in this pic of a similar gearbox ) I am losing oil out of the now open hole, the engine or box has to come out at some time to sort this but my workshop is behind schedule so wont be done for a while. I was wondering whether it could be accessed through the clutch fork hole , I have a mobile phone endescope to try to see exactly which bolt it is that has come out, I then started wondering if it would be possible to cut a section out of the bottom of the bellhousing to enable access to replace bolt . I am sure I have seen bellhousings with a Removeable section on some vehicles. Or would the clutch assembly block access to those bolts ?

 

[Corvette]

Strange one. If it’s on the side by the clutch fork window you may be able to get in my money is on removing prop, trans mount and four trans bolts to belhousing and pull trans back an inch so you can replace bolt.

 

[Mad4slalom]

Strange one. If it’s on the side by the clutch fork window you may be able to get in my money is on removing prop, trans mount and four trans bolts to belhousing and pull trans back an inch so you can replace bolt.

Ah ! That sounds a possibility, just trying to avoid dropping box if not totally necessarythank you. Camera in there next I guess.

 

[teamzr1]

Yes, there are some GM models that have a 2 piece bellhousing.
Split at the bottom for easy access
Be shame depending on how old the flywheel, clutch, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing are to go through all that and not
replace them
Be careful doing that is if the pilot bearing is worn and loose and pulling the shaft backwards of tranny and the bearing comes out of
flywheel your screwed

How about once you locate where the bolt mounts are, use a small hole saw to bellhousing large enough for the socket for the head of the bolt
Rig up, so the bolt will not fall off the socket enough to get bolt started and socket can then come out ?

 

[Mad4slalom]

Yes, there are some GM models that have a 2 piece bellhousing.
Split at the bottom for easy access
Be shame depending on how old the flywheel, clutch, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing are to go through all that and not
replace them
Be careful doing that is if the pilot bearing is worn and loose and pulling the shaft backwards of tranny and the bearing comes out of
flywheel your screwed

How about once you locate where the bolt mounts are, use a small hole saw to bellhousing large enough for the socket for the head of the bolt
Rig up, so the bolt will not fall off the socket enough to get bolt started and socket can then come out ?

Thanks for your input. It is frustrsting that there are less than 5k on engine and clutch since the car was body off restored. The po didnt rebuild the box because it was all working fine so he may not have ever checked these bolts for tightness. ( they should have french tabs to lock the bolts in situ) I have a muncie re build kit , new clutch kit , flywheel, new shaft bearing, bearing support , new bolts and everthing I need to replace when I do the big stripdown. Just hoping I could get a new bolt in there somehow until the workshop is done. Think of the various special tools built for certain specific jobs that enable tricky operations to be carried out in tiny spaces, would be worth fabricating a special tool for this if it avoided the big stripdown.

 

[teamzr1]

Just thinking out loud for tools needed to install bolt
Could use tape to temp hold bolt in socket so not falling off and down bellhousing

 

[Oneball]

This is the gap you’ll be trying to get through.

I reckon you’ve got no chance.

 

[Mad4slalom]

This is the gap you’ll be trying to get through.
View attachment 16671
I reckon you’ve got no chance.

Hmm , anyone know a friendly gynacologist ?