Well it appears i might be the biggest bonehead on this site. I have an embarrising question to ask you guys. I put a new TKO in my car a couple weeks ago. I have not driven the car at all but started it up today and let it run for a while. Noticed that the temp gauge wasnt working for some reason. So i looked under the hood at the temp sending line and i found some bad news. Somehow when i put the new bellhousing on i pinched that line in between the block and bellhousing when i tightened down the bellhousing. So its now crushed and pinched in between the two. To add insult to injury while inspecting this i realized i never put the two top bolts in the bellhousing that go into the block. I have the 4 lower bellhousing bolts in but somehow forgot to put the 2 top ones in. Big time :clonk: Anyway, my question is this. Im thinking i can fix this problem without having to remove the tranny. Here are my thoughts on how to remedy this. Put a jack under the tranny, remove the crossmember and lower the tranny/engine down together. Loosen up the 4 bellhousing to block bolts just a very little bit. This should give me enough play to free up the pinched line and room to put in the 2 top bellhousing bolts. Do you guys see any problems with my idea...just want a second opinion that im not going to mess anything up by doing it this way. Thoughts?.
Bonehead move of the Month
thorpe67RS
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Well it appears i might be the biggest bonehead on this site. I have an embarrising question to ask you guys. I put a new TKO in my car a couple weeks ago. I have not driven the car at all but started it up today and let it run for a while. Noticed that the temp gauge wasnt working for some reason. So i looked under the hood at the temp sending line and i found some bad news. Somehow when i put the new bellhousing on i pinched that line in between the block and bellhousing when i tightened down the bellhousing. So its now crushed and pinched in between the two. To add insult to injury while inspecting this i realized i never put the two top bolts in the bellhousing that go into the block. I have the 4 lower bellhousing bolts in but somehow forgot to put the 2 top ones in. Big time :clonk: Anyway, my question is this. Im thinking i can fix this problem without having to remove the tranny. Here are my thoughts on how to remedy this. Put a jack under the tranny, remove the crossmember and lower the tranny/engine down together. Loosen up the 4 bellhousing to block bolts just a very little bit. This should give me enough play to free up the pinched line and room to put in the 2 top bellhousing bolts. Do you guys see any problems with my idea...just want a second opinion that im not going to mess anything up by doing it this way. Thoughts?.
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It sounds good to me, too!
Glad to here I'm no longer "bonehead of the month" after mistaking a rear seal for a shipping plug and paying $57 for the wrong offset dowels... 'course, I still gotta get mine in, should have the "right" dowels tomorrow, we'll see what else I can screw up!
Wonder if I'll beat you to done? Do you have a driveshaft yet?
Glad to here I'm no longer "bonehead of the month" after mistaking a rear seal for a shipping plug and paying $57 for the wrong offset dowels... 'course, I still gotta get mine in, should have the "right" dowels tomorrow, we'll see what else I can screw up!
Wonder if I'll beat you to done? Do you have a driveshaft yet?
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Jim,
Glad i could get you off the hook. My car is (was)100% done. I got the new driveshaft with my TKO kit. When i first discovered all this i thought i was going to have to pull the tranny again and i wasnt to happy. But sounds like i should be able to fix this without much hassle. Will get it rectified either friday or saturday and be done with it. Well except for the fact i still have to find where my motor is leaking oil. Which is a HUGE sore subject for me!
Glad i could get you off the hook. My car is (was)100% done. I got the new driveshaft with my TKO kit. When i first discovered all this i thought i was going to have to pull the tranny again and i wasnt to happy. But sounds like i should be able to fix this without much hassle. Will get it rectified either friday or saturday and be done with it. Well except for the fact i still have to find where my motor is leaking oil. Which is a HUGE sore subject for me!
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Craig -
Is it so pinched you can't just loosen the bolts on that side and yank the wire out? It sounds like the wire is wrecked anyway, so I'd try just loosening those two bolts and seeing if I could yank most of it out. Those bellhousing bolts shouldn't be torqued that tight. It's a pain to get to them, but...
Same with those upper bolts. Seems like you should have room to slip them in. It seems like a hundred years since I've seen my small block 68, but I can get to all the bolts on the bell of the big block.
Certainly your way, lowering the back of the trans should work, although you still end up reaching up over the trans to get to those top two bolts.
Is it so pinched you can't just loosen the bolts on that side and yank the wire out? It sounds like the wire is wrecked anyway, so I'd try just loosening those two bolts and seeing if I could yank most of it out. Those bellhousing bolts shouldn't be torqued that tight. It's a pain to get to them, but...
Same with those upper bolts. Seems like you should have room to slip them in. It seems like a hundred years since I've seen my small block 68, but I can get to all the bolts on the bell of the big block.
Certainly your way, lowering the back of the trans should work, although you still end up reaching up over the trans to get to those top two bolts.
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Eric,
The wire is definitely crushed and no good. I do plan to just loosen the bolts on that side of the bellhousing a little bit and yank it out...but...im pretty sure i cant get the upper bellhousing bolts in without lowering the tranny/engine. I will certainly try but i have my doubts...unfortunately.
The wire is definitely crushed and no good. I do plan to just loosen the bolts on that side of the bellhousing a little bit and yank it out...but...im pretty sure i cant get the upper bellhousing bolts in without lowering the tranny/engine. I will certainly try but i have my doubts...unfortunately.
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Craig, Since the wire is toast, why not just cut it off at the bell housing and then reach up through the bottom of the tranny with a helping hands tool to retrieve the other half of the wire. The connector probably was damaged when you started the engine anyway. Then just splice the wire with a new connector.
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I was thinking the exact same thing. If the wire is bad anyway, cut it off where it goes in, and run a new wire, and don't forget to put in the two missing bolts. I wouldn't worry about the old wire being in there until the next time you pull the tranny, or unless you are just anal about things like that. *I can be sometimes*.Camaro Dave said:
I would think one would want to remove the wire from above so the bellhousing would be parallel to the block. All one has to do is to loosen by a turn all four bolts, lift up on the oil pan, reach in and remove the wire and replace two missing bolts and tighten all of them.clwilcox33 said:
Yes, I know its miniscule amount, but if one has to "zero" the b/housing to the block, then this wire embedded at the interface is upsetting the alignment. Or, am I being too nit picky?
Craig
As Everett says, remove the wire! It will throw the alignment WAY OFF. Also make sure there is no plastic insulation from the wire left behind. Loosen the bolts and use a feeler gauge to clean the surface of any obstruction and put the bolts in any way you can reach them. This kind of thing happens to the best of us so don't beat your self up about it. Why do you think Doctors call it a practise!
As Everett says, remove the wire! It will throw the alignment WAY OFF. Also make sure there is no plastic insulation from the wire left behind. Loosen the bolts and use a feeler gauge to clean the surface of any obstruction and put the bolts in any way you can reach them. This kind of thing happens to the best of us so don't beat your self up about it. Why do you think Doctors call it a practise!
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Absolutely, as far as alignment i already thought about the fact that the wire wedged in there has thrown my alignment way off. Glad i found it now! Thanks for all the info guys. Get this thing taken care of on friday and finally be done..i hope. (I know, their never done)
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You're probably right Everett. You know FAR more about that kind of stuff than I do.Everett#2390 said:
Hmmm..........clwilcox33 said:
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Did that come out sarcastic? I really was serious. Sorry if that sounded wrong. Hell, I'd listen to your advice before I'd listen to myself as far as these cars go any day of the week.
Thank you! Good karma! Good karma! Anyway, a hand shake will do.clwilcox33 said:
But I must admit, there are others here with way more knowlegable facts and methods than me. I'm still learning and have gotten a better education than any Bar Diploma.
Just remember, the only stupid question is the one not asked.
JimM, let's drop that bad boy, you're a weekend late!!
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I am indeed a week late, and I still have to get my shaft shortened after the engine/trans in in and I can get a measurment (ouch! I don't like the sound of that at all!!!) Probaly working late tonight, buy ready and willing to lower her in as soon as time permits!Everett#2390 said:
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