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View Full Version : Bell housing bolts making me very angry!!!



jre97
01-07-2006, 04:08 PM
I keep having problems with my bellhousing bolts loosening. They have been torqued and threadlocked repeatedly. So far the ones that hold the tranny to the engine are staying in place but the ones on the front mout to bellhousing are the main problem and keep loosening and falling out. I am so:censored: mad that I am ready to get out my welder an tack them to the brackets to keep them from backing off. Any one had this problem? Any one have a remedy to this problem?:banghead:

Una
01-07-2006, 06:09 PM
Yeah, that's pretty normal. If threadlock isn't working, the threads are too oily/greasy..Hit them with some brake cleaner or similar. Both the bolts and the holes. I then use strong loctite, along with a big long breaker bar torqued to hell and back.. Like 100ft lbs.. ;)

jre97
01-07-2006, 09:34 PM
The old greasy bolts are holding but I only used like two of them. The ones that are backing out are new and shiny except where i put threadlock on them. Next time I use the red instead of blue threadlock. I will also use some break cleaner on the holes.

supercrackerbox
01-08-2006, 12:13 AM
Had that problem a lot on my 86 after the 568 swap. Bad part is it tends to break the mount when it comes loose. Do like Brian said and clean the hell out of the threads. Get a pipe brush and work the gunk out. Make sure that the bolt is in good condition. After all that, blue locktite has held.

GLHNSLHT2
01-08-2006, 12:34 AM
what you need to do is go down to the J-yard and find some factory bolts that have a built on washer and little ribs on the back that act like a lock washer. Then torque them down and they should hold, a little loc-tite (RED) would be a good measure. I had issues with them backing out on my GLH and busting the mount (try and find a GLH front mount bracket). After going to these bolts they've never backed out.

supercrackerbox
01-08-2006, 02:21 AM
Those are the bolts I have in there now, came with the new mount, lol. Got mine off of an 89, 15mm hex as opposed to the 18mm, so I'm guessing they'd be on 89-up models.

Una
01-08-2006, 02:59 AM
Yeah, I use factory bolts rather than aftermarket. The factory ones do have the self locking heads.. Probably an important piece of the puzzle.

turbovanmanČ
01-08-2006, 05:49 AM
Red loctite is stronger than blue so if your having issues with blue, clean and degrease and use red.

GLHSKEN
01-08-2006, 10:32 AM
(try and find a GLH front mount bracket)..

Talk about being made from unobtanium..

jre97
01-08-2006, 05:16 PM
Well the factory bolts seem to work out the worse on this car. I had two sets and after several tightenings three of them rattled loose and fell out on a 200 mile trip to see family at christmas. So I put brand new bolts in it threadlocked them and removed the factory bolts and rethreadlocked them. Now after two weeks of daily driver duty the new ones came loose again. I noticed it when I started getting a loud metallic cracking noise every time I let out on the clutch. I went to look for the noise and the mount bolts were loose again. If these bolts remain a problem I am going to drill and tap a hole pependicular to these in the transmission and put a set screw in to hold the bolts.

turbovanmanČ
01-08-2006, 05:20 PM
Well the factory bolts seem to work out the worse on this car. I had two sets and after several tightenings three of them rattled loose and fell out on a 200 mile trip to see family at christmas. So I put brand new bolts in it threadlocked them and removed the factory bolts and rethreadlocked them. Now after two weeks of daily driver duty the new ones came loose again. I noticed it when I started getting a loud metallic cracking noise every time I let out on the clutch. I went to look for the noise and the mount bolts were loose again. If these bolts remain a problem I am going to drill and tap a hole pependicular to these in the transmission and put a set screw in to hold the bolts.


I don't mean to sound like a jerk here but how strong are you? I have NEVER loctited any bellhousing bolts and never had any come loose. Now I do use an impact gun but before I used one, I did them by hand and still, none came loose.
Are you sure the engine still has the locating dowel pins on the block, there at the most front and most rear bolts?

jre97
01-09-2006, 08:01 PM
I don't mean to sound like a jerk here but how strong are you? I have NEVER loctited any bellhousing bolts and never had any come loose. Now I do use an impact gun but before I used one, I did them by hand and still, none came loose.
Are you sure the engine still has the locating dowel pins on the block, there at the most front and most rear bolts?
Dude I'm 6'2" 265 lbs. Used to bench 425lbs in high school. I pull engines out of ford escorts without a hoist. As far as the dowel pins I wondered that myself. I was kinda in a hurry when I put the tranny in and didn't think to look. This is the only vehicle I've ever had any problem with bolts loosening back up.

Tony Hanna
01-11-2006, 09:25 AM
Somehow I managed to miss this one. :confused:
Anyhow, if it turns out to be a missing alignment dowel(s), they should still be there on the silver car. If not, look in the carport. I'm pretty sure I pulled them out of the other 2.5 before I put it on the stand. If not, then they're probably still in the block.

Xplizit
03-19-2006, 07:50 PM
I had the same problem and it turned out to be the threads themselves were worn out. probably from the tranny shifting around with loose bolts. i just put new longer bolts in with locking nuts on the other side and have had no problem since.