Yummybud924

before I give up, I'll try lifting the trans a bit (car is on stands though)

what size allen head bolt are the top trans bolts? I need to buy the right size allen head bolt to remove it.

kandyinmyvan

I wana say 10 or 12, but I don't exactly remember. You should just get a full kit though. They aren't expensive and you will need a set if you plan to work on your car.

Legoland951

Do not loosen the trans bolts. It will cause you more problems. Use a 45 INCH instead of a 45cm pry bar if you are going through the big access hole. I would also use a pry bar through the small access bolt that is on the side of the engine and pry from there. If not, you will need a 12 inch blade bimetal sawsall to do the job and it will be like performing surgery not to cut the trans input shaft or the torque tube shaft.

golfduke

top allen bolts are 10mm. Be careful, you will most likely strip the head out of one of them upon removal if they haven't been touched in 20+ years.

Hit them with pb blaster for a good while before even trying to loosen them up.

Yummybud924

ok I'm too scared to touch it anymore. I already mentioned one side (the side in the small inspection hole) already broke off while prying. the metal bracket with the hole in it for the bolt fully broke off the coupler.

the bracket is only held onto the ocupler by one tiny weld so if you use a massive pry bar the other side that is left is also going to break off then theres nothing left to pry on.

looks like i'll have to leave it. someone is going to have to weld it to reinforce it before you can use a massive pry bar.

Yummybud924

looks like this car won't be driving for a long time.

MichelleJD

If you break off both flanges then you ought to be able to get the coupler off as there will be no clamping force. Have you been able to get it to budge at all? The forward bracket sits inside of the tt a bit and is impossible to get to through the large inspection hole. Have you tried going in through the smaller hole? Is there anyone in the area willing to give you a hand?

KuHL 951

I know it must be frustrating to be stopped cold like this. As a last resort you have two other options. Use a close quarters tubing cutter that can handle 1-1/2" pipe and cut as close to the TA side of the clamp as you can. If the cutter is too hard to rotate around the pipe put the car in gear and hold the cutter wheil someone turns the wheel by hand. Once it is cut through slide the damaged section onto the TT side of the shaft. The only other method is get a micro torch and heat the coupling where it is binding and try the pry bar again. One way or another that coupling will come off.

MichelleJD

^^Agreed. Don't give up!

Yummybud924

are you sure about that?

I thought with the bolts out the flange or whatever you call it is not putting any clamping force on the coupling at all. it just seems to have binded.

MichelleJD

You broke the rear flange, right? If you can apply force to the front one, you'll be pushing it [I]against[I] the coupler and there shouldn't be a problem with it breaking (unless I am misreading your post).

Yummybud924

okay I want to pull the sob out today I'm really fed up and ready to send to throw the car off a cliff.

okay i want to try that tube cutter idea as the coupler is not budging. ti seems to be stuck on the transmission side as teh other side is stripped out.

the flange is still on the trans side. does it matter where i cut through the tubing?

what exactly does a closed quarter tube cutter look like? I'll go to the hardware store now and buy own.

I assume if I cut through the coupler all around then I should be able to drop the transmission.

Jfrahm

I could see a ridge of metal shavings and burrs getting created from the shaving-off of the coupler splines. That would make it difficult to shift the coupler. Cutting the coupler is a good idea IMO as you could get the trans out and get the pieces off at your leisure.

Yummybud924

well I just bought the only large enough tube cutter they had in the hardware store. it's pretty bulky so I don't know if it'll fit.

also says for cutting pvc, copper / aluminum and I don't think that coupler is alluminum.

cruise98

Have you sprayed PB Blaster or a similar concoction on the splines? Are they corroded?