s14kev

Found this problem courtesy of a previous mechanic. The bolt head to the transmission selector is broken off. Anyone have any suggestions on removing it? I was thinking of drilling the center with a right angle attachment on a dremel but even this will be tough given how cramped it is. Other choice was transmission removal so that I have more room to drill it out but seems silly to drop the tranny for this bolt.

KevinGross

Heat the bolt and lever arm with a propane or MAP gas torch (plumber's torch), to break down the thread locker and gain a little less interference. Walk the bolt out by tapping with a hammer and chisel to turn it. This should work well assuming the bolt was not cross-threaded or otherwise abused. If this doesn't work, I would probably put a horizontal cut through the bolt shaft and lever arm with a composite disk on a die grinder or dremel type tool, replace the linkage with a good used one (I have plenty).

Kevin
Catellus Engineering

KuHL 951

If you can weld just tack on a short piece of bar or rod so you can turn it with Vise Grips

s14kev

I have no welding equipment. Torch and cold chisel did not work. The remnant is in so tight that it is just deforming with each hit with the chisel. Going to try to drill it out next.

Anyone have a selector arm cheap if I end up cutting it off?

arthropraxis

I still have the one removed for my SSK.

Van

I vote for removing the tranny and doing it right...

tod84944

You will save yourself a lot of time and effort by dropping the tranny. Not that hard to drop the tranny out. I'm north of Nashville, and have several extra arms if you need one.

FastHackem

Remove the selector rod from the trans. Drill out the screw remenants. Tap to next available size. Stick the size bolt needed for the new treads. I would try a #7 bit and a 1/4-20 bolt. Start with a smaller bit of course then work your way up.

MB968

You could try drilling and using an easy out. I agree with torching the arm, not the bolt just before using the easy out in the drilled hole.

Alternatively, you could use a left hand drill. I think one of the typical places where we purchase Porsche tools has them. Or you might be able to find them locally.

And, finally you may be able to lower the tranny, leaving the axles, etc. connected. I don't know how much you can drop it this way, but I'd guess you could get a few inches. Just disconnect the upper tranny mount, and dropping it a bit. This will put a torque load on the engine mounts. So I think I'd loosen (but don't remove) the two bolts where the mounts bolt to the brackets off the engine, allowing the engine to rock back a bit. You'll still have to watch interference with the firewall, but a half an inch at the engine to firewall should give you inches of drop at the tranny. May just give you the space you need to work it out.

f1rocks

That transmission mount looks new, has the tranny been out recently?

I'd cut the arm and get one from Todd I hate dropping trannies. Are you installing a short shift? The linkage looks fine.

JEMatthews

I had a similar issue on the transmission, and had a small bolt welded on at my local muffler shop. It took 20 seconds and they did if for free while I was having some exhaust work done.

s14kev

How does the selector rod come out of the trans?

I am waiting for some hansen extractors and left hand drill bits to arrive so have not made any more progress yet.

s14kev

No short shift. I was going to replace the pressed metal shift linkage with some heims and aluminum rod.

I have a time consuming habit of zinc plating everything. Trans mount is old but "refurbished" with urethane as seen in my write up here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...-tutorial.html

BTW, I'm in Brentwood. Not too many 944's around it seems.

ritzblitz

How much did you heat the thing when you tried the torch and chisel method?

I find that with propane, it's always hard to get enough heat into the part. I'd try to get it red hot, that should break it loose.

I was trying to get a bottom bracket out of a bicycle, I tried and tried to heat it with propane but it would not budge a bit. I ended up welding something to it, just the heat from welding broke it loose.

s14kev

I used MAPP gas which should be a little hotter than propane. I did not however make it cherry red like I usually would with a seized fastener/broken bolt since the selector shaft seal is rubber and I did not want the selector shaft to conduct heat and melt the seal which is in the gearbox housing.

I was also a little chicken since there is a plastic fuel tank full of gas just 4 inches above the bolt that I was heating. I can just see the news headlines now.... "Porsche and garage up in flames"