mtnman82

Just wondering if anyone has any tricks for this they'd like to share? I finally got some free time yesterday afternoon/evening and now have the tranny out, and am on the way to the clutch. I should have some time again this evening, so the torque tube is getting moved back and hopefully get to the guts of the matter. BUT, I still haven't got the sensor block out, becasue I can't seem to get at those two bolts. I've tried sockets and allen wrenches with no luck. Charlie944 recomended cutting off allen wrenches, which I haven't tried yet, but I thought I'd post the question to see what the bright minds on this forum have come up with ... Thanks!!!

See post #8 for pics of how I did it - very easy once you know how!

tman

I used a snap on allen socket with a u joint and a short ratchet. It took a little time to get the bolts loose. Still waiting for the bright minds.

Lanny Curlett

I did mine from underneath very easily with an allen socket, universal joints and 25-30 extensions. It's easily done by feel, believe it or not. Good Luck. BTW I probably used about 3 extensions or wobble bars. All guys lie about length. ;>)

mtnman82

Got a good chuckle from me there, Lanny. I think I'll try from underneath with the torque tube moved back. No question I'm going to notch the bellhousing after all this!!

Lanny Curlett

If you have a jack under the engine let it down a bit and it will allow you a little better clearance to work with but all in all it took less than a minute to remove that bracket from underneath. I just did my clutch and my whole family learned some new words AND have seen some shades of purple in my face they didn't know I could produce. I'd rather sit in a vat of acid, light my hair on fire and push needles into my eyeballs than do that again.

Ski

A long allen, with the head cut off just a bit will give you enough leverage to break those bolts. The problem with the bracket sometimes can be the roll pin used to guide it into the block, ie you have to get the bolts out then move it back a bit then up. Get the sensors out and it gives you more room and vision. If you can't get the sensors out, the aluminum is probably corroded to the housing so you can probably plan on new sensors as well.

BlacknRedGT

if you want to get the bracket off the easiest way I have found is this:

Take the intake manifold off with all associated wires (spark plugs, fuel rail, etc)

Stand on a rim on the passenger side of the car, then use a stubby ratchet with small socket to get at those two bolts on the bracket... its very easy to get to for me and Im a noob when it comes to this car stuff.

mtnman82

So here's how I did it - got the bolts out anyway ... as per suggestions here, I cut an allen key, and got to it from below the car. I had to cut the key several times to get the length just right (1.5"). BTW, it is a 6mm allen key. From the top, I put the allen key into the bolt head (tight squeeze with my medium sized hand). I tried many, many combinations of swivels, wobble & non-wobble extensions, etc. from the bottom and wrenches from the top with no luck. Then from below the car I put the 6mm socket w/ 1/8" to 1/4" drive adapter on. I did this from the passenger side of the torque tube. Tnen again from the passenger side of the torque tube I fed in the head of the socket wrench, attached the wrench to the adapter, and had the handle of the wrench pretty much parallel to the ground. There's enough room (movement) vertically to break the bolts loose and get them out. This worked for both bolts. I actually finished loosening them and took them out from above, to make sure the washers didn't fall anywhere they weren't supposed to. See pics below. Hope this helps someone!

ibkevin

Would a flexhead ratchet work better here?

mtnman82

The bottom pic is exactly what I wound up using on both bolts. Very simple, once you get the length of the allen key right. I'm not sure if a flexhead rachet would have helped or not. I have one, and tried using it in other combinations from underneath, but honestly didn't need it with the pictured setup. My torque tube is still in place (haven't found the trick to rotating/moving it back yet). Just figured I'd post what worked for me, for posterity's sake.