I cant get that damn thing to start threading in. I dont want to have my dipstick fall out so i want it in there. Is there a trick on getting this thing in there?? Im baffled. I can get it in the hole but i start turning and it still stays out of the threads. Any ideas?? I can get to the hole with a swivel and extentions but not with my hands.
yeah it was the right bolt but i just left it out. I have 5 holding it in right now and they are tight. Also befori i put the new trans in i found that the flexplate was shattered. It was broke all the way around where it bolts to the crank and cracked from the crank to the holes in 5 spots
You could litterally take a hammer and hit the middle and it would fall out. It ran fine. it had a shake but made no noise. Beware of the broken flexplate. Itll shake the hel* out of the car. I thought it was my driveshaft. i was sadly mistaken
You could litterally take a hammer and hit the middle and it would fall out. It ran fine. it had a shake but made no noise. Beware of the broken flexplate. Itll shake the hel* out of the car. I thought it was my driveshaft. i was sadly mistaken
Senior Member
89305RS, I know it`s an old post, just wondered how your trans bolt situation turned out. I am having similar problem, the dipstick bolt keeps loosening up. I think maybe it is stripped or the wrong bolt used.
Senior Member
As an R&R guy at Aamco I'm doing this crap all day now
I'd put the car on jackstands (all 4 corners) and lower the crossmember and trans on a jack, it'll make life easier. You'll be able to get a dead sight on it from behind the trans. Then stab it with a LONG extension (i use a 3 ft. at work, but a bunch of taped together extensions will work in a pinch). After looking at it like this, you also might realize you need to take the dipstick tube out and straighten the bracket too, that happens often. Don't try to thread it if the bracket is too off, more often than not you'll strip the threads in the block.
I'd put the car on jackstands (all 4 corners) and lower the crossmember and trans on a jack, it'll make life easier. You'll be able to get a dead sight on it from behind the trans. Then stab it with a LONG extension (i use a 3 ft. at work, but a bunch of taped together extensions will work in a pinch). After looking at it like this, you also might realize you need to take the dipstick tube out and straighten the bracket too, that happens often. Don't try to thread it if the bracket is too off, more often than not you'll strip the threads in the block.
Senior Member
Thanks for the reply. I just happened to take it to an Aamco in Costa Mesa this morning out of desperation since I could`nt get under the car today and did`nt want to wait. While it was up on the rack, a trash truck ran over a power pole, knocked it over and knocked out the power for the area all day, with my car stuck on the rack. Anyway, this is the second time the bolts have loosened up in 3 months and I am inclined to think they may be partially stripped. I think they call for 3/8-16x1 1/2. The previous owner of my `88 Iroc had Swiss mechanics working on it for the 10 years he owned it so I would not be surprised if they used metric bolts. They replaced the engine in `01. If the bolt holes in the block are stripped, what would you suggest as the best/easiest way to tap or chase them without removing the trans? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. I`ll start gathering up all of my extensions. By the way, Aamco did get the bolt tight for now but I don`t know for how long. Thanks again, Jim