I'm about to pull my engine and I can't get to the top two 17mm bolts on the bell housing, you know the ones clost to the fire wall.

How do you get them out?

 

Very very long extensions and a swizzle socket.

I use a 24" and a 6" extension with a swizzle socket to get to mine. The ridges in the bellhousing will guide the socket onto the head of the bolt. Theres really no other easier way. IF you had a body lift, this just became a whole lot easier =)

 

you got a 2wd? Are you doing the clutch or pulling the motor? if your pulling the motor, just pull the tranny and motor as one unit but make sure to drain the tranny of fluid first otherwise it'll drain out the output flange.

if your doing the clutch, just ignore this =p

 

I'm off to the parts store. Wee... more tools. Thanks for the reply.

 

X2

I did my clutch before I did a body lift. Lots of extensions and wobble extensions was the way to do it.. And a set of skilled hands helps..

 

I"m pulling the whole motor. Pulling out the tranny seemed a bit too much. My head gasket blew and I decided to do a complete rebuild because it was already burning a lot of oil.

 

then don't waste your time pulling the tranny off first man. It comes out as one unit... hmm wish i had a picture . I just put my rebuild in few days ago, as one unit. It's sooo much easier to pull it out as a whole.

2wd truck as well. Just be sure to drain the tranny fluid before you do anything... it WILL leak everywhere out the output.

*oh and I did both totally by myself. and without one of those engine leveler bars on the picker. Just a chain... Also when i pulled the motor it didnt have a head which complicated things but definetly easier than trying to squeeze under that damn truck and undoing a zillion bolts in awkward positions. Maybe its just me but I HATE pulling transmissions. =) Path of least resistance!

 

You can go from the bottom with about a mile of extensions, or through the shifter hole with shorter ones.

Be sure to undo the bolts for the starter too

 

a little cheat I learned when doing the s-10 tranny is to unbolt the cab mounts than jack the cab 4"-6" (or more if possible)and use boards to prop it up in that location. made install go 4x as fast as removal. body lifts would accomplish the same thing, but if you've ever priced one for a late s-10 its just not worth it

 

About a 3' extension works wonders. And an extra set of hands helps too.

 

I have a ratchet with a bent/offset handle and a swivelling head. It reaches right up the tunnel just fine with a standard / impact socket. Just a little cheater on the handle for some extra torque. With the handle in the right position, you are pulling on the bolt / nut just like an open ended wrench. Reaches around the sway bar just fine too.

 

x2...

 

sorry, guess I should've posted a pic of what I was talking about-

 

I have done the cab lift thing before on s-10's... I bet that would make life a lot easier on these too. Either that, or get a buddy to pull down on the back of the tranny to give u a better angle, the motor will move enough to drop the back end of that tranny a couple more inches.

 

No frakin way!!! I have one of those and thought about doing the same thing...but decided not to waste my time cuz I didnt think it would fit.

 

A normal 17mm socket right on the ratchet works best. It helps if the rubber coolant lines are out of the way. For the other two bolts down below, at least on my 2wd, the offset comes out behind the sway bar (if you're dumb enough, like me, to not remove it). You don't find yourself twisting the socket off the top of the bolt like you can with a standard ratchet or with extensions.

 

A suggestion on hard to reach bolts like this: Remove them first, rather than last when the weight of the component is fully supported by them.

A swivel box ratchet or just a plain box end will remove the upper bolts from the top. Removing the hoses in the way helps too.

 

Somewhere we have a pic of AxleIke with the extensions we used for mine... suffice it to say the ratchet was behind the tcase. Was easily 4', if not more of extension ... worked good though!

 

got a question for all of the 'extension' folks around?

What do you set your torque wrench at when tightening the bolts down with extensions in line?

 

I bought the u-joint socket and a couple of extentions, the right side bolt came out. But after two hours of prying the left side top bolt won't loosen. I used some PB Blaster on it with no effect. It will have to wait until tomorrow. (Wish I had a impact wrench)