Dropped CPS bolt into bellhousing.

[coolwind57]

Yep.  Did it.  

 

Here's the deal for those no so familiar with working on your CPS.  There is a "shelf" on your bellhousing just an inch or so below your lower CPS bolt.  That shelf is OPEN!  In other words, it is not covered by anything, so either CPS bolt can drop in it if you're not extremely careful.  I'm not talking about worrying about the bellhousing opening created after you remove your CPS, but its there even when your CPS is fully installed.

 

Here's what happened to me:  Upon reading about CPS removal, I found advise that said to remove the top bolt first.  That way, there's less chance of it falling inside the hole that CPS removal creates.  So I did that.  Just when the bolt cleared it's hole, my socket slipped off and the bolt dropped onto that lower shelf that I described above.  Well, no big deal I thought, so I reached up with my fingers to grab it and it fell into an opening that I wasn't expecting to be there.

 

With disturbing thoughts of having to pull my transmission, and thus delaying my work for another Month or two, I laid there in disbelief of what had just happened.  I then realized that I could remove the lower flywheel cover and I prayed that the bolt had fallen all the way to the bottom of the bellhousing.  Upon removal of the cover, I could not locate it.  I wanted to throw up.  I jabbed my pinkey finger in there to feel around and by the grace of GOD I located it.  I actually had to pry the flywheel against the bellhousing to make clearance for the bolt head.  Grabbing it with needle-nose pyers, I pulled it out as if I were a surgeon.  I almost cried with joy when I was reunited with my dropped bolt.  

 

I used the black tape method of re-installation on each bolt (place a piece of electrical tape over socket opening then push your bolt head into it---holds it really well).  

 

So newbies, learn from this:.  Protect those two specialty bolts from dropping at all times; maintain positive control!!.  This job kinda sucked to begin with, but my big mishap cost me an additional hour and a heck of a lot of stress and disgust.  

 

 

 

 

[Strokermjcomanche]

There is a black piece that is supposed to cover the hole , most get tossed or are brittle and break . 

[coolwind57]

Strange. 

 

I have yet to find anything on my truck that shows that it had ever been worked on or modified/updated.  It had just shy of 100K miles on it when I bought it back in August/September.  Bone stock.  Someone had bypassed the height sensing valve, but that's about it.  

 

Do these black pieces (plastic?) ever just come off on their own?  Curious of what they look like and if they have a replacement part #.

[Strokermjcomanche]

20 minutes ago, coolwind57 said:

Strange. 

 

I have yet to find anything on my truck that shows that it had ever been worked on or modified/updated.  It had just shy of 100K miles on it when I bought it back in August/September.  Bone stock.  Someone had bypassed the height sensing valve, but that's about it.  

 

Do these black pieces (plastic?) ever just come off on their own?  Curious of what they look like and if they have a replacement part #.

Let me see if I can find the post that covered this issue , I think Hornbrod (Don) was the OP . 

[Strokermjcomanche]

Here you go 

 

[HOrnbrod]

And I still haven't found that damn grommet...........

[coolwind57]

37 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said:

And I still haven't found that damn grommet...........

Holy cow, yes you lucked out as well.  

 

My Dad pulled up just as this happened to me.  He advised me to crank her over and maybe I'd luck out.  I was too chicken to try that.  I was already emotionally  destroyed by what had just happened.  I didn't want it to go tragically any worse.

 

Glad it all over and I'm ok.

 

 

[Strokermjcomanche]

1 hour ago, HOrnbrod said:

And I still haven't found that damn grommet...........

Didn't I send you one ? 

[HOrnbrod]

Yes, but it was like you said, "brittle and break".  I've yet to find a new one.........

[ParadiseMJ]

The AW4 tranny I swapped in to my truck had a nice flexible clean cover on the CPS (the whole tranny was very clean).  So nice and new that it was likely a "new" one bought aftermarket or NOS.

 

Anyhoo, I've dropped several bolts into the bell housing and they've always ended up about 3" (the reasonable length of my chubby fingers) back of the plate.  Some after I moved the torque converter a tad with a wrench on the HB.  They fell right out.  Since then I pack the 11mm socket with some bearing grease.  Haven't dropped one since.

[cruiser54]

8 hours ago, ParadiseMJ said:

The AW4 tranny I swapped in to my truck had a nice flexible clean cover on the CPS (the whole tranny was very clean).  So nice and new that it was likely a "new" one bought aftermarket or NOS.

 

Anyhoo, I've dropped several bolts into the bell housing and they've always ended up about 3" (the reasonable length of my chubby fingers) back of the plate.  Some after I moved the torque converter a tad with a wrench on the HB.  They fell right out.  Since then I pack the 11mm socket with some bearing grease.  Haven't dropped one since.

Ever used the electrical tape trick?

 

 

[HOrnbrod]

You should use the tape on the socket/extension too. Trust me.  

[Minuit]

1 hour ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

and get greasy up in her, elbow deep, until I get her started with my fingers. Then I let my tool do the rest.

[HOrnbrod]

1 hour ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

I ....block the rear....get greasy up in her, elbow deep, until I get her started with my fingers. Then I let my tool do the rest.

 

Another interpretation.