Important! : all 3 gearbox bolts sheared off and engine is hanging out

26th October 2010, 21:02

hi all, basically about 3 weeks ago my gearbox fell out because 2 bolts rattled loose and one sheared off. i tightened up the 2 and left it at that and have done around 600 miles since.

out of nowhere the other 2 bolts just randomly sheared off, so now all 3 bolts are snapped into the gearbox, and none of them have exposed thread so i can vice grip onto them.

so question is, i have some 'i think' bolt extractor bits, anyone got any advice on how theyd personally remove them, ill try the extractors, which im told you just need to attach them to a drill in reverse, as they screw in they lock and bring the screw out?

failing that ill have to get a tapping kit, bit nervous as i know if this goes tits up my gearbox is coming out

thanks all
sam

26th October 2010, 21:08

first thing is borrow a welder
then put a nut a little bit bigger than the stud and place over the snaped stud or the hole where as long as it aint to far down weld in side the nut strate on the stud and fill the hole up with weld wait a few seconds to slightly cool and then undo the nut should work it has done for me b4

26th October 2010, 21:29

thanks for ya reply, but tbh id struggle to lend a welder and some of the bolts are set 2-3 mm inside the hole, so if i weld them then theres a possibility the weld will flow onto the sides of the hole and weld that? even if the gearbox is ali?

26th October 2010, 21:31

Those studs are normally bloody tight in there.

I'd try the welding thing, but if it doesn't work DON'T try those eezi out things, just drill it out and clean thread. Don't drill too deep, and get the tap that has a thread right upto the end of it instead of a taper.

In terms of studs, Citroen don't sell them so I'd just get a pack of M8 studs in the right. Length.

You'll want to try and work out why theyve sheared. All other engine mounts okay? Not bent or snapped?

26th October 2010, 21:37

as far as i know the other engine mount snapped, when the 2 studs rattled loose and one sheared originally, for 3 weeks before that i had a badly knocking driveshaft and i think the knocking rattled them loose? and the reason why theyve snapped now was there was only 2 holding it in?

do halfords do a decent tapping kit? ive got a trade card there ya see? and i need to get special paste to do it properly?

thanks
sam

26th October 2010, 21:47

So you drove for 3 weeks with a badly knocking driveshaft?! Could be an internal gearbox prob?

Halfords probably won't do the right tool. You've got to be carful as the cases on the gearboxes are very easy to crack if you apply too much force hence I wouldn't use an easi-out.

You'll want an m8x1.25 tap, that can tap holes with a bottom to them, not the taper style taps. I'm sure there's a fancy name for them but I don't know it.

I'd only look to drill around 10-15mm max. Into where the stud used to be.

Fix your knocking and the other engine mount before driving it again as it could just happen again

26th October 2010, 21:51

the knocking is fixed, but the gearbox first dropped 2 days after i got that fixed, hence i think thats what caused it in the first place.

how can i tell if the other engine mounts gone? normally the gearstick will rock fowards and backwards if it is that? (had it in my clio)

thanks for ya help

sam

26th October 2010, 22:31

Helicoil...

26th October 2010, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by raunchz

So you drove for 3 weeks with a badly knocking driveshaft?! Could be an internal gearbox prob?

Halfords probably won't do the right tool. You've got to be carful as the cases on the gearboxes are very easy to crack if you apply too much force hence I wouldn't use an easi-out.

You'll want an m8x1.25 tap, that can tap holes with a bottom to them, not the taper style taps. I'm sure there's a fancy name for them but I don't know it.

I'd only look to drill around 10-15mm max. Into where the stud used to be.

Fix your knocking and the other engine mount before driving it again as it could just happen again

the tap thats got least taper on it and taps almost to the bottom is a plug tap, not advisable to use a plug tap for the first cut, use a tapered one to start with and work up to a plug

26th October 2010, 23:10

not sure which ill go for, ill get the battery and that out tomorrow and have a crack at it and see what i can do, have a feeling its gonna be one of those days tho...

thanks all
sam

27th October 2010, 17:02

been trying for hours now and pretty stressed, got one bolt out by trying to drill it first, then twatting a chisel across the top to use a flat head screwdriver, bolt 2, i can turn it 3 turns in/out again, after that it gets stuck, and thats with putting as much force as possible with a flat head screwdriver into the slot i cut into the top of it.

the 3rd bolt is snapped 3 mm inside the hole, and thats the one thats under the metal plate that holds the mount on. however when i tried drilling the first one i couldnt do it, even with a brand new set of halfords pro drill bits as the bolt is made of hardened steel which wont drill...

so im pretty stuck tbh, gonna try and get the gearbox out in a bit and look for a new one, anyone got any advice before i try and get it out?

thanks all

sam

27th October 2010, 22:46

find someone who can weld?

28th October 2010, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by samjac68

been trying for hours now and pretty stressed, got one bolt out by trying to drill it first, then twatting a chisel across the top to use a flat head screwdriver, bolt 2, i can turn it 3 turns in/out again, after that it gets stuck, and thats with putting as much force as possible with a flat head screwdriver into the slot i cut into the top of it.

the 3rd bolt is snapped 3 mm inside the hole, and thats the one thats under the metal plate that holds the mount on. however when i tried drilling the first one i couldnt do it, even with a brand new set of halfords pro drill bits as the bolt is made of hardened steel which wont drill...

so im pretty stuck tbh, gonna try and get the gearbox out in a bit and look for a new one, anyone got any advice before i try and get it out?

thanks all

sam

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSOfreak

find someone who can weld?

How will this help?

You need to just persiveer(spelling?) with the drilling mate. Theres no other way around it unfortunately.

28th October 2010, 20:48

Could you not get a small nut which fits in the hole and weld down the middle, will be fiddly and maybe not the strongest but worth a go. Or jus keep drilling, its easy enough just abit boring, had that problem before.