• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Bellhousing:What are the two very large bolts at the bottom for?

S

stockli

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ft. Collins
I know its a stupid question but it seems they only hold that bottom of the bellhousing to the dust cover. Im kind stumped and worried something is missing!
 
Well, lets play 20 questions:

1. Automatic transmission? Would you be speaking of the inspection cover that allows owners of slush box equipped vehicles to access the torque converter to flexplate bolts?

PROVIDING THE MINIMUM OF YEAR/ENGINE/TRANS/T-CASE WILL GET BETTER RESPONSES FROM THE CLASS.
 
Two functions
-Holding the dust cover to the bellhousing
-The passenger side one should have an automatic transmission cooler line clip on it to hold the lines, it's missing on most older XJs it seems. Not mandatory but certainly a good idea to have it there and have them clipped to it.
 
BIGSLVRXJ said:
Three functions
-Holding the dust cover to the bellhousing
-The passenger side one should have an automatic transmission cooler line clip on it to hold the lines, it's missing on most older XJs it seems. Not mandatory but certainly a good idea to have it there and have them clipped to it.
- third function is to make you curse your birth while trying to get the cover off, because Chrysler decided to capture one of the bolts with the exhaust downpipe.
Click to expand...
Fixed it for you...

Yeah, no idea why they're so big. Heck, some sheetmetal screws would have done fine :rolleyes: but they used 12 or 14mm bolts iirc.

Easiest way to fix this problem is to take the nut off the offending bolt, push it as far as you can, then use a sawzall or cutoff wheel to remove the head and install a new bolt of whatever size you want - the RIGHT direction.
 
An engineer must have been terrified at the thought of that cover coming off. I need to get at the flexplate bolts when I'm under the Jeep next- didn't have anything to cut that stupid bolt the last time I tried.

Maybe those are spare bolts, like a button-down shirt will have a few extra buttons tacked onto the hem?
 
Those things seem like a huge waste.

I figured I must have been missing a shield or something.

Im glad Im not the only one scratching my head on this one.

I figured most jeeps with AW4 trans would have these.

Thanks!
 
Some times people get tunnel vision and are only looking at things from their own perspective. The AW4 transmission is used in a lot of applications, not all of them Jeeps. In other applications the size of those bolts may be critical.
 
Or maybe the bolts are so big because the dust cover is an integral part of the bellhousing and adds strength to the motor to tranny mounting surface thereby lessening torsional forces on the upper mounting bolts/bellhousing?

Just a guess....I'M not an engineer,although I used to play one on tv.
 
Last edited:
Nice!

Never even thought about it like that cuz the dust cover is pie pan thin.

Makes sense though.
 
outlander said:
Or maybe the bolts are so big because the dust cover is an integral part of the bellhousing and adds strength to the motor to tranny mounting surface
Click to expand...

No. Its a flimsy piece of stamped steel that isn't really tied into the bell housing that well.
 
+1 No added structural strength, just added weight from larger bolts! As usual, JP is right. How many parts are from other vehicles on an XJ, especially when produced by AMC/? Example is the GM steering column.
 
I'm pretty sure on my supra when it was auto(aw4) it had 2 "wing" support brackets that that bolted to the lower part of the bell housing from the engine block. It would be right where the dust cover is on the XJ.
 
Ford, Chrysler, GM, etc are all American motor corporations... so I guess American Motor Corporation is a fairly good name for it :dunno:
 
cruiser54 said:
AMC stands for All Makes Combined.
Click to expand...

Yep, with all of the subcontractors any more it won't be much longer until you order a car and they just slap the appropriate body/insignias on a generic rolling chassis and Voila--the car of your choice!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

X
My brakes are crap
Replies
12
Views
3K
xjklmnop69
X
M
The Infamous Oil Filter Adapter
2 3
Replies
46
Views
8K
Bent
Bent
Anak
Hitch Stinger Storage
Replies
0
Views
549
Anak
Anak
Fore Wheeler
Nominations for MWC DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Replies
3
Views
233
REWSTER
REWSTER
Anak
Fixing What the Professional Fixed
Replies
7
Views
714
Bent
Bent
Back
Top