CPS bolt retrieval from the bell housing????

Ecomike · Jul 5, 2017

Hello folks. I know, I should know better, and I did, but a tornado just swept down and yanked that second CPS mounting bolt in the last second and bam into the bell housing it sent.

Should I just use a hand grenade like my so called friends suggest? LOL.

I think not.

But seriously, how do I safely retrieve that little devil. Already pulled the bottom cover plate on the bell housing.

I have high hopes that just manually turning the crank shaft clockwise with a wrench on the bolt on the vibration damper in front will do the trick on the first 180 degree turn?

Any other ideas, what has worked in the past???? I know I am not the first fool to do this, LOL

Inquiring minds want to know.

Hypoid · Jul 5, 2017

Find a small magnetic pick-up tool and start fishing.

Anak · Jul 5, 2017

Is this an automatic or a manual?

Not that it makes any difference for the sake of solving your problem... I just didn't know this potential problem existed in the first place. Now I have to figure out if I need to remember to avoid it or not.

Runnin'OnEmpty · Jul 5, 2017

I've heard of this happening a lot. The best way to avoid it
is to remove the top bolt first, then the bottom. Upon reassembly,
attach the bottom bolt first, then the top.

Hypoid's suggestion is a good one. Those magnetic wands are
cheap but you might have to bend it a little to reach down.
Best not to turn the engine and disturb anything until you
try fishing the wayward bolt out.

Ecomike · Jul 5, 2017

Already tried the magnetic pick up tool, from the top and the bottom. No joy.

It does not seem to be anywhere near the top hole, or the bottom yet.

It is an automatic.

I fear it may have fallen inside the flex plate assy, and be at the bottom, inside now? There are large holes in the back side the bolt could role to fall through IIRC? At the bottom all I can access is down around the teeth, very little room in there. Then there is the torque converter in the way too.

What about twisting the crank clockwise then back the other way about 1/4" to try and toss it loose so it can fall out the bottom of the bell housing?

Thought of a fishing line, string and magnet but it might stuck too.

Green Mesa XJ · Jul 5, 2017

I bought one of these magnetic wands, ordered it from eBay or Amazon (none of the local shops had anything like it) after a bolt from a upper timing cover fell in to the lower timing cover and timing belt during a head gasket job. Nothing else worked but this saved me four extra hours to remove all the lower housing.

Edit: it was from Amazon, called "v8 tools 3826 mighty worm" $8.61 as of tonight

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hypoid · Jul 5, 2017

Ecomike said:
I fear it may have fallen inside the flex plate assy, and be at the bottom, inside now? There are large holes in the back side the bolt could role to fall through IIRC? At the bottom all I can access is down around the teeth, very little room in there. Then there is the torque converter in the way too.

What about twisting the crank clockwise then back the other way about 1/4" to try and toss it loose so it can fall out the bottom of the bell housing?

I have a transmission out of the vehicle, so I had to try this. The bolt did fall all the way through and was resting on the inside of the tone ring. Rotating the flex plate clockwise allowed the bolt to fall through one of the big holes and rest on the bottom of the bell housing. If you left the bolt, it would damage the tone ring.

Ecomike · Jul 5, 2017

So you are saying it is safe to do manually turning the crank, but do not use the starter motor, is that right? I know i must get the bolt out.

Ecomike · Jul 5, 2017

Thanks. I will order one.

Green Mesa XJ said:
I bought one of these magnetic wands, ordered it from eBay or Amazon (none of the local shops had anything like it) after a bolt from a upper timing cover fell in to the lower timing cover and timing belt during a head gasket job. Nothing else worked but this saved me four extra hours to remove all the lower housing.

Edit: it was from Amazon, called "v8 tools 3826 mighty worm" $8.61 as of tonight

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hypoid · Jul 5, 2017

Ecomike said:
So you are saying it is safe to do manually turning the crank, but do not use the starter motor, is that right? I know i must get the bolt out.

Pull the spark plugs and proceed with caution: The boss for the bottom cover bolt could potentially trap the CPS bolt causing interference with the tone ring. When I pulled the flex plate off the torque converter, the CPS bolt was laying on the left side of that boss. In that case, any interference with the tone ring would move the bolt further away from center.

Ecomike · Jul 6, 2017

Hypoid said:
Pull the spark plugs and proceed with caution: The boss for the bottom cover bolt could potentially trap the CPS bolt causing interference with the tone ring. When I pulled the flex plate off the torque converter, the CPS bolt was laying on the left side of that boss. In that case, any interference with the tone ring would move the bolt further away from center.

"boss for the bottom cover bolt"

Boss? I am lost with that term. Sounds like I need to go to my shop and simulate it like you did.

Got a photo?

Ecomike · Jul 6, 2017

Great suggestion on the install-removal sequence. Thanks.

Runnin'OnEmpty said:
I've heard of this happening a lot. The best way to avoid it
is to remove the top bolt first, then the bottom. Upon reassembly,
attach the bottom bolt first, then the top.

Hypoid's suggestion is a good one. Those magnetic wands are
cheap but you might have to bend it a little to reach down.
Best not to turn the engine and disturb anything until you
try fishing the wayward bolt out.

cruiser54 · Jul 6, 2017

It won't come out from under the ring gear. Remove the starter to retrieve it.

Also, do this when reinstalling. Yes, that is electrical tape.

Hypoid · Jul 6, 2017

Ecomike said:
"boss for the bottom cover bolt"

Boss? I am lost with that term. Sounds like I need to go to my shop and simulate it like you did.

Got a photo?

That cast-in lump of metal around the hole:

SDC10048 (640x426) (600x399) (580x386) (560x373) (540x360).jpg

Ecomike · Jul 7, 2017

Hypoid said:
That cast-in lump of metal around the hole:

Ah, that one, I call it a female threaded hole in the bell housing, I guess being Female does it make a BOSS LOL.

Thanks.

Ecomike · Jul 7, 2017

OK, so when the socket falls off after tightening the bolt, because it sticks to the bolt head better than the socket extension, what do you do?

Rhetorical question based on unpleasant experience, LOL. But thanks for all the help.

Much appreciated as always.

cruiser54 said:
It won't come out from under the ring gear. Remove the starter to retrieve it.

Also, do this when reinstalling. Yes, that is electrical tape.

Hypoid · Jul 7, 2017

Ecomike said:
Ah, that one, I call it a female threaded hole in the bell housing, I guess being Female does it make a BOSS LOL.

Thanks.

Yup, look at any casting that has holes for mounting anything, typically, you'll see more material to support the fastener.

the_weirdo · Jul 7, 2017

Pro-tip for next time. If you turn the holes of the CPS sensor into slots with a Dremel tool, you won't have to pull the bolts all the way out and there is no chance that they fall into the bell housing.

asymptonic · Jul 7, 2017

Just curious, how does the bolt get in there? Through the hole where the sensor inserts?

cruiser54 · Jul 7, 2017

asymptonic said:
Just curious, how does the bolt get in there? Through the hole where the sensor inserts?

Yep. That's why I use the tape trick.

CPS bolt retrieval from the bell housing????

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA Member

Stranger

NAXJA Forum User

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA Forum User

NAXJA Member

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA Member

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA Forum User

NAXJA Member

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA# 2091

NAXJA Member

NAXJA Forum User

NAXJA Member

NAXJA Forum User

Similar threads