CVT Torque Converter Bolt

[kmills1]

I'd like to begin by stating that it wasn't me who dropped one of those 12mm bolts down the rabbit hole ( the spot where you remove the 4-12mm bolts that hold the flywheel to the torque converter).

I just installed this engine to replace a high mile oil sucking engine. I purchased it from ___ (3 initials). When I got the engine the wiring harness had been cut in some pretty odd places so I ended up using my old one. This should have been a tip off.

I have had this running for the past few days and every now and then I would hear some noise that shouldn't be there. I looked everywhere for the source of it, to no avail. Today I got under the car to replace a bad ground strap. As I was under there I stated to look around to see if there was anything out of order. I finally saw the bolt between the crankshaft position sensor plate and the CVT drive plate. There is no way to get the bolt out from the bottom. After a lot of thought I decided the only way was to get it out the same way it came in, through the rabbit hole. I made a tool out of a heavy gauge copper ground wire. A measly 1.5 hours later I had it out. Did I mention I have infinite patience?

I guess the moral of the story is "always check to see if there are any bolts hiding in places they shouldn't be, before you put the engine in!"

[GTEASER]

Great story! Glad you got it sorted out. And you verified that all 4 of the torque converter to torque plate bolts are in place currently?

 

I did something similar years ago, of my own doing. I was replacing the slave cylinder on my 1995 Saturn in my office parking lot one day. As I was installing the new one, I dropped the little rod that goes between the slave cylinder piston and clutch fork, which is held lightly in place by a rubber boot on the slave cylinder,.....yes...into the bell housing. I tried magnets, those little prong finger tools, anything, but I could not get far enough down around the pressure plate to pull it out. Ended up having the car towed home, jacked it up, removed the bottom bell housing plate and it literally fell right out. The entire ordeal cost me about $120 more than it should have and I got several new grey hairs that day.

[TheBeast]

Yeah, you have to get creative with modern engines/engine bays...

 

I could give plenty of stories about 4th gen F-Bodys (Camaros/Firebirds)... After a while you look like you can perform magic because you can do stuff. Like changing plugs and wires in 40 minutes (without even looking, ie, all by feel because you are cranked at such weird angles you cannot see what you are doing) where the book-time says 4.5 hours.

 

Honestly, I can't see much about the 2.5i engine that would seem to take too much time. Everything seems pretty accessible.

 

What does a full engine/transmission combo on these cars weigh, if I may ask?

 

I am used to dead-lifting cast iron engine blocks (LT1-V8s) into the back of vehicles to take them into get machined. Hell, once I even grabbed a completely assembled short-block (everything but the heads/intake) off a tailgate that was going to fall onto my wife by myself. I knew what I needed to do to get enough grip on it to not drop it and was afraid if anyone else that was there tried to help it would only end up with it taking off someones foot/leg in the process of falling, so I quickly grabbed it and held it while one of the other guys went and got the engine stand to put it back onto. Honestly, once I was holding it, it wasn't bad, but the next week or so I was sore as hell.