Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

rdharper02 said:

Did I hear Mike's hetting a new plasma cutter to gain access to those bolts?

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Did you hear about the car, with it's full interior catching on fire and then burning it, and the house above it to the ground?

jrichker said:

The answer to the access is a hole saw; I'm sure that you could measure and get it in just the right place if there isn't something permanently mounted under the dash in the way. There used to be some clever covers for firewall holes. They had a bar with a tinnerman nut and then a metal disk that covered the hole. Wiggle the bar with the tinnerman nut through the hole and pull the disk until the tinnerman nut tightens to lock everything in place.

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No access to drill a hole. The heater plenum directly over extends to the top of the tunnel.

This morning while going over in my head how I might be able to attack the inevitable transmission removal, I think that i may be able to cut out an access panel in the top of the tunnel, directly below the front of the dash. That should allow me to get to the top two bolts. ( at least that’s the way my mind sees it). I figure if it allows me to get an extension in there, I can get a socket onto the bolt and deal with it from above. Ill probably be a foot away from the bolt, but it will at least be a decent angle to where Ill have a better chance of success. Ill have to remove the console, and probably both seats so that I can get the carpet completely out of the way, but it might be my solution. Then I can take that cut piece, and make a perimeter flange that i’ll weld to it, and make a rectangular steel backer with nuts welded to it that will go under the floor so that i’ll have a way to bolt that access panel back in.
That is Plan of Attack #1.

Since I now have a new deep aluminum pan, the old steel pan is gonna get modified to serve as a anchor point for the floor jack so I can safely remove the heavy assed transmission. I figure, I’ll remove the existing jack pad that has a locating pin in it, and find me a piece of the same diameter tubing that that pin is, and weld it, and some reinforcing plate to the bottom of the old trans pan. Then I’ll bolt the pan back onto the bottom of the trans, and i’ll have a custom made, 4r70 transmission adapter for that Jack. ( if that pos HF jack will still actually jack up)

That is Plan of Attack #2.

Since i’m pretty sure that either one of two issues with the current transmission are causing this leak, I’m going to eliminate all of that by finding a replacement case. This time around, I will not cut notches into the transmission where the front pump has to slide in, which causes the front pump lip seal to snag and pinch. I’ll also make sure that I’m careful with bolt length when it comes to bolting the adapter back on to reduce the chance that i pull out the threads that those bolts go into. The issue will be that by not cutting notches into the front pump “sleeve” , the tabs on the adapter I made will stand off higher, which forces the bellhousing to be that much farther forward of the front pump. Maybe an1/8”, maybe more. That will force the converter to

.....Nope...just thought about that...I can’t do that.

If I push that bellhousing farther forward off of the transmission instead of where it is now, the back of the converter will make contact with that bell...
I Have to reuse the existing trans, and fix what I got...unless it’s somehow cracked. Then i’ll still have to get a new case, and cut the same seal cutting notches into the new trans.

(It ain’t easy being in my head...You gotta give the 3AMD credit for even being able to have a rational conversation with me.)

I think it’s the freakin bolt hole anyway....i think i’ve broken the trans, or drilled through into the inside where fluid can get out through that hole.
If that’s the case...JB weld will be the solution..I’ll brake clean the piss outta that hole, and Glue a stud into it effective sealing it shut.

Ill have to think more about all of the transmission parts a little more...But first, I gotta get that pig back out.
It‘ll take me hours just to get to a point where I can even start trying to take the thing out..Once there, either of those two fixes ( a new seal, or a glued in stud) is a less than an hour fix...Then i gotta find a way to check it for leaks before i put it back in, which will require that i fill it with enough fluid then tip that trans to force it to the front. If everything is good from there...

Meh....that’s too much positive thinking for me..i’ll have to wait and see how it goes.

jrichker said:

@CarMichael Angelo

Helicoil is still the best solution for stripped bolt holes, so why not try it? They are used in aircraft engines which is a whole lot more critical than your transmission, You can drive the car to the shoulder of the road and call a wrecker to get the car home, but you can't do that with an airplane….

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If it’s not cracked or penetrating into the case allowing fluid to get out through that hole I would.

WOOOOOTTT!!!

What might just be a picture of two metric bolts, are in fact the two not so impossible to get to bolts on top of the transmission..
W/O having to do anything more than stick 42" of extension up along the transmission tunnel. NO extra holes, no dropped trans angle...I've never been so happy that I was able to remove two bolts in my life.