Fastening the gearbox mount bolts

[Molecular--Bob]

What combination of tools do I need to fasten the bolts for the gearbox mount? There doesn't look to be a lot of room for access from above, is it easier to work from underneath?

Cheers

Ian B.

[Tony Whitley]

I do it from underneath, I've never looked at doing it from above.  It's a bit fiddly but no special tools involved.

[Jim 123]

The fixing is caphead bolts with washers passing down through the chassis, and nyloc nuts and washers holding the box mount in place from underneath.  The capheads can turn as you tighten up the nylocs.  You need an Allen key socket and long extension bar that can pass down the spaces in the transmission tunnel to hold the capheads.

[Molecular--Bob]

Cap heads would be nice, but the cross-flow heritage of my car says no chance, might be worth swapping though if it makes my life easier.

[Tony Whitley]

Ordinary hex head bolts on mine.

[Wrightpayne]

I use M8 cap heads - much easier IMHO.

The mount having welded on nuts would be even better!!

Ian

 

[Tazio]

I'm with Ian, migrated to capheads, so much easier.

 

[Shaun_E]

Hex on mine and I find it easiest with a long extension from the top and a second pair of hands. I think I'll swap to cap-heads next time though. 

[Geoff Brown]

 Use fingers with eyes & open ended spanner locked against chassis rail!

[Molecular--Bob]

All done, if it has to come out again it will be going back in with cap heads. One side was easy thanks to the access hole on one side, but passenger side was torture. Ended up using a vortex socket, putting this on the nut from above and then clipping on the ratchet handle from underneath, then long breaker bar to hold the nut and tightened it two clicks at a time with the ratchet.

 

[anthonym]

Might rivnuts work?

[auyt]

Reading this I cannot help but ask what chassis and gearbox is the issue related to? As there is a difference in access from an S3 to an SV. As The S3 is fully sheeted underneath an an SV is open

MY S3 is a pain but welded on all steal lock nuts worked and bolts from underneath.

[Wrightpayne]

Mine is S3, centre handbrake with tunnel open underneath.

My difficulty was getting a spanner onto the hex head of the bolt, which is sort of in a recess in the mount. As Shaun states easy with two people so person above can see the bolt and get a socket on long extension onto it. On mine, excess rubber on the mount also hinders matters.

With the cap heads its easier the insert the allan key when underneath the car so job becomes 1 person. Also, don’t need to remove tunnel top if just slackening mount to work on something eg speedo drive.

Hope that makes sense.

Ian

[Paul Richards]

I found the problem was getting spanner onto the hex bolts with the recess and all the muck and dirt that collected in the mount. When I last did it I used longer bolts and put a nut on next to the head. This made the hex head stand higher and much easier to access. Not sure about cap head bolts as muck may collect in them making it difficult to fit allen key  

Nuts welded to mount may be a good idea as long as holes in chassis are slotted to allow centralising of gearbox in tunnel. 

[Wrightpayne]

Paul,

Another brilliant solution!!

Perhaps if I used mine more dirt would be an issue!

Ian