# I was minding my own business, working on my Transmission when DISASTER struck!



## jaded13640 (Jul 27, 2021)

So there I was, it was gloomy night, just about to rain, I was walking down a dark alley and....
Ok so maybe it wasn't a dark alley I was just trying to put the transmission out of my 57 Dodge back together. There were three bolts that had to go in around the middle. 
They looked about like this, 
	

		
			
		

		
	



Not exactly something you'd see at the hardware. 
They go in these holes here...
	

		
			
		

		
	





And there's one around the other side. 
So I start with the one on the inside of the case...
	

		
			
		

		
	



And get out one these things...
	

		
			
		

		
	



But before I can even use that thing...Disaster strikes!
	

		
			
		

		
	






So I got out one of these...
	

		
			
		

		
	




and between that and my trusty ball peen hammer I got it out...
	

		
			
		

		
	




But of course, just my luck, this thing fell down inside the transmission
	

		
			
		

		
	






But lucky for me I have this fancy stick with a thing sticks to metal so I got it up out of there.

Like I said, this isn't something you're going to find at your local "Gilroy's got it". Just because the name says they got it...I've found that's often not the case...
	

		
			
		

		
	




But lucky for me I've got one of these contraptions...
	

		
			
		

		
	




So after some cussin, throwing wrenches around and making some of the most aweful noises I ended up with one of these...
	

		
			
		

		
	




Now mine wasn't nearly as nice as the originals, in fact I don't know for sure if I got a picture of the one I made or not...anyway, you can take my word for it.

About half way through the process my roommate comes out and says, "why don't you just buy a bolt? Why do you always have to do everything the hard way when you could just...." then I handed him one of those pointy, goofy looking things and said, "sure, good point...go pick me up one of those". He threw it down on the bench and went in the house. While me and my buddy were laughing at him the bolt I made rolled off the bench and right down the sewer pipe!



But fortunately I have one of these things....
	

		
			
		

		
	




So I just whipped up another one...
	

		
			
		

		
	




put one in each of the holes, 
	

		
			
		

		
	






grabbed this thing for no apparent reason..
	

		
			
		

		
	




And pretty soon I ready to put the transmission back in the car.




Boy, I had almost as much fun making this post as I did making those fancy bolts!

Wayne


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## Aukai (Jul 27, 2021)

What an adventure,,, or misadventure?


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## jwmay (Jul 27, 2021)

Maybe you should think of blogging and monetizing. That was clever and funny all the way through. Thanks for sharing!


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## RJSakowski (Jul 27, 2021)

One of the best reasons for having a machine shop is you can make things like this.  Considering the age of the transmission, I expect that attempting to find a replacement bolt would be about as close to impossible as you can get.  Nice save, once, twice, thrice!


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## Manual Mac (Jul 27, 2021)

Excellent story, I can relate.
And a happy ending as well.
Cheers, Harvey


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## BGHansen (Jul 27, 2021)

jaded13640 said:


> Boy, I had almost as much fun making this post as I did making those fancy bolts!
> 
> Wayne


Wayne,

Go buy a lottery ticket RIGHT NOW!  You must have used up all of your bad luck.  Nice fix!

Bruce


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## brino (Jul 27, 2021)

jaded13640 said:


> the bolt I made rolled off the bench and right down the sewer pipe!


....but I thought that .....


jaded13640 said:


> I have this fancy stick with a thing sticks to metal so I got it up out of there.



Need a longer stick?, or just didn't want it back after that?


Thanks for the photo documentary!

-brino


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## jaded13640 (Jul 27, 2021)

Good point! Now I have an extra!

Yea, being able to find that bolt...unless it was in another L-466 "cast iron air cooled torqueflite" it would probably be impossible. But now that you mention it I have a few that are much newer than mine but might have the center support bolts....I didn't think to check and I was trying to get my roommate to participate in making something out of essentially nothing, another bolt I had in a bucket. He didn't. Then I got a good look at the hole the pointy part is only there to align the center section. But you have to have it pretty much dead on with the diameter that aligns it. But the length of the alignment thing is very non critical. The hardest part about making those was retaining the little bastiges in the chuck while I lopped off at least .175" from the end assuming they'd hit something if they were too long...no, it's wide open under that. The rear clutch drum, planetaries and over running clutch and assembled before installation and are located by way of those three bolts. What they locate on is just sheet metal with a hole in it. In reality all I needed to do was throw away the broken parts I dug out of there and call it a day. Once it's in two bolts locating that assembly was more than sufficient. But that really would have made for a crappy story. LOL


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## pacifica (Jul 27, 2021)

jaded13640 said:


> So there I was, it was gloomy night, just about to rain, I was walking down a dark alley and....
> Ok so maybe it wasn't a dark alley I was just trying to put the transmission out of my 57 Dodge back together. There were three bolts that had to go in around the middle.
> They looked about like this,
> 
> ...


Could you have grabbed one of these?  -


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## mmcmdl (Jul 27, 2021)

I often have nights like this . After busting my arse for 12 hours I'm right back at where I started the night . Great post !


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## MrWhoopee (Jul 27, 2021)

RJSakowski said:


> One of the best reasons for having a machine shop is you can make things like this.  Considering the age of the transmission, I expect that attempting to find a replacement bolt would be about as close to impossible as you can get.  Nice save, once, twice, thrice!



Not to mention what you would pay to have a local shop make you one.....and then another.


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## Janderso (Jul 27, 2021)

That was fun.
Well done, you had me on the edge of my seat!!


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## Logan Novice (Aug 9, 2021)

I've known some guys who would have just stuck it back on with a blob of JB Weld and found a buyer for the old Dodge. Glad you ain't one of 'em.


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## guero_gordo (Aug 9, 2021)

now you can make a screen for that sewer pipe


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