About to install MTEC Shift Springs- Question

[Keenercarguy]

Im going to be installing the MTEC Shift Springs set either tomorrow or Saturday and I understand that the locktite blue on the detent is horribly obnoxious. Is there any reason I can't use a wire disk attachment on a dremel to remove the loctite from the detent? Do I need to worry about loctite in the threads of the trans-case as well (without the wire brush of course)? Would rubbing alcohol or acetone (or even brake clean) work better than a dremel with a wire brush on either?
Thanks for looking!

[Brayden_23]

I didn't have too hard of a time getting mine off. A little bit of goo-gone and a rag and most of it came right off. Anything that was left over, I just used a pick to get out. Didn't spend much more than 10 minutes as I was also being cautious due to the stories I had read.

The real hard part is being cautious when reinstalling the detent to make sure you don't crossthread.

[brzaapi]

I have done the mod 3 different times. One time the threads lined right up, and we were done in 20 mins. The other two times took over an hour of patience. Cleaning the Bolt/detent is easy. Its durable and you can clean it however you like. But its the loctite that is in the case that is a booger. The case is super soft and easy to damage/crossthread. An angled pick works best. I tried brake cleaner and many other cleaners. They had no effect from what we could tell. Take your time with a pick and clean out the first 4 threads on the case very well. Dont worry about the bolt its easy.

Now, like i said earlier. One time the bolt went right in. The other times well, I am not lying to you in saying that we started to hand thread the bolt in over a 100 times or more but the bolt would try to crossthread. Its tricky sometimes. If you can get to 3 full turns without any hiccups, you are good to go. But I bet several times you will start threading and it will feel like you got it. But, somewhere in your 2nd full turn it will stop or look a little crooked. Dont force it.

Finally, dont put a tool on it till you have at least 4 hand turns completed. In fact once i finally got the bolt to go in properly, i could hand turn the bolt all the way in to about the 90% mark. So dont rush to use a tool. That steel bolt will cut the aluminum case like its cheese.

Good luck, its not hard at all.....but it can be a headache.

[Keenercarguy]

Thanks @brzaapi ! On a side note I'm insanely jealous of your current and past cars, it's like everything I've wanted to try out owning recently!
Just to check though, is using acetone, brake cleaner, or the aforementioned goo-gone/goof-off on a rag (to try and wipe clean the threads in the case hole) a bad idea for any reason? I will be changing my transmission fluid a day later as well, if that changes the answer at all.

[twag4]

do not use a wire wheel, it will eat the aluminum up.

[Irace86]

Just make sure the threads on both surfaces are clean. Make sure you can gently thread on the bolt. If you get resistance then remove, clean and do it again. It should go on easily without tools for several threads. Patience is key.

[brzaapi]

Originally Posted by Irace86

Just make sure the threads on both surfaces are clean. Make sure you can gently thread on the bolt. If you get resistance then remove, clean and do it again. It should go on easily without tools for several threads. Patience is key.

Yes, what he just said. PATIENCE.

But, in answer to your question OP. Yes, you can try a cleaner, but be very aware that it wont help much. If you going swap trans fluid later then i dont see the harm.

But patience and a nice pick are what helped me the most. Just start on the threads and work your way around, carefully cleaning the threads as you go. My pick didnt do any damage, but if you got overzealous you very well could.

Just dont get in a hurry, try to find a comfortable position and work your cleaning tool. I usually do about 2 to 5 mins of cleaning and then try the bolt again. But dont be amazed if you repeat that procedure 30 times or so. However, you could get lucky. What really doesnt help is the bolt sits at an odd angle from the start, and makes eyeballing it tricky since you are in a compromised position. Also, the bolt gives false feedback and makes you think you got it. And then after a turn and a half you realize you dont. However, my first time sucked cause i learned all of this on the fly. The other times i was much more confident. My first time i did some minor dmage to the threads, not enough to require repair. But i learned my lesson.

Also, i have seen where the case threads have come from the factory a little damaged. So even in manufacturing, the workers have problems with this piece. Its just a damn bolt, but a very tricky one. So PATIENCE.

Good luck.

[Keenercarguy]

Yeah I'm always pretty anal about installs and super careful and patient anyway, so I'm confident I can have the requisite patience.