Need help - stripped mtec spring
 

I did something bad. I feel like I did something VERY bad. The passenger side of the transmission has a 27mm bolt that unscrews to put that mtec shifter spring in. I stripped the threads that screws into. On the transmission. HELPPPP

Pictures:

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...220_193126.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1392943200
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...220_193138.jpg

It doesn't look that bad... Get someone who isn't hamfisted to chase out the threads and then remember this every time you screw something in for the rest of your life.

Mine was the spark plug on my first dirt bike, I was 6.

- AdrianG

Get a set of jewelers files, a full bag of patience, and comfortable. Leave the spring out for now. Carefully clean up the bad thread, ensuring EVERY piece of debris is pulled out of the transmission. Use the files to smooth the valley of the thread until the bolt can screw in properly. For an experience wrencher this would only take about 15 minutes. As I'm sure you'll be much slower learning, expect it to take a while.

Not a bad idea, until you realize that person will be dumping debris into the transmission.

How deep does the bolt go? Is it just the 1st thread or two that are messed up?
If not, http://www.helicoil.com.sg/HeliCoil-...-Inserts.shtml

Yeah, the file idea is a better way to go. Maybe put a magnet nearby to try and avoid getting filings in the trans. Change the fluid afterwards as well, the drain plug has a magnet on it too which should help

- AdrianG

Using some thick grease on the thread chaser/tap and going slowly will keep that under control.

Don't feel too bad about it, everyone learns that lesson. For me it was a dirtbike as well. Luckily kx80 heads are cheap enough I just saved up lawn mowing money and bought another lol. Just be more careful next time, and don't try to force anything.

I gotta get me one of those aluminum magnets! (J/K)

Mine was a $30K fuel pump for a gas turbine...:barf:

Maybe. I'd still rather use a small file.

It is just the first few threads. The bolt is perfectly fine. cleaned out any shavings on the hole and bolt and tried to thread back in, it catches for one spin then just drops out again.

I might try the thread chaser. Have to find one big enough though. The opening is at an awkward angle too and I don't want to make it worse tomorrow!

Yes, you are a very, very BAD boy!

Just goop it up with sealant, center the plug ..... slam it in with a BFH (Big F****** Hammer)...... tighten it down and sell the car.

Seriously, I'd "borrow" a tap and chase the threads.


humfrz

Ouch!


I've never tried files...I do have some small ones, but never really considered it. It would sure be a lot less money than a tap that large.

A tap is cheaper than the rear half of the transmission housing. I will look for something tomorrow, if I can't find anything I will slowly file it down.

I wish they made something like hemostats that you can put in the groove of the thread and spread it out, then slowly back it out to straighten the threads that are smashed.

aluminum is much softer than the gears, they will just mash any tiny pieces up. It will end up as gray in the oil

Here's a photo of what I'm talking about. http://i.imgur.com/et2RlLy.jpg?1

There's some wee ones there...I have nothing smaller than 3/16".

I'd change fluid a few times in short order.

I had similar issue back in September. I had to buy a new extension housing. To replace the rear portion of the transmission that was stripped from installing the mtec spring.

Have you done MTEC springs on yours?

I think those files would be damned near impossible to get into that area. It's above the exhaust and a tight space. Maybe if the handles were sawed off and the shanks were about 1/3 shorter.

The housing is aluminum, so I would think it won't take much to get those bent/cracked bits out of there. I've cleared damaged threads before using an x-acto blade and just running it through the groove and rocking side to side where the groove is smashed down.

I spent a long time trying to get that bolt re-started in the threads due to the loctite in there and the weird angle to get to it. I really didn't want to damage threads!

What was the price of the part? did you install it yourself or professionally/labor cost?

If I recall correctly it was around $4xx.00 for the rear extension housing. That will replace the rear portion of the transmission that was stripped. I payed some one to do it. But is very easy to do tho. I made sure to buy new bolts for the springs that where replaced by mtec; As the Subaru manual states it needs new ones as they are not reusable

No, I haven't done the springs yet. Thanks for the input.

ive done this where the slave cylinder mounts on a 2zz transmission... longer home depot bolts saved my ass lol...

a little tip when installing the springs to cut down on the chance of this happening... make sure you put the trans in neutral before you start working on the spring swap... I forgot to do that and it was a bitch to get that bolt back in without loosing the first couple of threads, when i got done I realized i was working against full spring pressure from having it in gear.

Sadly that won't work here, the spring rides in the 27mm plug.

I had the same issue. It was a bear to get to plug. I was like #$..&&^%$##@()*&^^ when I could not reinstall this plug. I just had the car on safety stands. I took me about an hour before I was able to screw the plug in correctly. I have not have any leaks in that area. I check it every time am under the car. Works goods.

I would use a tap and a file to finish with. I like using a lent fee cloth in the hole to help remove the chance of any thing getting in there. On the tap I use a heavy coating of wheel bearing grease, only working a couple threads at a time. This is how I have dealt with things like this and have always had a good results. People bring in some jacked up stuff and we have to be able to work with it some times.

One thing you should do that I haven't seen mentioned is put the bolt/plug/whatever it is in without the springs to make sure it's threading in properly. Do this a couple times, wipe out the threads again and try with the springs with the gearbox in neutral.

I have looked at a few hardware stores, can't find anything large enough to get in there, not even bolts let alone taps or chasers. Does anyone know the exact size thread/pitch?

I have to check Lowe's and Home Depot but being more generic stores I doubt they will have it. Will probably use the Xacto method. And thanks for the tip about threading without Springs a few times, I think even in neutral you fight the springs load.

Had a friend mechanic come over. He is going to try and find a tap that fits it. We couldn't clear the threads enough to get it on there, and might need to remove the rear housing.

Does anybody know if it can safely be removed from the front half, without removing the entire transmission from the car? I am thinking just unbolt the shift linkage and the drive-shaft, it should come out. Or would dropping the transmission be the best way to get it off?

Damn man, I just went through the same thing installing my Mtec springs yesterday while changing the tranny and diff fluids. I got the detent bolt out and swapped the springs, cleaned the green thread locker off and tried screwing it back in.... nothing doing. I spent over 3 HOURS trying to screw that son of a bitch in, eventually I got my phone up there with video on and saw so much green gunk around the starting threads that it just couldn't get threaded. The problem was that I would try and thread it by hand, but I could only just get it started and not in very far because of the thread locker, then I'd put my socket wrench up there and it would knock it out of the threads. OVER AND OVER this happened, until I finally used some carb cleaner and goof-off and a thumb tack to literally pick away at every piece of green goop, specifically around the bottom where the thread starts. Finally, after picking away and trying for over 3 hours I was able to hand tighten in far enough, with the help of some grippy nitrile gloves, so that it didn't fall out when I went to ratchet it in all the way.

I gotta say man, I thought many times that I had completely fucked myself and my new car. I was so frustrated and worried that I might have messed up the threads too bad, but it finally got in there. It looks like you still have a lot of green gunk there, just pick it all away man, and keep trying, I know it sucks, I know it feels like the worst thing in the world, but you just have to keep trying, use gloves to get it threaded well before going to the wrench. If your threads are really fucked then I would try a tap. Good luck, I hope you get it in there man.

Now I'm scared to install my MTEC springs.

It's not hard and the risk of damaging anything is quite low if you take your time. I could see it being 100x easier on a hoist than a garage floor, so it might be worthwhile to take it to a shop to have it done. The labor will be quite inexpensive, and the liability would be on them.

You got that right ...... that just confirms there ain't nutten wrong with my car's stock springs .... :D

humfrz

After watching the video, I would agree with that .... :)

Hint from the video, clean all the loctite off the threads before trying to restart them.....:thumbsup:


humfrz

I pulled the transmission on Sunday. It was actually really easy. Had a friend bag and tag and handle the tools I needed, and it only took us about 4 hours to pull it. The hardest part was actually removing it from the car and that only took us about 20 mins.. All of the bolts and stuff are very easy to get to. Dropping the Trans off with a friend who can fix it.

Don't be afraid of installing them. I screwed up, but it really isn't hard to put em in. Worst case is a 400 dollar housing and I will just bite the bullet on that if I need to, but I doubt it. Some advice is to pull off the front pipe, you can get in there much easier.

I installed and uninstalled my springs fairly easily. I did make sure to put it in neutral first. Just takes patience.

A mechanic friend got it in and cleaned up the threads. I trust his job, and fought every urge to unscrew it and look at the results.. I just let it be and installed the transmission.

Everything is back in and in working order. I might be over-analyzing things because I want to make sure the whole car doesn't blow up one day.. but Here is what I see right now:

around 2600-2700rpm, there is a very noticeable vibration in the car. You can feel it on every panel, in the pedals, wheel, and shifter, and it resonates throughout the cabin. I can replicate it even when stopped in neutral. The noise/vibration is very pronounced only in this range, the rest of the rpm band is smooth.

The clutch feels weird. I removed the slave cylinder from the transmission without disconnecting the lines, so there was no fluid loss and no need to bleed it, but it feels... different. The initial engagement is very sudden and harsh, and the rest of the engagement is smoother. It might be me getting used to the fr-s, since I drove an 02 miata for a week, but I don't remember it being this difficult to drive. The engine also feels sluggish, I need to give it a little extra blip of gas when starting off.



Sorry for the rant-y post. I am always afraid of overlooking something and someone smarter noticing a red flag, so I am overly descriptive a lot of times. BUT thanks to everyone for the help!!!

Are you saying that the springs are causing a bunch of in cabin vibration ?

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