Stripped transmission mount hole. Need advice/ideas on how to fix

If there's room I'd put one of these in it, seal it, and send it

https://www.mcmaster.com/threaded-inserts/black-phosphate-steel-key-locking-inserts/

 

I second this idea!

When I clicked on the link it logged direct to my account.

 

An update...

So, I went ahead & pulled the tcase. I was surprised how easy the 10 tcase adapter bolts came loose. I was terrified that they'd hard AF to get off & that I'd risk snapping a bolt head (I got this idea from a 'timmy the toolman' clutch change vid, where they broke a bolt trying to get the bell housing off of the trans).

Anyway, the tcase came off with ease, and now I'm pretty glad that all of this happened, cuz I definitely found some gear oil & crud in there (not to mention some shavings from the stripped bolt hole). It wasn't like a quart of oil, but just enough to drip a small puddle on the floor.

So, I'm pretty sure that the rear seal on the tcase adapter is toast. It was definitely wet with oil along the outside. The seal on the tcase output was dry & still feels pretty solid, so I'm basically ruling it out.

Now, I gotta order the OEM seal and figure out which helicoil kit I wanna go with. I'm still kinda sketched out on the idea of trying to drill & tap the hole from underneath & at an angle, but we'll see how it feels once it's time to drill. Worst case scenario, if it feels too sketch, I'll have to drop the trans & do it on the ground.

pics...

The angle I'd be working with while drilling. thoughts?


The fucking POS stripped hole


Stupid question: Is that hole/channel inside the adapter supposed to be there, or is my trans broken? It kinda looks rough, as if a piece shattered & broke off.


aside from that weird discoloration at the top, the tcase output shaft looks pretty good, yay or nay?


dirty oil pooling inside the trans spline chamber. I'm assuming it's ok for there to be some oil in there, correct? or no?

 

that hole/channel does look rough. Curious to see what anyone else says about that
I would say yay on the tcase output shaft
When you pull the tcase out oil will drip out

 

Could always pull the transfer case adapter/extension from the transmission. Much easier to work on off the truck. You'll need to FIPG that one back to the transmission side.

I would definitely change the transfer case adapter/extension oil seal (confirm, but should be 9031140007), its touchy whenever installing the transfer case. When replacing the seal, drive in depth: 45.6 ± 0.5 mm (1.795 ± 0.020 in.)

As for the the transfer case cover seal (if you do change it, it should be 9031140021 - Type T), I'd leave it - yours looks fine.

 

when reinstalling the transmission needs to hang as low as possible otherwise that rear seal is destroyed fighting to get the transfer case back in.

I came real close to cutting the cab floor out to get enough clearance .

I have learned just drop the complete unit.

If you did not know the thread is M8x1.25

Good luck!

 

Ok, well I ended up just dropping the tranny again, which turned out to be waaaay more of a PITA than I expected. I figured it would come off easily since I had just put it on, but it was stuck on there like glue. I ended up having to shake the shit out of it just to get a gap going between the trans & engine block where I could shove a prybar in.

It's fucking terrifying doing that; I always feel like the truck is going to come off the jack stands and crush me. There's got to be a better way to separate the trans from the engine without having to resort to violence & brute force.

This kinda brings me to a couple of side questions: does "violently shaking the trans" in order to loosen it necessarily damage stuff, like, the main input seal on the trans or the pilot bearing?? For example, do I now have to swap out the brand-new, never-been-used pilot bearing just because I removed the trans by using the 'death shake' method?

@Bivouac If you mean the trans mount bolt, I'm pretty sure it was an M10x1.25, but I'll double-check.

For the helicoil, what length should I go with? For the M10's, I believe they're usually 1D/1 diameter, so 10mm. Apparently, there are 20mm helicoils, which are way pricier, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. I've seen some stuff about going with a longer insert in aluminum due to its softness.

For anyone with experience installing helicoils in aluminum, should I be able to get by with the 'standard' size helicoils & still be able to torque to 48 ft*lbs? I've also read about people stacking two helicoils in a single hole. Has anyone done this before?

Also, how are you guys sourcing OEM parts nowadays? I used to go to 'toyotapartsdeal', but I haven't been able to order shit from them because they're unable to get any parts. Every order I've put in recently has been cancelled due to everything being backordered or discontinued (cuz of the whole supply chain shortage issue).

 

Not sure about the 'death shake'... I've only had to remove the transmission once and considering it had not been off the truck since it was mated up to the engine in 2002. After I had the torque converter unbolted and all the bell housing bolts out with everything else disconnected, it came loose pretty easy.

Parts. I used to use McGeorge but their delivery time was always a week+. I found that Toyota of Colorado Springs is very competitive with pricing and on par with McGeorge. Because they're essentially on the same coast as I, delivery was typically 3-5 days. I've also used partsouq for multiple orders. Even though they are in Dubai, they ship via Air and FedEx as well as UPS Air did a fantastic job getting it here. On one order, transmission neutral safety switch, I ordered it Friday evening and it was here on Monday morning. Not bad.

 

A typo on my part I did not catch

 

I am in a similar situation to Area51Runner. I only had to drop the tranny once in 19 years and it was, as you pointed out, an absolute PITA (mine is just a 2WD so it's a little different). Fortunately getting it in was better but still awkward as I had to balance it on my leg while twisting it (I had no transmission stand) into position trying to not let the fluid leak out (because I am cheap and didn't want to drain it since it was pretty new). Fortunately for me however using the alignment tool made going in not too bad but like you, I was terrified from reading all the horror stories of how difficult it could be.

I wouldn't worry about having damaged anything from shaking it. The transmission and relevant components like the pilot, and throw out bearings are pretty tough but admittedly I have only done this once so I'm certain there are others who can speak about this with much more experience. But based on my admittedly limited experience, I think you'd have had to abused it worse than Chris Brown treated Rihanna to have really hurt it but I that's just my opinion obviously. I think you'll be fine.

Remember to post when you're all done and let us know how it turned out. I hope it all goes better for you and you get it all working soon if you haven't already.

 

Just as long as you don`t knock the clutch fork off the pivot .

Button things all up only to need to pull the Transmission again.

 

I could helicoil that thing in 5 minutes still in the truck with hand tools and it'd be stronger than it was stock. Yes, torque it to spec. Properly helicoiled holes in aluminum are much stronger and longer lasting than tapped threads. Use the longest length that will fit in your hole. Never look back.

For OEM parts I use the website of the local dealer.

 

Another vote for Timeserts over Helicoil. You also have the unusual advantage of having access to both sides of the hole. That will allow you to inspect your work and determine precisely whether you have installed the repair threads correctly, regardless of which brand you use. This is definitely something you want to have doubts about once you have put it all back together.