Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car

Posted By: AlexP

Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 05:34 AM

So I've got a huge issue. I had a factory shifter on my car and using a factory plate to mount it to the transmission. It may be the same plate that has been on the transmission forever.

I'm mounting a new Hurst shifter on the car (purchase a new linkage kit and a new shifter assembly) and I can't get the old plate off. I can't put enough force onto the bolt with a normal allen wrench.

I'm going to try 3/8" drive allen sockets, but if they don't budge it I'd like to stop short of stripping the heads.

Any advice on how to do this in car without removing the entire transmission?

Posted By: 1971 Gran Coupe

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 05:53 AM

Your dilemma sounds like some I have had working on motorcycles and the phillip's head screws. Best thing I ever did years ago was by a hand held impact driver that was activated by a blow of a hammer. That is what I would try first. Good luck and I am sure there will be others who have had similar difficulties of bolt/screw removal.

After re-reading your question, it looks like the access to the bolts may be restricted. With that in mind, how about a ratchet with an hex head adapter for the screws. Mine have allen heads

Posted By: Dr Dave

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 06:10 AM

Try a little heat and/or penetrating oil and let it sit

Posted By: Stanton

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 03:02 PM

Part of the problem is electrolysis - the bolts are steel and the plate is aluminum so the bolts are seized to the plate. Heat is the answer ... if you have oxy/acetylene, use a small flame and heat the bolt head. Let it cool a minute or two then it should break loose.

Posted By: fourgearsavoy

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 03:25 PM

If you are replacing the mount then just get a sharp heavy chisel and split the old one and the bolts will come right out. I would use an air chisel and that thing will crumble and fall out

Gus

Posted By: AlexP

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/25/15 04:14 PM

Quote:

Part of the problem is electrolysis - the bolts are steel and the plate is aluminum so the bolts are seized to the plate. Heat is the answer ... if you have oxy/acetylene, use a small flame and heat the bolt head. Let it cool a minute or two then it should break loose.

I think I can heat them pretty easily both from inside the car and underneath.

I'm so close to running in this car, that I really don't want to take a step back and pull the transmission.

Posted By: mopar346

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 03:34 AM

I was thinking if the plate doesn't matter, drill a few strategic holes in the plate and bust it with a hammer. The bolts should be free then.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 05:54 AM

It wouldn't suprise me that the Mopar factory used red locktite on those allen head tapered bolts that hold the plate on

I have ruin some cheaper allen wrenches trying to remove those bolts in the past

Use some heat on the tranny lugs that those bolts go into first and then try loosening them up

Let us know what you do

Posted By: RTSrunner

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 06:51 AM

As stated use penetrating oil and heat.If an impact driver won't fit ,you can strike the Allen socket with a hammer to shock the bolt.Also,a good heat gun will get the bolt surprisingly hot and safer than a torch near your carpet if it is in the car.Countersunk Allen bolts are generally tight and have a smaller wrench size than a comparable socket head Allen.They tend to strip the heads if rusty or corroded,work slowly at it or you will be drilling it out,or breaking the old plate as said by Gus.

Posted By: SNK-EYZ

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 10:50 AM

Quote:

It wouldn't suprise me that the Mopar factory used red locktite on those allen head tapered bolts that hold the plate on I have ruin some cheaper allen wrenches trying to remove those bolts in the past Use some heat on the tranny lugs that those bolts go into first and then try loosening them up Let us know what you do

The factory bolts that I saw years ago actually did have a type of loctite of sorts on them
They had what can best be described ad a small hole drilled in the side of the threads that had some sort of nylon thread locker in it.
I'm sure it was there to help keep the flat socket head bolt from loosening up.

As far as getting it to loosen up what I've had decent luck with is taking a hammer and round punch and smacking the head of the bolt straight in. Essentially shocking it to help break it loose.

Heat and penetrating oil help too.

If all else fails as others have said since you have a new one if you destroy the old one getting it out it's no big deal.
The aluminum shifter bracket is softer than the cast iron trans case.
Once the bracket is gone the bolts should spin out relatively easy.

Posted By: AlexP

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 04:25 PM

Quote:

Quote:

It wouldn't suprise me that the Mopar factory used red locktite on those allen head tapered bolts that hold the plate on I have ruin some cheaper allen wrenches trying to remove those bolts in the past Use some heat on the tranny lugs that those bolts go into first and then try loosening them up Let us know what you do

The factory bolts that I saw years ago actually did have a type of loctite of sorts on them
They had what can best be described ad a small hole drilled in the side of the threads that had some sort of nylon thread locker in it.
I'm sure it was there to help keep the flat socket head bolt from loosening up.

As far as getting it to loosen up what I've had decent luck with is taking a hammer and round punch and smacking the head of the bolt straight in. Essentially shocking it to help break it loose.

Heat and penetrating oil help too.

If all else fails as others have said since you have a new one if you destroy the old one getting it out it's no big deal.
The aluminum shifter bracket is softer than the cast iron trans case.
Once the bracket is gone the bolts should spin out relatively easy.

The bolts are done for. No chance of using a proper tool to take them out. I tried the 3/8" drive allen wrenches and they just spun. Someone has already tried this sometime in the last 45 years.

So, I compared the parts that came with the new shifter. A similar plate and thin spacer that was very small.

When you stack them side by side, they end up being the same thickness as the one on the car already. Instead of going backwards, I decided to try bolting it all up with the existing plate and see if it lined up.

It did. I was able to get all the rods on and so far, it looks like it will work. I really dodged a bullet, but there is always the chance that something else will be wrong and it will come out anyway.

Posted By: SNK-EYZ

Re: Removing the shifter plate from an 833 in car - 03/26/15 06:59 PM

The 68-70 B-Body Mopar shifter mounting brackets (like I pictured) are designed for the factory Hurst shifter and normally work on all the Hurst shifters.

The main reason for replacing them is because the bolt holes to secure the shifter to the bracket get stripped out.

If the original one on the trans isn't stripped out you should be fine reusing the original one.