Help! Pressure plate bolts!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 243
From: Northern VA
Help! Pressure plate bolts!
Pulled the tranny, removed the bellhousing but I cant get the pressure plate to flywheel bolts out. Is there any specific trick or tool? I can't get a socket, open end, or box wrench cleanly around the bolts!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 24
From: Orange County NY
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13
You can't cleanly get to any bolts, or just the bolts up top? I usually like to rotate the flywheel so that I am working with a lot more room at the bottom. Am I understanding the issue correctly?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Are you turning the flywheel so that the bolts are at the bottom when you loosen them? If they are very close to the pressure plate housing, you may need a deep thinwall socket to get the bolts out. The bolts aren't that tight, only 25-35 ft-lbs of torque is all that is uded on the bolts
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 243
From: Northern VA
I am just trying to loosen the darn things. I can get a socket around them! They are six point bolts and man,there is no way that they are 25-35 ftlbs!
These are the bolts:
These are the bolts:
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,700
Likes: 1,667
From: moraga ca
They should be 9/16" head bolts. Use a 6 pt socket, impact gun if you have one and hit the trigger. Make sure the socket fits tightly. Hopefully the bolt heads are not rounded off by a 15mm socket or whatever.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Looks like someone used the wrong bolts. Should be easy to get the socket on them. [EDIT] Just saw your hp figures, so I'm guessing you have an aftermarket clutch setup. still shouldn't be that tough to remove the bolts. Might try soaking with penetrating oil.
Here's mine with the factory bolts...
Here's mine with the factory bolts...
Last edited by 96GS#007; Oct 27, 2008 at 10:33 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 24
From: Orange County NY
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13
Now I understand 
.
If you don't plan on re-using the pressure plate, you could take a Dremel or a small die grinder to relieve some of the pressure plate material around those bolts. Hopefully then you'd be able to get a good 6 point socket on them.
.If you don't plan on re-using the pressure plate, you could take a Dremel or a small die grinder to relieve some of the pressure plate material around those bolts. Hopefully then you'd be able to get a good 6 point socket on them.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 140
From: Salem NH
Looks like someone used the wrong bolts. Should be easy to get the socket on them. [EDIT] Just saw your hp figures, so I'm guessing you have an aftermarket clutch setup. still shouldn't be that tough to remove the bolts. Might try soaking with penetrating oil.
Here's mine with the factory bolts...
Here's mine with the factory bolts...
I'm a little confused about the push-type pressure plate on the 6spd. Someone has been in there before.
Impact gun will do it. I use an impact to take everything off.
-- Joe
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 243
From: Northern VA
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Wonder if somebody used a threadlocker when doing an earlier clutch job? Stuff like the Fel-Pro Red requires heat to loosen the stuff. You migh try a propane torch on one bolt to see if that helps.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 140
From: Salem NH
I think the root of your problem is the bolts. I've always used bolts with 13MM heads on the push-style pp. Yours appear to have 9/16" heads.. Maybe a thin snappon 12 point will do it.
Good luck!
-- Joe
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 243
From: Northern VA
It's a 10.5. I could swear those bolts were 14MM. Are they usually metric or US?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 140
From: Salem NH
All the ones I've done have had 13MM heads on the 10.5 PP.. Yours could be anything.
-- Joe
