How big is the opening where your starter bolts on? Can't you remove the starter and use a magnet to fish the bolt out? For god's sake, I would not start that thing! And yea, the 2 top bolts are a real pain. I put the closed end of a box style wrench on the bolt then used a 3' long pipe to rest on the open end. Then get your BFH, and you can guess what comes next. You can do it from under the hood on the driver's side. You have to do it from the bottom on the other side. I have a 5sp but I didn't have to remove the exhaust to remove the trans. I removed the rear trans xmember to slide it back with no problems.

 

I know the feeling...I had a 58 Edsel that the starter drive washer broke, every time you would come to a stop it would slide forward and hit the flex plate, made a nice ringing sound. For a quick fix I drilled a series of holes in the bellhousing and made my own inspection cover to get the washer out.

 

if its auto, the worst you did is dent you torque converter and/or chipped the flywheel.... not exactly fatal depending on the extent... but nothing else to break really.... but man, ... wow! if you cant pull that bolt from the starter hole, i would just get a cherry picker, and pull the engine... way easier that dropping that tranny i find..

 

wow thats reassuring!@ thanks, yeah thats waht i was thinking, i know i could get a cherry picker, but im not quite ready to take my engine out just yet!

 

well today i think i might have gotten somewhere, me and my friend took my driver side wheel well off and he felt in the bellhousing w/ a coat hanger and he says he think he could hear the hanger rubbing on it, we dont know for sure, hopeuflly it was the bolt, if not, wow that's a heartbraker!

p.s. im still praying every night lol

 

allright you guys, i jacked up my back end really high, put my starter in, and started it, theres not a loud clunk like there was before but there is a small ping ping and i went under the truck and it sounded like it was coming from the flywheel, do u think the flywheel is hitting the bolt?? the bolt does have to be on the bottom of the bell housing doesnt it??? its not stuck on top?? should i give up and take it in?? if so, how much wouold this cost me do u think??? quack

 

mmm.... if the back end is up, its resting against the block i bet... but instead of footing this i would just pull it and go nuts... the only thing it should cost you (if all goes well ) is 5$ for the new doughnut at the headers

 

block as in engine block?!?!??!!?
so you think i should just pull the tranny out??

 

look buddy, do what you wish, but if i were you, i would pull the engine and inspect the damage.... you wanna pull the tranny, hey go for it, but this either way is no easy job.

 

yeah block as in engine block

 

its amazing how some people can be so dangerous with a wrench........

 

I dont what he has/will mess up,but I had a breather bolt go throught the carb of a 351 at 90 MPH!! The end results was A UUGGLY site!
Im glad that it was not me that put the air berather on it.