Offroad-Express

Trying to get the flex plate off the torque converter through the starter motor hole as per factory manual instructions, and having a bit of a mission getting the bolts out.

There isn't enough clearance (between flex surface and transmission gusset) to get a socket on the bolts, and the raised toothed edge stops you get a spanner on them nicely.

Am I missing something? Do you need to take the metal gasket off between the bell housing and engine first? Can you do that without taking off the main transmission bolts?

Any help/ideas would be great

I think the way is to remove lower part of sandwich plate, and access TC bolts through there. Which engine you working on?

TD27T... ah yes, sandwich plate, that was the word I was trying to think of....

Yeah, that would be a winner if there weren't a huge oil sump extension in the way! there's about 15mm clearance between engine side of sw plate and the back of sump, so I think I'd have the same problem as I've got now...

Plus the sw plate looks like it's a single piece, and held together with the bell housing bolts. But I could be wrong on that, there might be a hidden (aka dirt covered) joint in it somewhere...

And by the looks of it, to take the sump off I might as well drop the whole engine and box and do it all on the floor.

10. Remove starter motor.
11. Remove gusset and rear plate cover securing engine
assembly.
12. Remove bolts securing torque converter to drive
I Remove the bolts by turning crankshaft.
REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION
Removal (Cont’d)

from the manual i'd say you go in where the starter motor bolts up

but in saying that the diagram in the manual looks like the sandwich plate is a two piece job splits just under the starter motor....?

i have a 14mm 3/8 socket that has been machined down to fit in the gap at the bottom once the lower inspection/sandwich plate is removed,

@Crash, interesting, are you quoting directly? The manual I have only says "remove gusset securing engine to A/T assembly. (VG30E model only)" and doesn't mention a rear plate at all...

But that diagram does look suspicious. I kinda assumed it was a cock-up/weird perspective, but seeing as you're the second person to mention that I'll have a closer look in case I've missed something. Is attached the same diagram that you have?

@wehi, bugger, I was hoping to avoid custom tools. Is there no other way to do it, or is that just a shortcut? I take it you still leave the sump on with that setup?

So took the lower inspection/sandwich plate off, and as expected, can't get a socket and wrench between the sump and transmission, but looks like a shortened 3/8 socket would work, so worse comes to worse could try that. 2 14mm bolts and 2 10mm.

Did a bit of lateral thinking and tried a million extensions on a socket with a uni joint on the end and threaded it down the driver's side of the sump. Couldn't quite get the angle to get on the bolt. I'll try going down the other side, might be able to get a socket on there tomorrow.

Get youself a set of the long flat spanners then you can get to them between the gap of the engine and the bell housing that's the bolts for the torque converter, a friend of mine had the same issue with his truck.

Chur