Bell housing shift cable problems

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Rick D

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32381
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Hello all.

Alpha 1 Gen 2 drives.... the bell housing where the shift cable threads through, on one of my drives when trying to remove the old shift cable, the bolt that holds it to the housing began to round off. One the other, it outright snapped so the bolt head and shift cable came out, but the threaded part of the shift cable bolt is still inside the bell housing. I do not want to have to go out and buy new bell housing uppers... but not sure how to extract either of these.

I might be able to get the rounded one off with an impact gun... but likely it's just going to snap off as well.

That leaves easy outs or drilling them out. I'm not confident an easy out is going to work if they are so fused in that they snapped. And drilling out... well, drilling out a steel thread inside an aluminum housing sounds like a recipe for destroying the bell housing.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

--Rick
 
quote:
Originally posted by mdoherty

I think you mean Gimbal housing.

Click to expand...


Not 100% certain, but I think I am correct in calling the the bell housing. The gimbal housing contains the gimbal bearing... it's not that piece.

The bell housing is the piece with the two hinge pins... and it's this piece that has the shift cable bolted to it that snapped... whereas it just passes through the gimbal housing via a plastic flange.

Likely on Tuesday I will bring the two to a machine shop that works on boat engines to see if he can get it out.

--Rick
 
did you use the Merc tool that is called for to remove the nut? I'm sure the machine shop can get it out but you need the Merc tool to reinstall the new cable without damaging the plastic insert in the cable.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brite Idea

did you use the Merc tool that is called for to remove the nut? I'm sure the machine shop can get it out but you need the Merc tool to reinstall the new cable without damaging the plastic insert in the cable.

Click to expand...


Yes, I tried removing with the Merc tool and the 1 snapped and the other rounded off. But assuming the shop can get them out, I will use it for the install.

Thanks,
--Rick
 
Good on You for being cautious, Rick! Some of the best money I've ever spent was to have broken bolts removed from boat parts.
 
Put a hacksaw blade in there and cut through 2 times 180 deg apart and punch it out. If I rememebr correctly I used one from a scroll saw so it fit in the hole.
 
To confirm, are you talking about the threaded brass tube that runs thru the bell housing and the shift cable goes thru? The nut you're talking about is on the forward side of the bell housing?

Never had your problem with that style cable but lots with the older type.

You might be able to crack the nut with a cold chisel. Maybe trying the 'freezing' method with the can of compressed nitrogen ( some something like that. Forgot the name of the stuff. Freezing will make it more brittle for cracking with cold chisel or just the freezing may be enuff to loosen the nut.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jtybt15

To confirm, are you talking about the threaded brass tube that runs thru the bell housing and the shift cable goes thru?

Click to expand...


Yes, exactly. Dropped them both at the machine shop today. Hoping he has success with them by weeks end.

--Rick
 
Woohoo! Machine shop just called... they were able to remove the two old cables.. $30... that's it.
Very glad I brought them there instead of trying to do it myself.

--Rick
 
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