Sheared transmission pan bolts - how screwed am I?

[biz999]

I changed my 45rfe transmission filters this morning. I used my torque wrench set to 18ftlb to tighten the transmission pan bolts as that was a value I found in some research. One bolt started to feel weird, never felt tight at all, then the head sheared off. I was ultra careful after this but this ended up with 4 out of the 15 bolts with sheared off heads. They're pair together on the passenger side and a pair together on the driver side.

The 4 that sheared never even felt like they were getting tight at all, but loose, loose, loose, snap. I'm confident I didn't just crank on them.

I can just let the RTV set overnight and then hope for the best in the morning. Any better ideas?

edit: with such a systematic failure perhaps the torque was too high...some other sources say 105inlb or 12ftlb so perhaps I 150% them

 

[Jbergun]

Yea you shouldnt torque them down until after the rtv has set for an hour or two. Then retorque after full cure. Drop the pan time and get some pliers on them. If they were loose should come out without a problem. I am no pro so please some one else correct me if i am wrong.

 

[ltd02]

I changed my 45rfe transmission filters this morning. I used my torque wrench set to 18ftlb to tighten the transmission pan bolts as that was a value I found in some research. One bolt started to feel weird, never felt tight at all, then the head sheared off. I was ultra careful after this but this ended up with 4 out of the 15 bolts with sheared off heads. They're pair together on the passenger side and a pair together on the driver side.

The 4 that sheared never even felt like they were getting tight at all, but loose, loose, loose, snap. I'm confident I didn't just crank on them.

I can just let the RTV set overnight and then hope for the best in the morning. Any better ideas?

edit: with such a systematic failure perhaps the torque was too high...some other sources say 105inlb or 12ftlb so perhaps I 150% them

105 inch/lbs is the correct torque. So you actually were a bit over 200% if you used 18 ft/lbs. Like Jbergun said, drop it and get the bolts out. I'd think about replacing all of those poor little bolts. I'm sure they gave all they could. :gr_grin:

 

[CactusJacked]

There are 12 inch lbs per foot lb. 105 in lbs = 8.75 foot lbs. Oops. And yes, buy new bolts, the ones that haven't snapped yet, may later. But I don't bother with a torque wrench. RTV on pan, snug the bolts only so as not to squish out too much RTV. Then go back and tighten them more after it sets up.

 

[M38 Bob]

If you can't grab them with plier/visegrip style tools, get a "left hand" twist drill bit(not bullsh!tting, they do exist, though you must have a reversing drill to turn them). Unless a bolt has bottomed out before twisting, a lefty will nearly always catch a firm bite and unthread the broken section out of the hole.

Bob

EDIT Even if it doesn't work, you end up with a hole to stick an ease-out into.

 

[Kaleb.Speegle]

Transmission Pan Bolt Size

I was wondering if anyone could tell.me the size of the transmission pan bolts on my 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited. 45rfe transmission. I need a few, I'm out in town now and forgot to take one out to size it up. I need the length and thread size if possible. Thanks guys!

 

[JasonJ]

I was wondering if anyone could tell.me the size of the transmission pan bolts on my 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited. 45rfe transmission. I need a few, I'm out in town now and forgot to take one out to size it up. I need the length and thread size if possible. Thanks guys!

If a day or two goes by and you don't hear anything on your answer, start a new thread. Replying to a 1 year old thread loosely based on your own question doesnt usually yield the best answers.

I don't know the size of the bolt, but if I were in your spot, I'd call a Jeep dealership parts dept. Usually the parts description for fasteners has the specs listed.