Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[1stpop]

Can anyone tell me the correct size and length of the bolts used to fix the gear box (bell housing) to the the engine? Although the top bolts are in place the bolts around the bottom are all missing (3 I think - or what I can see without removing the car floor).

My car is a 1946 Morris 8 Series E

[1stpop]

The bolts are missing because the threads have been stripped in the engine block!

Anyone know which is best - re-tapping the threads or as suggested by a mate - driling through the block and using threaded bar to join gearbox to engine?

[norustplease]

I think that you may have some metric fine 8-1 mm bolts with a 1/4 Whitworth head, which are 1" long. This is part of the 30's Morris legacy which used former armaments manufacturer, Hotchkiss, acquired in WW1, to build engines and allowed them to use continental tooling with, bizarrely, Whitworth heads as a concession to British toolkits. They are probably the same as your sump bolts.
You could try drilling/retapping to the next size up and using a modern metric bolt size.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[JohnDale]

Retap! Drill through both gearbox flange & block(without going deeper than original) to tapping size for next larger size sourcing allen headed bolts(for clearance) & tap set to suit before drilling. Drill(carefully) through gearbox flange ONLY to clearance size. Tap block & fit allen bolts. Cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[1stpop]

once again fantastic advice - worked a treat

[ukdave2002]

If the gearbox is out, it costs less than £40 to replace every bearing and bush, about an hours effort, so well worth it as new bearings & bushes will protect some of the bits that can't be bought of the shelf.

Dave