[alfaloco]

Prepping for a transaxle changeout here with my son's GTV 6, the 15mm halfshaft flange bolts are known to be tough to break loose. I managed to get a few out with a u-jointed socket and short breaker bar, until the socket split.
Knowing physics is on my side, I bought a 4 foot long HR steel bar, 1-1/4" wide by 1/4" thick, and a 6 point 15mm impact socket. I cut about a third off the height of the socket, and slightly ground down the face to get max engagement with the flats of the bolts. I bored a hole through the end of the bar so the socket could be welded on both sides. Our daughter's boyfriend welded the socket for me, and did an excellent job! I then beveled the end of the bar and ground it down close to the socket OD to fit up in that tight space around the flange.
Needless to say, physics won out in the end. I had six bolts that were very stubborn, but they popped and yielded to that long bar and socket! I got the bar as close as possible to the face of the bolt to prevent it from camming out, like a wrench might do. So make yourself a tool, if all else fails. And don't forget the penetrant Kroil, is your buddy!

 

[1978alfa]

Leverage won!

 

[alfaloco]

To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a BIG wrench."

 

[1978alfa]

Those are impossibolts!
Been there, done that and don't care to go back!

 

[Tom&RobsAlfas]

OK first of all, unless the bolts had been removed before, NO penetrating oil is going to make any difference because the bolts are set with Blue thread assembly adhesive. You could take a propane torch to the threads, about 300 - 350 degrees with destroy the adhesive.
Second, go immediately to your nearest Ace hardware store and buy the appropriate sized socket head cap screws and replace all of the bolts with the SHCS. You can also get the correct fasteners from a Milano.
Third, replace the CV joint boots and repack the CV joints with fresh lube.
BE AWARE! if you replace a GTV-6 half-shaft with a Milano one, the GTV-6 and Milano half-shafts are different lengths. You will need to use the Milano spacers bolted to brake rotors for everything to fit.

Want a really good project while you are down there? Replace the Pain-In-The-A$$ rear rotors with rotor off of a Series 3 Spider and fabricate a parking brake using an aftermarket mechanical caliper. I used a Wilwood unit, mounted it to the transaxle and was actually able to use the existing hand brake cable for actuation. Took a little bit of fiddling to get the fit perfect but it will hold the car against first gear. For all of you naysayers out there who are going to complain about it being on just one rotor, remember, the factory set-up only pushes the inboard pad against the rotor so effectively it is still only 'one' rotor.

 

[Jim G]

If I remember correctly. You take the cv off. The the cup has notches that give you a straight shot to the 15mm bolt we itj a impact gun.

 

[Tom&RobsAlfas]

OK first of all, unless the bolts had been removed before, NO penetrating oil is going to make any difference because the bolts are set with Blue thread assembly adhesive. You could take a propane torch to the threads, about 300 - 350 degrees with destroy the adhesive.
Second, go immediately to your nearest Ace hardware store and buy the appropriate sized socket head cap screws and replace all of the bolts with the SHCS. You can also get the correct fasteners from a Milano.
Third, replace the CV joint boots and repack the CV joints with fresh lube.
BE AWARE! if you replace a GTV-6 half-shaft with a Milano one, the GTV-6 and Milano half-shafts are different lengths. You will need to use the Milano spacers bolted to brake rotors for everything to fit.

Want a really good project while you are down there? Replace the Pain-In-The-A$$ rear rotors with rotor off of a Series 3 Spider and fabricate a parking brake using an aftermarket mechanical caliper. I used a Wilwood unit, mounted it to the transaxle and was actually able to use the existing hand brake cable for actuation. Took a little bit of fiddling to get the fit perfect but it will hold the car against first gear. For all of you naysayers out there who are going to complain about it being on just one rotor, remember, the factory set-up only pushes the inboard pad against the rotor so effectively it is still only 'one' rotor.

Make that calipers NOT ROTORs I'm slow but I'm stoopid... Replace the rear caliper with Series 3 Spider rear calipers...

 

[alfaloco]

Well, this is the situation guys. The transaxle in it now is out of a Milano-- it was a temporary measure back in 2019 while the input shaft to his original transaxle was refinished, and made the switch to a single plate clutch. The car only had 83K documented miles on it when Mike got it in 2014, and he's probably put less than 10,000 miles on it since then. The original transaxle that's going back in shifts smoothly, with no noise at all, and at this point our objective is to get the whining Milano unit outa there and get the car rolling again for nice weather. That's the goal here next Saturday. With the spacers on the halfshafts, there's no room for anything but the grade 10.9 hex head bolts. We'd prefer SHCS's, and we discussed it, but there's not adequate space up there for a breaker bar and hex bit, IMO.

Frankly, this is our first rodeo, my son and myself, with the transaxle. But fortunately we'll have a gent with us who has experience rebuilding them, racing GTV 6's and Milanos, and wrenching on them. But there won't be any re-engineering, just a swap. Jim, I see what you mean about the CV joints, but I really didn't see the need to disturb them with those miles. And as for the calipers, I see the advantage in the Spider calipers but honestly, we found that if the handbrake is used regularly, it actually works fine. As for pad adjustment, I really didn't find that to be the PITA that was talked about, either. Just a bit fiddly, that's all.

So... wish us luck, and yeah my garage fridge is well stocked with brewskis, too. 🍺 The temps are supposed to hit 60 F Saturday.

 

[pangolin]

I'm in awe......but I'm shocked, shocked that there are people modifying and making their own tooling on this forum!!

 

[mechtild]

On my gtv6 i was successful with these:

https://amzn.eu/d/j3bXLSM

 

[slowcreek]

Loco, are you dropping the whole DeDion unit as an assembly?

 

[vintagemilano]

Temps up to the 60’s or down to the 60’s?…. Hope it goes smoothly.

 

[alfaloco]

Loco, are you dropping the whole DeDion unit as an assembly?

No, our friend prefers to drop the transaxle out leaving the De Dion in place. That's his method... we have a transmission jack (scissors type) on casters, a piece of reinforced 3/4" OSB to set between the lift runners, so that's the plan.

 

[alfaloco]

Temps up to the 60’s or down to the 60’s?…. Hope it goes smoothly.

Going up! Spring appears to be on the way here.

 

[Mark_toro]

Alfa special tool AF-ALO-CO-1

 

[Tom&RobsAlfas]

Well, this is the situation guys. The transaxle in it now is out of a Milano-- it was a temporary measure back in 2019 while the input shaft to his original transaxle was refinished, and made the switch to a single plate clutch. The car only had 83K documented miles on it when Mike got it in 2014, and he's probably put less than 10,000 miles on it since then. The original transaxle that's going back in shifts smoothly, with no noise at all, and at this point our objective is to get the whining Milano unit outa there and get the car rolling again for nice weather. That's the goal here next Saturday. With the spacers on the halfshafts, there's no room for anything but the grade 10.9 hex head bolts. We'd prefer SHCS's, and we discussed it, but there's not adequate space up there for a breaker bar and hex bit, IMO.

Frankly, this is our first rodeo, my son and myself, with the transaxle. But fortunately we'll have a gent with us who has experience rebuilding them, racing GTV 6's and Milanos, and wrenching on them. But there won't be any re-engineering, just a swap. Jim, I see what you mean about the CV joints, but I really didn't see the need to disturb them with those miles. And as for the calipers, I see the advantage in the Spider calipers but honestly, we found that if the handbrake is used regularly, it actually works fine. As for pad adjustment, I really didn't find that to be the PITA that was talked about, either. Just a bit fiddly, that's all.

So... wish us luck, and yeah my garage fridge is well stocked with brewskis, too. 🍺 The temps are supposed to hit 60 F Saturday.

With the spacers on the halfshafts, there's no room for anything but the grade 10.9 hex head bolts. We'd prefer SHCS's, and we discussed it, but there's not adequate space up there for a breaker bar and hex bit, IMO. Don't mean to be a jerk but this simply is not correct. The Milanos came from the factory with SHCS and I regularly remove them with an impact wrench, universal and a super socket. In fact, the Milano spacers and half shafts are so much easier to access that when I finally got the CV joint rebuild kits and the CV boots I rebuilt the Milano units and left them installed on the GTV-6 rather than putting the GTV-6 units back in place.

 

[alfaloco]

Where's my stamp set??

 

[alfaloco]

With the spacers on the halfshafts, there's no room for anything but the grade 10.9 hex head bolts. We'd prefer SHCS's, and we discussed it, but there's not adequate space up there for a breaker bar and hex bit, IMO. Don't mean to be a jerk but this simply is not correct. The Milanos came from the factory with SHCS and I regularly remove them with an impact wrench, universal and a super socket. In fact, the Milano spacers and half shafts are so much easier to access that when I finally got the CV joint rebuild kits and the CV boots I rebuilt the Milano units and left them installed on the GTV-6 rather than putting the GTV-6 units back in place.

Really?? Hell, I don't think that's being a jerk, that's good information! I could be wrong, but if I can find some fine thread SHCS here locally by then, I'm willing to give it a try alright. I didn't think the stackup of the SCHC hex depth, plus the hex bit socket, plus a U joint would fit. But I haven't tried it yet. You say super socket, is that a ball end hex bit maybe? Thanks T&R.

Our buddy told us a lot of folks exchange the Milano halfshafts for the GTV 6 shafts, for the reasons you noted.

 

[pangolin]

This is what I bought.

Bolt Socket Head 12.9 Black M10X1.0 Extra Fine DIN 912

Bel-Metric sells metric hardware & specialty automotive supplies nationwide. Visit our website to purchase metric fasteners, nuts, bolts, Time-Sert kits & more.

belmetric.com

I cut 5mm off each one with homemade tooling. I posted somewhere, I think in GTV6 forum. Found it.

Rear Axle Allen Head Bolts (Internal).

After dismantling my GTV6 for repaint, now need to source some Allen bolts for the rear axle. When removing the axle shaft from the transaxle had to pretty much destroy all ten of the Allen Head bolts to get things apart. Can anyone point me in the right direction for replacement bolts - seems...

www.alfabb.com

If you can get, what you really want is M10x1.0 x 35 partial thread.

 

[pangolin]

And just shock.....$2.39 each!! I think they were just a dollar during pandemic.