What would you do? Shift cable bolt stripped

[DodgePodge]

I replaced the shift cable on my 65 D200. The small bolt that holds the adjustment wheel to the transmission case will not go back in. The bolt had what looked like threads from the case in the bolt threads. Maybe a hela-coil? Anyway, what are my options?
I have limited time and budget.
I cant pull the transmission out and there seems to be no room to do any re threading.

[BigBlockTrucks]

My first thought was heli coil until you said no room for retreading. A heli coil only works if you retread to the outside dimension of the heli coil.

[BigBlockTrucks]

Maybe pulling the trans cross member and tipping back the engine and trans back and down would give you enough room?

If threaded into aluminum a self tapping bolt slightly larger may be an option.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

.

[Wildergarten]

I cant pull the transmission out and there seems to be no room to do any re threading.

First of all, what size of bolt? Quarter inch? Five-siteenths? How big is the boss into which it is threaded? How long is the bolt? Are there threads into the boss deeper than its length? You might be able to deepen the threads yet further and use a SLIGHTLY longer bolt.

I was thinking along the lines of PwrWgnDrvr in pulling the crossmember to lower the tail end of the drive train and then trying a self tapping bolt, but you'd need one of a specific type as there are several used on these trucks. Some have tapered threads to form the sheet metal. Others have little notches that cut away material but they'll clog really fast in aluminum, requiring great patience and skill to get it started and keep cleaning out the notches every half turn or so as one goes deeper. A good many of the latter have a big washer that would help you apply axial force. Do you have compressed air to blow the chips out of the hole?

[nutz]

a pic is worth 1000 words the first question i have is how much load is on the bolt
the options that would use ,1st as wildergarten posted is may be possable to just use a slightly longer bolt
then helicoil .... can't go wrong with that
the 3rd option if you have room is to drill and tap to the next larger size
a self taping bolt won't have the clamping force and will come loose if the cable has a lot of lateral forces

[BigBlockTrucks]

It’s not often I start an argument on this forum but I am the guy that mentioned those ideas.
Give credit where it belongs!

[PwrWgnDrvr]

It’s not often I start an argument on this forum but I am the guy that mentioned those ideas.
Give credit where it belongs!

Correct, it was you, not me.

[nutz]

not arguments more like agreements

[Wildergarten]

It’s not often I start an argument on this forum but I am the guy that mentioned those ideas.
Give credit where it belongs!

I stand corrected.

I didn't think of it as an argument as much as a bunch of guys working on a problem trying to help.