On the last major transmission bolt of swapping my first tranny swap (5spd to 6spd upgrade after blowing my first)... I sheared the bolt that goes into the shifter housing (shown in attached picture). 2 of the 3 bolts are currently holding down the shifter assembly... while the bottom part of the third bolt is down in the hole with no top to it.... The reservoir is sealed though... so at least there's that due to the sheared bolt, but I'm just worried that only 2 of the bolts are holding it together.

I'm thinking that if I take it to someone to remove the bolt, they'll have to drill through the bolt, thus allowing all the metal shavings to get straight into the fluid reservoir of the transmission... so I don't feel comfortable going that route (unless someone can convince me of a proper way to do this and not risk getting shavings into my newly swapped tranny.

Sorry I don't have a pic of this but I have been traveling with work and I won't be home for a couple weeks. Any ideas on what to do would be appreciated. If I'm stuck with that bolt in there then any ideas on holding down that reservoir through "creative engineering" would be great.

 

remove that whole piece and now you can easily take it anywhere and have it fixed

its held on by 4 bolts a couple inches lower

 

This. This is the answer I was hoping for! I will have my roommate try and take it off while I am away and see if it can get fixed before I am back. All that work done just for the last (important) bolt to fail... Live and learn on old(er) cars it's part of it.