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Transmission Removal - Advice, Tips, Words of Wisdom, Etc.

R

rexxdoggy

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Jul 14, 2007
Messages
3,239
Location
Crestview, Florida
So, I'm planning on swapping out my transmission due to a bad diff and not enough money (shocker here, right?) to have one installed. I'm looking at picking up a tranny that has 54xxx original miles on it and the only thing that it needs is the clutch kit, because the clutch went out on his, but he had gotten a built transmission from Terry so his is just sitting. Anyways, I need some advice on how to do this. First of all, can I do this by myself with no real trouble? I have a lot of friends who are willing to help. Second, what is the best way of doing this, i.e. pulling motor out to swap it out, just take it out from the bay, drop subframe and work from there? Some other questions I have include, do I need to worry about the shift cables needing to be adjusted again or anything of the sort, what do I need to look out for when doing this myself, and are there any other tips on doing this such as steps?

And yes, I know I should be going with an LSD and why bother with another stock diff when it'll eventually need to be upgraded. I know all that and the consequences, I just don't have the money. But I told myself that after I drop this in, I'm babying the car, redoing the suspension and fully building the transmission in it now, which will be out, so that way it'll be prepped and ready to drop in as a fully built tranny.

Thanks in advanced and hope to hear some good thoughts!
Mike
 
Pull it out the top. I tried to drop the subframe and pull mine...couldn't get 2 bell-housing bolts loose. Grabbed a cherry picker, and really in no time flat it was out. I can't even imagine trying to line up the trans and getting the input shaft into the motor laying on the ground from the bottom. I left the AC intact and disconnected the compressor from the engine.

Ohh...I did it ALL myself...tho it would have been much easier with help.
 
I used an engine support bar (a bar that sits on the two inner fender lips and has chains to hold the engine while you drop the subframe. I removed the front drivers side strut and knuckle assembly. removed the roll resistors and mounts to the transmissions, exhaust, etc, etc to clear the sub frame. I removed the subframe and just wiggled the transmission out (It was easier to do once I removed the shift tower).

This method took me about 2hrs start to finish to remove it by myself.
 
  • do not remove the shift cables from the bracket, remove the bracket from the transmission
  • don't need to pull the axles from the knuckles, just tie them up and out of the way
  • disconnect the power steering lines so the subframe doesn't hang from them
it can be done alone but help is better.
 
BrApple said:
  • do not remove the shift cables from the bracket, remove the bracket from the transmission
Click to expand...

That was probably one of my bigger concerns on the cables. That's good to know, because I didn't want to screw the alignment up and possibly have crappy shifting.

Few other questions may pop up. One being, front unbolting the trans front the engine block, what size are the bolts, and is their location relatively moderate to get to?

So far, it looks to me like I'll be pulling from the top, so the intake, and battery tray so far need to be moved, correct?
 
transmission bolts to the block and oil pan are all 13mm and not to hard to get to. one does have a 15 mm nut on it.
 
Y

Y

rexxdoggy said:
That was probably one of my bigger concerns on the cables. That's good to know, because I didn't want to screw the alignment up and possibly have crappy shifting.

Few other questions may pop up. One being, front unbolting the trans front the engine block, what size are the bolts, and is their location relatively moderate to get to?

So far, it looks to me like I'll be pulling from the top, so the intake, and battery tray so far need to be moved, correct?
Click to expand...
You don't need to remove the intake. Throttle cable...accordian/MAF/filter housing. I would remove the 4 bolts for the coil and just slide it forward...that hit the firewall as I was re-installing. Remove 3 bolts for AC compressor. I think 2 maybe 3 water lines. Battery and battery tray. Oh...I think there's a big wire/cable that goes from the mega-fuse to the starter. That needs to be removed...and installed prior to fully lowering the motor back in.

If you can...this will be the best time to inspect the alternator...O2s...thermo-stat...all the hard stuff you dread when the motor is in the car.
 
Hahah, I hate my life! I so want to just have a shop do it, but it's so much money lol.

Anyways, and on top of that, from what I understand, I have to bleed the clutch, as well? And since I'm at it, resurface my flywheel.
 
if the clutch and flywheel are fine you might think about not touching them. but then again if they have any sort of miles on them you might as well just replace it all so you don't have to go in there again any time soon.
 
Well, according to Sam, there is a newer clutch in there. And I've put about 15K on this newer clutch. Next year is when I plan on dropping in a fully built trans, sending the one that I'm taking out to Terry Haines or maybe livin to fully build it, and then have it put in, along with a new clutch kit and lightweight flywheel. So that way, I kinda have 0 miles on my trans, clutch and flywheel. After this swap, I'm going to drive as little as possible, and when I do, to just baby it as this won't have LSD, just like this transmission. Well, at least those are my plans.
 
Well, a little update on this

So I started tear down today, and turned out, I decided last minute to leave the motor as is, and just drop the subframe and work the transmission through the wheel well. Worked out in the hot sun so I couldn't get much done today in the time I spent out there, only like, 3 hours total of actual work in it. I've removed both axles, the entire drive side suspension, both lower control arms because I'm replacing them, along with the suspension on the passenger side, just because I wanted a lot of room to work with lol. Started on the roll resistors, got the rear out, but decided to just stop because I was like, passing out from the heat.

So onto tomorrow, I will be taking off the front roll resistor, supporting the radiator, undo-ing the steering from inside?, to my understanding that is, and hooking the engine up to the hoist, and dropping the subframe, and by that time, I'd like to be able to have the transmission out. That way I can start to have everything being put together soon.
 
What I've come to realize what it is is that it's about the same either way. You save pulling subframe but have to yank everything on engine then. Subframe really not that hard to pull. The extra work manuevering engine too instead of not messing with it much about equals things out.

Going down can be done without cherrypicker, could be helpful. Was in my case. 57 year old man did it by himself.
 
There is one bolt you remove on the inside to remove the steering - just remove the bolt, slid the tab up and it will come apart. I've pulled the motor to do headers and a clutch, the only resaon I did it that was was to install the headers. I've pull around 8 transmissions through the wheel well and continue to do it that was as it is easy to do - I've got it down to a science.
 
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