Trans Removal PITA!

[Hotrodlincoln]

6 hours to get the transmission out of my truck the past two nights. I yanked the transmission out of a Ranger in the junkyard in less than two hours. I got everything unbolted and it just dropped right out. But mine... had to break the bell housing bolts loose with a 3 foot cheater pipe. Got everything loose after that pretty easy. Not easy but everything else was expectedly tight. I have never had to break bell housing bolts with a breaker bar. But then came the fun part... the Y pipes are in the way. Try to remove them, Catalytic converter? Spell it R U S T! That ain't coming off. Air pipe in the way. Can't get leverage to bend it because of where it is, and no way to disconnect it, it has clamps but like the bolts on the cat... ended up cutting it. Finally get the pipes somewhat out of the way... Shifters are hung up. Removed the trans shifter, still can't get it out. Couldn't see how to remove the T case shifter because of the grease and mud cakes stuck all over the side of the transmission. Finally finagled the T case shifter down out of the floor, still stuck on the Y pipes, forced past with a pry bar, trans grinding between the floor pan and cross member, tilted the T case way down, pound the floor pan a few times with a hammer and finally get just enough room to shoehorn the damned thing out.

I swear it literally fell out of the truck at the junkyard once I got the cross member out of the way, and that truck still had the exhaust pipes and all on it. Except for the cat because they cut all of those off. I didn't remove the shifters, didn't have to fight it with a prybar, nothing. What the hell gives? Why is my truck being such a pain in the ass when the other one which was exactly the same only a year older, was so damn simple?

 

[jhammel85]

ugh, I've heard alot of the 4x4 trans's in 1st gens being a pain in the ass but this takes the cake man...It just was not your night!

 

[cammeddrz]

here is how i installed my tranny/t-case, and later replaced the clutch. despite how hard it looks it is actually easier

 

[AirborneJordan]

Hey.. That is a great Idea with using two cheri pickers. I Like it!

 

[cammeddrz]

yep and if it is a ranger the cab is much ligher than an entire bII body, doing it from the top you don't need to fight the exhaust bolts out, nor do you need to fight the cross-member bolts out because you are lifting it out from above so the exhaust and the cross-member stay put. all you need to disconnect is your body bolts (6 of them i believe) and maybe 6 wiring harnesses, your throttle cable, and steering shaft (1 bolt) everything else stays attatched to the frame. i didn't need a tranny jack because i used one of the cherry pickers (the body was set on the ground on top of a few old tires) but 2 guys could lift out your trans/t-case pretty easily

now weigh the time it would take to do those things i listed against how much longer it takes to try and fight it all from underneath.

Hey.. That is a great Idea with using two cheri pickers. I Like it!

yeah one was mine and i borrowed another from a buddy (you can see his blurry face in that fuzzy picture)
and those are just 2 8' long 4"x4"s i bought from home depot with 2x4's nailed between them to keep them from trying to squeeze towards each other as i lifted. and i went to harbor freight and bought a couple 2" wide ratcheting tie-down straps for $5 and just used the long part of those and tied them at the ends that allowed me to slide the cherry-picker hooks to just the right spot so that it lifted level

and i like how you spelled "cherry" like the title of that porno magazine lol

 

[bigblue88]

couldn't understand if you took off the muffler or not. but with 4x4 its a must then just slant the tranny and she should come out after a few jiggles. good luck

 

[kenwheeler]

Try loosening up the cab bolts and jacking up the cab. Underneath the carpeting is an access door for the bolt on either side of the cab. You only need a little bit of lift, maybe a 1/2 inch, for your tranny to clear the cab and the Y pipe. I've had my tranny in and out twice since I got the truck. Never removed the Y pipe. I've gotten it down to 6.5 hours to get the tranny/transfer out, but I drink beer during the removal so that probably affects the time.

Your transfer case shfter is attached to the driver side of the tranny with a VERY large bolt, a smaller bolt and a hose. Much easier to remove the tranny without the shifters.

My tranny is hard to get out and back in also. For some reason it just wants to put up a fight. The first time my bolts were really tight also. The second time I yanked it out the bolts were alot easier to work with.

I wouldn't swear by this method and if you do it be REALLY REALLY careful. The second time I was fighting the trans jack and the tranny to get it back in. I would get it in so far but not all the way. I used a bellhousing bolt on either side to draw it tight. You have to be slow and easy with this side to side tightening process and if the trans isn't lined up right you'll crack the bellhousing.

 

[Hotrodlincoln]

Your transfer case shfter is attached to the driver side of the tranny with a VERY large bolt, a smaller bolt and a hose. Much easier to remove the tranny without the shifters.

I figured that out after I got the thing out. I also realized, I think the truck I got the "new" trans out of at the yard had a body lift, and that I never removed the transfer case shifter from that one because it wasn't there when I found it. Someone had taken it already. For some odd reason I just never paid any attention to it. I just took out the 5 bolts that hold the trans and T case together, ditched the t case, an split with the trans. I did figure out after I took it that I needed the clutch slave cylinder and hydraulic line from the other truck because mine has the internal type, and the trans I found has an external. I went back the next week and got the whole system.

couldn't understand if you took off the muffler or not. but with 4x4 its a must then just slant the tranny and she should come out after a few jiggles. good luck

It doesn't have a muffler. But it's going to, because the damn cherry bomb that is on it is annoying as hell. It goes Y pipe, cat (which is surprisingly still in tact), about 18" of pipe, cherry bomb, turn down tip. It ends about a foot before the rear axle. I did remove the short section behind the cat because it was just clamped on. I remove the Y pipes from the manifolds but couldn't get them out because of the air tube going to the cat. I'm gonna cut the flanges off the cat and Y pipe and fit it all back together with a new OE style mid pipe, replacement muffler, and tail pipe. If I really feel ambitious I may neuter the cat while I'm at it but it depends on how it looks inside.
No I would never draw a bell housing together with the bolts. It takes some patience and some rocking but it should fit together at least so the alignment dowels fall into the pilot holes in the bell housing about 1/8" or so. After that it will generally fall together pretty easy once the bolts are put in and can usually be turned by hand. If it doesn't go at least that far the clutch disc is not centered correctly.

The truck held up with two engine lifts is an awesome idea! Too bad I don't have a second lift and enough flat space to do it in!

Thanks for the insight and tips guys.