Dropping the Trans

[Dei2303]

hey guys, im going to be dropping my trans today to see what all the previous owner has done. Any tips? Its the 5 speed manual.

 

[gray06gt]

Use a lift

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Yes, definitely use a lift and have a transmission jack ready to support the tranny once you remove the bellhousing to engine bolts.
Inspect the clutch assembly and unless it's virtually brand new, replace it. While you're there you can replace the slave cylinder and upgrade the stock plastic clutch hydraulic line to a braided steel unit.

 

[Dei2303]

How high do I have to get the car in the air to drop it? I don’t have access to a lift right now?

 

[mustanger]

I've done it without a lift using jackstands and a transmission jack from harbor freight. Not ideal, but I didn't think it was too bad. Another tip, once you remove the transmission crossmember, you can use a jack on the rear of the trans to tilt the motor/transmission assembly forward which allows you to access the top bellhousing bolts from the engine compartment. If I remember correctly you will have to turn the transmission to the left to clear the tunnel when removing and installing.

 

[Anti]

I've done it without a lift using jackstands and a transmission jack from harbor freight. Not ideal, but I didn't think it was too bad. Another tip, once you remove the transmission crossmember, you can use a jack on the rear of the trans to tilt the motor/transmission assembly forward which allows you to access the top bellhousing bolts from the engine compartment. If I remember correctly you will have to turn the transmission to the left to clear the tunnel when removing and installing.

Yea, or if you have a good collection of wobble extensions for your ratchet it would help. However i found it easier to have a friend crank while i hold the extensions in place of the top of the tranny. Harbor freight has good set of wobble extensions from pittsburg. Try to use the half inch ones so you dont snap them.

Also spray the bolts with pb blaster the night before and about two hours before you start. It makes removing them sooo much easier.

 

[drive_55_not]

How high do I have to get the car in the air to drop it? I don’t have access to a lift right now?

I use four 6-ton jack stands, 2 under the rear axle on the 7th detent, the other 2 go under the frame rail beside the mount point for the K-member on the 3rd detent, That gives me plenty of room to drop the transmission using a Northern Tool Torin transmission jack ,, it's basically the same as the Harbor Freight ..

If you use one of those, get rid of those metal position tabs they use on the jack pad and bolt a couple 18inch long pieces of 2x4 for the transmission to rest on, they'll keep it from sliding off the pad much better than those tabs..

Like Anti sed, you can get the top bellhousing bolts by strings some extensions together and going over the top of tranny, or if you still have the stcok exhaust .. just drop the OE H-pipe and you can reach the top bolts with a 13mm wrench by reaching around the bellhousing.

You'll need to rotate the transmission clock-wise for the starter bump-out on the bellhousing to clear the firewall. That's where those 2x4's will will come in real handy. You'll also need to rotate it to reinstall.

Also cut those little dog-ears off the bellhousing while it's out, They were only used by the factory for installing the transmission so now their only purpose is to make it harder to R&R the transmission.

It's not a hard process but the 3650 weighs roughly 130lbs yo don't wanna' drop the thing.

.

 

[Dei2303]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the help and this will be very interesting as the car is lowered lol

 

[raredesign]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the help and this will be very interesting as the car is lowered lol

No worries, as that won’t change anything except possibly needing a low profile jack to lift the car. The frame is the frame [emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[cgornowich]

Drive_55_Not covered it pretty well. You need four things:
1. LONG extension for socket, I use a 3'...
2. TALL jackstands, get four of 'em.
3. Transmission jack.
4. A METAL clutch alignment tool, those plastic ones suck.

Good luck...

 

[46addict]

Is something suspect? What's making you want to drop the trans to inspect things?

 

[RocketcarX]

Drive_55_Not covered it pretty well. You need four things:
1. LONG extension for socket, I use a 3'...
2. TALL jackstands, get four of 'em.
3. Transmission jack.
4. A METAL clutch alignment tool, those plastic ones suck.

Good luck...

This is good advice except for the metal clutch tool is not required. I can't count how many clutches I have installed and not once has the plastic tool not served it's purpose.

 

[JeremyH]

I do it on jacks stands as well you will want the heavy duty/taller ones and get the car as high as you can safely, I also use a scissor trans jack from harbor freight. Loosening the motor mount bolts to tilt it all back slightly will ease with removal and install. You will want to get the top bell housing bolts from up top which is easier after removing the battery and battery tray.

 

[Dei2303]

Some things came up and I wasn’t able to drop it. I just honestly want to check the clutch, and the throw out bearing. I know the previous owner has done a lot to the car and I just want to see what he has done to the trans

 

[ESP41]

I was able to get to the top trans bolt with a swivel head, ratcheting wrench. It has to be a long one. I use a Matco one and it is about 15" long. It's a bit easier to reinstall the trans if the nose of the motor is tilted up a little bit.

 

[ChewyR]

Getting it out isn't too bad, the hydraulic hose clip have me the most problems. I wss able to put it back in by myself with a motorcycle jack, but a second pair of hands would help a lot.