epylant

There is so little room! I've tried a few times now, and the only thing I've accomplished is making my arms feel like noodles. Why didn't GM make the tranny x-member removable?!?! Anyone have an easy trick on getting them back in?

Defenitely thinking about building a removable x-member in the future ... it would make working on the car quite a bit easier.

Chuck Gongloff

Remove the driveshaft. Take the yoke out of the back of the trans. Support the bellhousing on a jack so you can lower and raise the engine.

BE CAREFUL with the distributor hitting the firewall if you lower the engine.

I turn the trans on its' side, and slide it over the X member. Get it back as far as possible. Drop the engine on the jack so you can get the input shaft in. Raise the engine. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle

It'll go in. Hope you used the guide tool to align the clutch splines so the input shaft will slip in. Chuck

jerrybramlett

You must be working on a mid-year.

You will need help. One person manhandles the transmission back up into the tunnel while the other raises the bellhousing into its final position.

In other words, don't bolt the bellhousing to the block until you have the trans input shaft tip up inside the rear of the bellhousing. The tip doesn't have to be through the throwout bearing, however, just barely inside the bellhousing is fine.

You can call me if this isn't clear: (251) 478-4003.

MD66427

Good point --so when I install my motor install the tranny and motor
bolted togther at the same time?: Mike

epylant

Thanks for the replies. I'm just coming in after "attempt #4", and wish I'd seen these posts before all the work I've just done. I ended up unbolting the motor mounts, then removed the steering stabilizing shock, and moved the engine as far forward as I could get it. Lowered the engine onto my hydraulic jack (I kept the engine hooked up tight to my winch in the ceiling as a safety precaution). Rolled the Muncie onto my leg, and then rolled it over my body until it was in a good Muncie bench-pressing position over my chest. Benched the thing up and went for the stab ........ Denied!!!! The motor "wiggled" around on the jack so much that I couldn't get a solid stab on it. Lowered it down onto my stomach, then rolled it down my body and finally onto the ground. Reached back up to align my throw out bearing with the hole in the pressure plate, and realized that I didn't have enough strength to lift my arm up! All I could do was laugh.

Went inside to take a break and get a drink, wife saw me and said that's it for the night no need to chance a trip to the emergency room. I feel completely spent!

skids

I too know the feeling. I use my sears motorcycle jack, with a board fastened to it to provide a base for tranny to rest on. This way you only need to hang on to tranny to keep it upright. If you dont have a motorcycle or jack, at least get the jack. It really does work slick, also good for installing third members.

epylant

I just did a google search for a motorcyle jack, and that's exactly what I need right now! What a life saver that thing would be - I'm going to pick one up tomorrow. Thought about sneaking back into the garage for round #5, but couldn't get a game plan together (wanted to put the muncie on the jack, but I wasn't sure how I'd support the engine w/o it) ... thanks for the tip!

DansYellow66

Here is something I did to lessen the pain. I built a wooden stand to hold the tansmission. Very simple with an upright at the tail and an upright at the input shaft with a shallow V to hold it in position. The bottom board is probably about 16 to 18 inch long. It holds the transmission about 6 in off the floor but adjust it to how you have your car sitting so it will slide under and clear. Take two pieces of all thread about 6 inches long that are the same size as the bolts that secure the transmission to the bell housing. You can buy 6 or 6 1/2 bolts and cut the head off. Screw them into the upper bellhousing holes. Set the tranny on the stand slide it under the car. Lift the rear up and slide it over the cross member and back aways. It will be at an angle but the stand will hold it. Lower the engine in the back with a jack and big block of wood under the pan as far as you can without hitting the firewall. I would disconnect the tack drive cable. Then lever the front of the transmission up and shove it back as far as it will go while lifting up. I wrapped my crossmember in a heavy piece of leather to keep from scratching it. Instead of trying to bring the input shaft up from directly below the bellhousing, angle it of to the driver side and come in from about the 7 to 8 o'clock position. It will scrape across the back of the bellhousing surface but should wiggle in. Bring it far enough forward to hang it on the two bolts loosely. This way you never have to lift more than the back or the front of the tranny at once. No more bench pressing under the car. Now the heavy work is over and your arms can take a break. Jack the back of the engine back up level and then slide the transmission forward on the two bolts into position. Put the lower bolts in and replace the upper studs with bolts. It's a pain but it will go.

epylant

Man, why didn't I think of that?! I'll make a note to swing by the hardware store tomorrow. Thanks!

magicv8

Transmission removal instructions are in the Chassis Service Manual. Modify them as follows: Drop the exhausts and park cable. Unbolt only the front U-joint, and wrap tape around the caps to keep them on. Put foam or rag pad where the drive shaft lays on the cross member. Remove the yoke and insert a plastic lube retainer. Unlink the clutch cross shaft. Remove the fan - if it's close to the top of the shroud. Disconnect the tach drive cable at the distributor. Remove the chrome ignition cover if it gets close to the firewall. On each motor mount, remove two of the three engine bolts, and loosen the remaining one. Put a small wooden U-frame (2x4 and plywood) under the rear of the engine in front of the clutch housing, and straddling the oil pan. Support the rear of the engine with a scissors jack using this U-frame. Using a transmission jack (I have used a hydraulic jack in my younger days, but the trans jacks are cheap now.) support the trans and remove the mount. Remove the shifter, backup switch, and speedo cable (plug that hole too - I use an old cable adapter). Unbolt the trans sliding back and twisting 20- 30 degrees CC viewed from front). Slowly lower rear of engine and front of trans till the input shaft clears the clutch housing. Whether or not you are going to put a clutch in it, remove the clutch housing before lowering too far, to make the job easier than lowering till the input shaft clears.

Reverse the instructions to install

64BB

it is a one man job. i did it while sitting under the raised car, but you can do it from on your back. the tranny rear, without yoke, has to be lifted and pulled towards the rear. then, FROM MY POSITION, the tranny has to be turned counter clockwise [clockwise from yours] about 1/4 turn. it will pop right in. i used a bushing rather than bearing to support the input shaft, but it ought to make no difference. no need to loosen motor mounts or to diddle with the bell housing, although, i DID support the motor in position while removing the tranwmission so that it would not drop down. if yours has dropped down it may have to be raised. good luck. good exercise.
werner

JC6372

One man job with a little patience. If you have a buddy, then absolutely no problem. I didnt have to loosen motor mounts...I used a floor jack and wood blocks for support. I wish I could help you bud, we'd have it in no sweat!

JC6372

Oh yeah...be mindful of your tach drive on the distributor like the other guys said...I wasnt and bent the s*&t out of the cable which now needs replaced..

magicv8

I don't loosen the mounts to get more movement at the rear of the engine. I do it to keep from splitting the rubber motor mount material.

When I did the trans the first time, I got he trans out easily, but a month later the LH mount split and the alternator bracket cracked the fiberglass hood reinforcement when the engine lifted on the LH side. (A-C cars have the alt on the LH side). After that I drilled and tapped the replacement mount and put a grade 8 restraining bolt in it (see the Details page linked off my homepage - listed below). Ever since, I loosen the mounts to keep the rubber from being twisted - no more problems.

I have swapped the engine, trans, and rear end in my 66 several times without help. It's fun and entertainment if you approach it properly. As Pirsig said in his book, Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, in technical work - peace of mind is the whole thing.

epylant

Hehe, thanks for the pointers everyone - got it put back in today and am itching to start driving it again. Other than a few sore/strained/pulled muscles, it feels great knowing it's got a fresh clutch and flyweel (cause I don't want to do this again anytime soon!).

The Famous

Years ago (1970) I did this! Looking at the back of the engine, I cut a slot from the bottom left of the bellhousing (flat part only) to the center hole at 45 degrees for the input shaft to fit into. It has work for 34 years. The bellhousing is in it today afetr my complete restoration! The tranny slides right in!!!!!