blue_74

The TH400 in my '74 is leaking fluid, so I'm stuck with the fun job of pulling it back out 3 months after I rebuilt the motor and tranny. The only problem is, I have installed a completely new exhaust system w/ all new pipes, and I don't want to just cut that right back off the car (pipes are welded). Is there any possible way to remove the transmission without dropping the exhaust?

sb69coupe

Pull the engine and tranny together as a unit :D

I really don't see how you could possibly do this otherwise. Although my car is a manual, not an auto, I'm pretty sure you'll have to drop the exhaust to get the tranny out from below.

dath

It's even worse than that isn't it? In my '74 the crossmember appears to be welded, so I don't see how you could even pull the transmission without pulling the engine. :rolleyes: As for cutting the exhaust, I think you may be able to squeeze enough room if you decouple it from the headers or manifolds and from the brackets on the rear of the car. Then push it as far back as you can and see what you think. If you have to cut it, maybe you could use a coupler to put it back on instead of welding it. That way you could easily take it apart in the future. Just a thought.

mrvette

Somehow I just KNOW you all going to laugh like hell at this....but those header couplings with the 3 bolts and a triangle looking piece don't seal worth a damn...SO the best I have found....get this....for a removeable piece with minimal hassle......

sure it leaks a slight bit...so what....

take about 3 hose clamps per joint, cut it in a straight section, then when re assembling them, put it together wrapped with 2-3 layers of galvenized gutter/roof flashing, and then tighten the middle clamp right over the cut, and then two end clamps.....works like a charm...

GENE

sb69coupe

dath, if you have a welded crossmember then your frame is for a 4-speed car. Either your car was originally a 4 speed or someone has swapped the frame sometime in the life of your car. All frames for automatic trans cars had a bolt-in crossmember.

Shannon

Stewart's74

Unbolt the pipes @ the headers and slide them back. Unbolt the X-member and drop both pipes and X-member as 1 unit. You will also need to disconnect the rear pipe hangars as well. This is what I did. It was simple.

dath

No poopie? Where would I look for evidence of a frame swap? I know that the M40 RPO designated an automatic, but where do I find that info? I don't *really* care, but it sure would be nice to know what the story is...

*EDIT* :lolg: the forum software edited my "No [ch*t]" to poopie... :lolg:


[Modified by dath, 2:43 PM 8/13/2003]

sb69coupe

If it's a bolt in crossmember, then it's definitely a 4 speed frame. There's 3 paths to use to determine if it's a frame swap or if the car was originally a 4 speed.

1 - find the VIN stamping on the top side of the frame rail, near the drivers seat area. If that VIN matches your car then it surely was a 4 speed originally.

2 - Look for evidence of the manual transmission components on the body of your car. Do you have the "wide" brake pedal, or the small one that was used for manual tranny cars? Is there evidence of the clutch pedal and pivots being installed? Is there a hole in the firewall for the clutch pushrod to pass through? Are any of the underhood linkages still there from the clutch linkage? What about the 2 purple wires that would lead to the clutch safety switch? What do your console top plate and shift boots look like? Are they correct for a manual car or automatic?

3 - find the tank sticker to see the original options list

dath

You mean if it's not a bolt in crossmember then it's a 4 speed frame? Just want to make sure we are both saying the same thing here. I have a welded crossmember and a TH400.

My console plates, brake pedal, and shift boot all look correct for an automatic car. This is starting to make me wonder as I've found some damage to the windshield wiper tray area that I cannot explain except for perhaps someone had a catastrophic failure of a motor mount, or a bad accident. I found that the rear bumper has been replaced with a fiberglass bumper and the frame pieces back there were a bit odd, though it did have a bubba tow hitch, so I figured that was the reasoning there... The front bumper was also broken, but it was broken in place as it was still mostly there and original... I would much prefer that it was a transmission swap to a frame swap, though I can say that if it was a frame swap it must have been long in the past based on the condition of the trailing arm bushings when I replaced them and the body mounts that I haven't bothered to touch...

My apologies about the thread hijacking here, just has me worried...

dogr74

Dath,
The cross member in my 74 is welded too and has the original manual 4 speed Munci. I always thought the welded cross member was because it's a vert (to make up for the strength lost without any rigid roof structure). The 4 speed manual tranny (without the bell housing) can be pulled without removing the exhaust but not without removing the shifter assembly 1st.
Good luck,
Gary

Chevyguy

:
:iagree:

NHvette

:iagree: Me too - but not if it's a welded crossmember.
You may need to cut the exhaust and couple it back up.