Transmisson Removal - T5

[jwebb]

How difficult is it to remove the transmission without pulling the engine along with it?

[smokinss]

With help from this forum I got the courage to remove mine so it could be rebuilt. You really need a lift of some kind since getting the trans to tilt out will need more than jack stands in my opinion. I think my son and I had it totally out in about 2 hours. It went back in less than 1.5 hours. Hope this helps:
1) Disconnect battery (for removing the starter). 8mm wrench/socket.
2) Remove the shifter -1/2" socket.
3) Jack up the car. The higher the better. (I used a two post lift)
4) Drain the tranny. The tranny will still leak some through the tailshaft. Use a 3/8th drive ratchet
5) Remove starter -NOTE: when re-installing, only put the 2 accessible bolts back in. 1/2" socket with long extensions and universal. Can be accessed from the front of the engine. Mark which posts which wires go to....
6) Remove the driveshaft (and clean up minor tranny fluid spill). 12mm wrench. MARK LOCATION on driveshaft/u-joints so it goes back the same way
7) Disconnect speedo plug. Don't pull the whole unit out - just pull the wire off the top. Pull it straight out.
8) Pull the wiring harness out of the retaining holes in the tranny. Set the wiring harness over the top of the tranny.
8A) Remove the clutch cable cover and pry the throwout bearing arm forward enough to slide the cable off.
9) Remove the 2 bolts on the lower/front of the bellhousing. 1/2".
10) Remove the crossmember near the tailshaft. Let the tranny/engine hang down. I don't remember the bolt sizes....likely 1/2" and 5/8th.
11) With the tranny hanging down somewhat, remove the top 2 bellhousing bolts. You should have access room. They are 1/2", and you'll need extensions and a universal. NOTE: Use a 6-pt socket, as you don't want to take the chance of stripping one of these bolts.
12) Support the tranny with a jack.
13) Remove the other 5 bellhousing bolts (also 1/2"). Make sure you are supporting the tranny. At this point, only 2 dowel pins are holding the tranny.
14) Pull the tranny back away from the block. Making sure the input shaft is pulled out beyond the clutch fingers, lower the tranny out and remove.
Installation is basically the reverse. Here are a couple of pointers.
1) Jack up the front of the motor before starting. This will allow you to get the tranny up on the dowels with enough room to start the two top bolts.
2) As mentioned above, only put 2 of the 3 starter bolts back in. The top one is a major headache, and not worth re-installing.
3) Fill the tranny through the shifter - much easier than using the plug on the side. Carefully pour 3 qts in through the shifter when most everything else is done.
13mm and 1/2" are the same so you can use either on the tranny bolts. 6-side only

I'm not going to lie.....getting the upper bolts out of the block was tough. You have to get your hand and wrench in just the right way to fit, but you will get it.

[Svtfreak]

The biggest issue is getting it far enough back for the input shaft to clear the bell housing. There’s an unused tab on the passenger side. Cut it off. Support the chassis, and let the rear end hang. Then the trans can go back andnup, till the input shaft clears then forward and down. I did it no problem.

I’m not sure what he’s talking about on starter bolts. Do the 4.6 have 3? 302/351 have only two I thought. But I know I have all mine in and didn’t have an issue.

[CraigS]

Although it was a mkII w/o the removeable mount we removed the bellhousing to engine bolts. That allowed us to tilt the back of the bellhousing down so the big center hole could follow the input shaft as the front of the trans was lowered. Eventually the shaft cleared the hole and then we pushed the bellhousing back up into position.