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Tips:Removing an automatic transmission


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The torque converter has to stay with the transmission. There is an access hole on the top passenger side of the engine bellhousing where you can get access to remove the flexplate bolts. It can be a bit tricky to get them out with the intake manifold in the way, but it can be done. Remove the bolts and jam a prybar or large screw driver between the flexplate and torque converter and push the torque converter back towards the transmission.

 

Once the engine and trans are separated bolt a box end wrench to one of the bell housing bolt holes on the trans so it will hold the torque converter in the trans while you remove the trans from the car.

 

The alignment dowels on these can get rusted/corroded stuck and make it a pita to get the bell housings separated. Just get a screw driver between the engine and trans somewhere and work your way around to pry them apart.

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Pull the motor. makes trans removal easier. Make sure the torque converter stays withthe trans. You have the opportunity to take care of the rear breather plate if you remove the motor.

 

If you remove the motor, you will have wiggle room to remove the axles without having to disassemble the control arm or ball joints

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Thanks for the tips. I know what you mean about the TC bolts. Not much room at all. Cant see how I am going to get them back on without droping when I put other trans in. Everything unbolted and just about ready to come out. Might mark 2 piece drive shaft so not unbalanced. Glad to know TC has to come out with trans cause I was about going to try to take it down with TC still bolted. Antmore tips ??? thanks

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I used the littlest sockets and put a piece of masking tape in the socket to jam the bolt in. Rip off a 1 inch piece of tape. Lay it over the socket opening sticky side down and push it in with the bolt head. Am I explaining this clearly? Holds the bolt in the socket.

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Pull the motor. makes trans removal easier. Make sure the torque converter stays withthe trans. You have the opportunity to take care of the rear breather plate if you remove the motor.

 

If you remove the motor, you will have wiggle room to remove the axles without having to disassemble the control arm or ball joints

 

Not good advice. No reason at all to pull the engine. You don't need to do anything at all with the suspension to pull the trans. Just drive out the axle pins and take one axle off at a time as you slide the trans back. Once it's clear of the engine you can move it to one side enough to get the axle off. You can get at the separator plate with the trans out just fine. Use a straight, not angled, 12mm box end wrench for the torque converter bolts. I put the bolts back in by hand it's not a big deal. But if you are nervous about dropping them, just stuff a rag down there before trying to put them back in.

Edited by subaru360
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All I've heard about TQ bolts is that they're really hard, blah, blah. They weren't nearly as bad as I was expecting. Just did this last week, I could easily fit a ratcheting box end wrench in there and pull them out.

Getting the first one back in is a little difficult to get the holes lined up, but once you get the first one, the rest are easy.

 

When I pulled the engine the flex plate and TQ were a little stuck together ... Pulled the TQ about an inch out before I realized what was happening, scared the crap out of me. But I just lifted on it a little and turned it right back into place. Fairtax4me's advise about prying them apart first is an awesome good advise!!

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Not good advice. No reason at all to pull the engine. You don't need to do anything at all with the suspension to pull the trans. Just drive out the axle pins and take one axle off at a time as you slide the trans back. Once it's clear of the engine you can move it to one side enough to get the axle off. You can get at the separator plate with the trans out just fine. Use a straight, not angled, 12mm box end wrench for the torque converter bolts. I put the bolts back in by hand it's not a big deal. But if you are nervous about dropping them, just stuff a rag down there before trying to put them back in.

 

This is good advice, if you want to do work on the engine on a stand.

 

Iprefer to have the room to install the trans form above the car, instead of my back under the car.

 

pull the trans up n to the crossmember, bolt up the rear of it, install the axles, drop in the motor. too easy.

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...

When I pulled the engine the flex plate and TQ were a little stuck together ... Pulled the TQ about an inch out before I realized what was happening, scared the crap out of me. But I just lifted on it a little and turned it right back into place. Fairtax4me's advise about prying them apart first is an awesome good advise!!

Be VERY careful when you put things back together. Just because it looks like the TQ went back in place doesn't meant that it really did. The seating is complicated (seating on 3??? different spline sets), and often will leave the TQ 1/4-1/2 inch too far forward. This will cause a gap between the engine and tranny which many people try to pull together with the attaching bolts, breaking (typically) the fluid pump in the tranny.

 

One thing that I think might work well is to temporarily reattach the starter and ensure that its drive gear is just missing the teeth of the TQ starter-ring's teeth. Any significant gap means that the TQ is not seated fully.

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When the engine and transmission are mated, there should be a gap between the flex plate and the torque converter. If there isn't, you did it wrong. If they contact before the engine and tranny are mated, you did it wrong. It's about that simple...

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