Thread: Out The Top or Through The Bottom

Okay, first, I have never pulled a transmission or engine in my life. All the work and modifications I have ever done on a vehicle has been with everything in the car.

However, Im have to drop the tranny out and I just cannot see doing that and not pulling the engine and just kinda going over it. Replace sensors (knock sensors for example), timing chain, do the valve train upgrades and so on. Id like to do a head swap with an L32 set up but I doubt I can find a complete set cheap enough and do what I would like to do with them in time. Though the car is off line and there is little to do other than take care of everything I can while it is, I do need to try to minimize the down time.

So, which is going to be better, pulling tranny and engine out through the top (I assume doing that I would have to take off the hood?), or pulling everything through the bottom? Keep in mind right now I have no idea how I would go about lifting the car high enough to clear the engine and tranny. My jack has a 15" lift height and thats it!

So Im looking for help, and if there are any really good step by step guides out there on how to do this, please let me know.

True, Im sure anything can be rednecked together, but I got to do this right. I need to be able to take every possible step to ensure when I put this thing back in, there are no mishaps and it fires up, leak and problem free.

If you are pulling the trans solo then it has to be removed from the bottom. This will require you to have some sort of engine support to hold the engine and trans up as you must remove the cradle from the bottom of the car. If it was my car and was going to do engine gaskets and a timing chain I would yank it form the top hands down. I can have the whole thing out in 2 hours start to finish by myself including draining all fluids. I have done this MANY times though so I would give yourself a full day to take the time and carefully look over everything and keep track of where everything goes. Yes you do need to unbolt the brake master cylinder but that is no big deal, its only two 15mm head nuts and then it moves right over and you will need a bungy cord or something to hold it out of the way. It can be tricking getting things out and putting them back in but I have done it so many times I dont even think about it. The bracket on the side of the trans likes to hang up on stuff so after I start pulling the engine/trans up with a engine lift I will unbolt the side bracket for more clearance. If the car still has stock exhaust manifolds on you dont even need to remove them, just unbolt the downpipe. You need to unbolt the PS pump and AC compressor from the front of the engine and thats about it. I prefer doing it this way for taking the whole thing out as it is quick to do and leaves the car movable, you dont need to remove the cradle from the car though you do need to pop out the axles still.

Thats kinda what I was leaning to, that it would have to come out the top. Im probably going to replace the cradle with an aluminum one so the cradle is of no concern to me since I will replace it anyway. Plus I want to change out the brake booster for a smaller Impala brake booster, so that will take care of itself as well.

So, if I understand correctly:

Remove power steering pump from block
Remove A/C system from block
Move/Remove brake booster or more specifically the master cylinder
Remove tranny side bracket
Disconnect fuel lines
I dont have an OEM exhuast, its a 3" exhaust from header collector to split but I do have stock manifolds, for now. Will I run into any issues with this?
Am I correct in assuming I'll have to remove the hood?
Disconnect upper and lower radiator hoses
Disconnect transmission fluid lines

Anything I am missing?

Okay folks, keep the ideas coming and thanks for everyones input. Im not feeling too well so Im going to hit the sack and see if I can get some sleep. But keep the ideas coming because I will be making lists of everything I need and trying to map out the steps I need to take.

Originally Posted by TurboKent

If your pulling both definitely go out the top. I've done it a couple times and it's not as intimidating as it looks. After you have everything disconnected double check before you start pulling it out.

Kent, if I do this on a day you are off or have spare time, would you be willing to come up and help out? I just want to get it out at this point but I need to get a cherry picker and then Im going to have to get something that will hold up the transmission so I can work on it and Im not sure where to get something like that at a reasonable price.

Can I use an Engine stand for the tranny? Something that will support it and spin it around so the work can be done on it?

Here is what I use..... It is a custom made trans building stand that was really made for RWD transmissions, that is why the hole is in the middle so I can stand the case straight up and the output shaft goes in the hole. For GM and Ford FWD transmissions I use it in this arrangement just as a pedistal with some blocks to keep the bellhousing area of the trans flush on my bench. Straight up and down is the best to work with, if you just try putting it together on its side at an angle it is going to be hard to get everything lined up and stay put.

How in the world do you lift those things up on there? I was going to put my spare tranny up on a work bench I have and that sucker is plain heavy.

So are you working with the transmission resting on the pan or with it sitting on the differential end?

They are around 200 lbs without the converter, I just pick them up and put them on the bench and carry them around alone. They are such an odd shape I find it easier moving them alone, but sometimes going from the gound to the bench can test your will! I always work on them standing up just like in the pic with the diff end pointing down. When I tear them apart they are all the way on the bench and I remove the diff and associated parts first then tip the trans up on an angle between the bellhousing and the diff area.

How Dave mounted that on his bench in that second picture is how I did mine, but used a jack stand to support the bottom. Worked quite nice, didn't move one bit.

As for how to yank out the tranny, I always drop the cradle and drop it out the bottom. I leave the PS rack installed, and support that form the exhaust down pipe, the rest get dropped.

To hold the engine...my dad and I invested in a tool to do the job.







Its well worth the money to have one in the area club for mod days where its needed. I don't trust the wood "self" made ones...epically working under the car putting all my faith in lumber not to break and smash my face or chest. To each is their own though.

~F~

Edit: added info for the engine holder and where to get one just like it:
Posted by me on CGP Date: 8/25/2006 12:38:17 PM

They come from A & Reds Transmission and Parts
3737 W 29th St.
Wichita, KS 67217
Phone number is (316) 942-5300

You need to ask for Roger as he handles the sales of these.

You can also email him at:
roger@areds.com

They now cost $350.25 + freight (cause the price of steel has gone up since we bought ours, but I think we paid around $200.00 - $275.00 for ours but the amount of use we give it, and how handy it is pays for itself.

~F~

Ive priced some engine supports similar to yours Farns, and quite frankly, if I didnt want to do the engine upgrades I would have been all over one in a heartbeat. I have seen pics of yours before and I nearly bought a similar one when I first started planning out the tranny build. But now it seems I would be better served pulling both and going that route.


Kent, thank you sir. It may still be another week or two before I get to yanking everything out. I still have some stuff to order from Dave and what have ya and I want to have everything here in my hand so that when I start I can get it all done without stopping for more parts or something I forgot. We'll see how that goes though.