When I took down my tranny I loosened it off, put an axle stand under the engine and used my floor jack (with a plastic pail on it for extra height) to support and lower my transmission. It worked really well. Coming down was one thing but going up is always another.
So here's what I did.
I slid under the car, rolled the tranny onto my stomach and bench pressed it into place.
It worked really well and wasn't that heavy at all. In fact once I had it into place I realized that I needed to put the rear mount washers on first so I had to remove it and do it over again.
I'm not a big guy, 5'10 and 170lbs, but this was the easiest tranny install I have ever done. I wish they were all that easy.
BTW the clutch was not removed during the job so it lined up easily. I imagine that without the clutch alignment tool it could get hairy under there all by yourself.

Good work....

I did something similar this past weekend. I've heard many say you can't/shouldn't remove the tranny seperate from the engine, but it was pretty damn easy.

I left the engine mount bar attached (but loosened) and put a jack stand under the back of the engine. I then use a jack to hold the tranny for removal and for installation. It was not bad at all.

Have you seen the 911 story on the history channel. They show some video clips from back in the 356 days. The assembly line workers, tossed the trannies on their shins and hands and lift it in place, about the same as you did.

QUOTE (groot @ May 12 2005, 04:49 AM)

I left the engine mount bar attached (but loosened) and put a jack stand under the back of the engine.

I didn't even loosen the engine mounts. It just came off like pie.

a trans weighs what...like 50 lbs? (sans starter and axles)

QUOTE (groot @ May 12 2005, 04:49 AM)

Good work.... I did something similar this past weekend. I've heard many say you can't/shouldn't remove the tranny seperate from the engine, but it was pretty damn easy.

People who say that are idiots. The Cap'n gets REAL krusty with idiots. BTW, you don't have to loosen the engine mount bar either .............. The engine is mounted on rubber, for Pete's sake, and will swing down plenty far with the mounts attached.

The easiest install I ever did was case first, no guts. Then I put the guts in, a piece at a time. Which is how I came up with the idea of just yanking the gear stack for the tranny article.

James

When I was a bit younger...OK, a lot younger, I would rebuild a T-10 4 speed for 20 bucks + parts.....10 more if I had to R & R. ......bench press em' in & out. This guy brings in 62 Ford....big block & wants me to do his tranny....a 30 buck job.
So I get everything unbolted and give it a jerk. That's when I learnt them suckers had a iron case....liked to knocked the wind outta me not to mention all the knobby things on it pokin' holes in my chest while I was trying to get out from under the SOB. My prior time in the shipyards left me with some interesting phrasology that fit that situation.

Ya, try a Borg/Warner 3 Speed from a 1968 442 Olds! The thing was like a pony keg filled with concrete! I was lifting from under the car and my Dad had a rope through the shifter hole! I was 18 years old and just out of a body cast. I weighed 98 lbs. No shit! I thought I was going to Die!