Replacing my tranny and was curious if I could do it with the motor in the car? I need to pull the motor but wouild like to check this spare tranny before I pull the motor.

Tranny installation with the motor in the car is a couple hour event.
It's much simpler than removing the entire drivetrain.

It depends on your experience. I dropped the motor and tranny seperate from one another simply because it was my first time doing it, I was doing it by myself, and I wasn't about to royally f*ck anything up.

If you're going to split them, make sure you place a block of wood or a jackstand or something under the motor to support its weight, otherwise you'll twist the mounting bar and mounts... or at least that's what I thought would happen, so I did it just to be on the safe side.

I put a block at rear of the engine near the trans. I put the block low enough to lower the tail of the trans for extraction. Much easier with the trans on an incline. Don't forget the trans ground strap, reverse switch wires, you know the rest.

remove cv joints, tranny ground strap and muffler.
I use a scissor jack under the motor and then remove all but the top passenger side bolt.

Lower the motor/tranny and remove the bolt.
The hard part is the tranny weighs 75 lbs and its front heavy.
I use a seat cushion from a couch and a piece of plywood and pull fast and hard...it only drops an inch or so..

I do find it easier to pull the motor and tranny, and I will never pull just the tranny again...no point.
There are way to many things to do "while I am here" that I can do with the motor out...

Rich

I never drop the whole drive train. That is a PITA.

Just allow the engine to tilt a few degrees rear and towards the ground, place a wood block under the case where you see the thickened boss on the rear, and go to work. I can swap a tranny in about 1hr this way including putting the exhaust back on.

Pfft...what do you know about transmissions Mike???





oh...

p.s. mine is still working great!

Perfect - Thanks guys!

Opinions are like... well, you know. You'll get opinions both ways apparently.

It can be done. I don't like doing it. Just did it twice a couple of weeks ago. But I can't improve on the suggestions already offered.

The next time I do it with the car on the lift I will be spending all the money on a tall tranny jack.

Spending money on a tall tranny, eh?

I can build you a taller geared box, but you are on your own with the tall trannies. I guess a tall tranny could help you on a lift

That's tranny... jack.

I do need to rebuild a tranny out of two SS units and one tail shifter that I have. Stand by for DAQ's.

Edited...

I agree, about an hour for a swap. It really isn't that heavy. Try a TH350/400 and you'll see a heavy tranny. To put it back in I just set it on my chest, wheel under the car and bench press it up into place. ( Oh wait that was last time) Use a creeper for taking it out but don't use a creeper for putting it back in or else you'll move all over the place trying to get it in. Just slide under the car on a piece of cardboard (with it on your chest) and you'll be able to wiggle it enough to get it in.

His name is Mike...

Thanks... jack.