manchesterbeast

Taking the engine out was relativly easy.

Getting it back in is proving to be a pain in the ****. I just spent the day trying to get it in and ran out of daylight.

Its an 85 trans am- 305 engine, with the bellhousing attached, im tring to get it onto the input shaft of the tranny. (trannys a T5 manual by the way)

Ive got an engine hoist and everything, the trannys being held up by a floor jack. Id be nice if i had a helper, but i dont have one. It's not imposible to do this alone is it.

Anyway if any of you guys out there that have done this before, if you could offer some tips or insight to help me out. Id really apreciate it. -Im gonna give it another shot tomorrow.

-thanks in advance.

89RsPower!

unbolt the tranny, set it on the ground, put the engine and bellhousing in first... so much easier.. can't imagine trying to do it the way your describing without someone helping line it up... shouldn't be too hard at all to do that way... those 5 speeds are pretty heavy to bench press into place though.... easier to jack it up there and shove it into place... I used 2 rolling floor jacks, one with the tranny mount bolted to it to hold it at the proper angle and then jacked them up equally till it just slid right in.. really easy to do that way.. you can line it up perfectly straight with the bolt holes and pull it in with the bolts.

doc

I would one of the following:

1) drop the tranny (get it out of the way) and install the motor, then re-install the tranny.

2) drop the tranny, attached it to the motor, and install the motor/tranny as one unit.

I dont know if this can be done with a manual tranny or not.

I install the motor/tranny as a unit, just like I take it out. I have an 700R4 auto tranny, however.

89RsPower!

if it can be done with a 700 it can be done with a t-5 the t-5 is the same length but smaller all around.. that would probably be the easiest way for you.. theres only 4 cross member bolts and a tranny mount holdin that thing in there still anyway..

manchesterbeast

OH, so i have to take the tranny out?

has anyone ever put their engine in without droping the tranny?

well if i do go ahead and drop the tranny im going to have to take a good look at the shifter linkage. Ive never delt with that before.

my spider sense is telling me that the shifter linkage will also be a pain in the ****!

1983Fbody

The shifter is easy, four bolts. You will probably lose some fluid if you drop the transmission. You might be able to get away with just taking the crossmember off the tranny and get the angle you need. given the choice its easier to put the engine/tranny in as a unit or install the motor, then the tranny.

manchesterbeast

4 bolts?

so do i get at them from inside the car? -are they under the rubber boot?
or do i access them from underneath?