305iroc88

I want to buy a 85 trans am with a blown tranny for $650 is it possible for someone with no experience working on cars at all to remove the bad tranny and install a new one without screwing it up? and what tools are needed? Im only 16 so im really on a budget and my parents dont help at all(they think this is just a phase im going through and im trying to prove them wrong but they dont support me at all in this)so any info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I havent bought the car yet but I want to be sure I can afford to buy it and get it running again and not have it just sitting in front of my house rusting.

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

your parents are probable right lol but the answer is yes u can do it urself, the only thing u might have trouble is getting the torque converter in but there's a lot of info online about tranny installs and the 700r is really easy to install.

89rs305-DP

If your determined and willing its possibe. Theres TONS of info online, especially on this forum. Im 17 and ive done all the work on my car. It was barely running when i bought it and now its my daily driver and i drag race it lol. Ill be doing a engine and tranny swap this winter. I didnt know much at all about working on cars before i bought my 3rd gen. I guess it just depends on how much time you have and if you have tools and a space to work. A job helps too. I have 3... lol. I say, if the engine is good and the car is not all rusted out- go for it.

305iroc88

What tools will I need?

Gumby

Making sure the torque convertor is in right is the biggest job, check, double check, triple check, one more time, once again, 3 more for fun, and then once again...........

The tranny is one heavy beast, down is easy, up can be hard.

I did mine alone and what helpped was using ratchet straps to help get it in the air and in place and using some long bolts with the heads cut off as guide pins till a bolt could get started.

SiCkRs

iTrader: (6)

You could do it I did it with the a help a friend just make sure you get a tranny Jack if not the tranny could slip on you just like it did with us so we just bought an adapter and after that it was simple also your gonna need some long extensions for the bolts on top ofthr housing.

cIaRmOaCrZo

doing a tranny in our cars isnt too bad, but when you say you have no mechanical experience what so ever kinda has me questioning it being done. according to ALLDATA its a 4 or 5 hour job to remove and replace an automatic. iv pulled mine out by myself 4 times at work due to trying out a few differant torque converters lol. but the first time took the full 4.5 hours. and my last time was 1.5 hours all the way around (but i found a comfortable groove by then lol)

also i was using a lift, and high rise tranny jack, ect.. but iv done the same tranny swap on my buddys iroc too, but we had to do it on the ground. and its deff a little more difficult. you pretty much have to have the car jacked up on jack stands at kinda of an "unsafe" height. at least high enough to get the tranny to slide under the car and up on a jack.

the part that usually takes time is fiddeling with the torque arm. you have to have a jack on the rear end to adjust the angle. and BE SURE that ALL of your wiring harnesses are clear from the belhousing to engine. (the first time i pinched the main harness between the engine and tranny bellhousing and shorted the ecm circuit, thank god its fused) and it could cause alignment issues as well with the crank pilot on the torque converter.

so take your time, and prove your parents wrong

305iroc88

@claRmOaCrZo could i get all the jacks at autozone? and how much do the cost?

305iroc88

@JR350TPI probably dumb question but what are extensions and what exactly is the housing?

305iroc88

@Gumby what are ratchet straps and wher can I get them?

Dmans85

Your jack stands you might get for 20-40. I'm not sure if regular ones typical from stores will be high enough. A good jack that will get you the height you need will run higher if new. You'll need two of them at least.
ratchet straps are the 4 in wide cloth type you see people using when holding stuff steady in pickup trucks like motorcycles.
The bellhousing is a bell looking cicular piece of metal that holds your toque convertor or clutch and it attaches closest to the engine.
Extensions are referring to a long rod attached to your ratchet to get to those hard to reach places.
Check out one of the rebuild threads iin the sticky section here on thirdgen. The t56 one has a lot of good pictures that can give you a better idea how yours has to be done (except different trans). Maybe check your library and see if they have a Chilton book in the Automotive section for our vehicles.

SiCkRs

iTrader: (6)

Extensions are for the rachets tools, and the bellhousing is the top of the tranny were it looks kinda like a circle.