My tranny is slipping and is in need of rebuild. As I see it I have 3 choices.

1. Take the car to a tranny shop and let them do everything.
2. Drop the tranny in my garage, and take just the tranny to them.
3. Purchase a rebuilt tranny and swap it in my garage...

I think #2 is my option, unless someone else has a better suggestion. With that said, how hard is it to pull the tranny with the car up on jackstands?? Do I need to tilt the engine or anything?? Oh, yea, it is a 700r4.

Thanks for any info or tips...

 

It's not hard, but it will be a little eye opening for the first time around. I'd say find a Chilton's or Motor shop manual (I don't like Haynes) get the car as high as you can since you'll be under it for awhile, and use a tranny jack. (buy a cheap Taiwanner or rent one). The trans can be a little unwieldly and you don't want it to fall on you. Make sure you unbolt the converter so it comes out with the trans, and make sure it's all of the way on the input shaft when you re-install it.

 

take number 3 option

its not that hard...its really not...done it quite a few times just get a rebuilt one from kragen with a new rebuild converter too

ill give you my phone number if you need help

youll end up saving a butt load of money... to be used for better things ill give you detailed instructions also if youd like

 

Go with #2 or #3

It's not hard to pull the tranny..

Put car on 4 ramps or jackstands

Unbolt the 3 converter to flexplate bolts
unbolt both tranny cooler lines
Take torqur arm off trans and let it go up against the car floor
unbolt the 4 rear U Joint bolts at the rear (7/16"), and pull driveshaft out
Take TV cable off your engine
Put a small jack with a board on it under the engine (once tranny is removed engine will tilt down so the jack is to keep that from happening)
Take shift cable off trans
take dipstick and tube off/out of trans
Take tap off the single stud trans mount. (15mm)
Put a floor jack with board on it, under trans.
Unbolt the 6 trans to engine bolts (9/16")
Unbolt the 4 crossmember bolts, and take crossmember out
Now let the jack under trans down slow.

When it's all the way down just pull out. If car aint up real high you may need to tilt trans tail up, front down to get it out from under the car (door)

 

Using a tranny jack is a good piece of advice. After years of fighting with transmissions I finally broke down and bought myself one. They are only about $200 at Harbor Freight. You can also rent one cheaply. Trying to drop the trans down using a floor jack will almost certainly end in disaster. I've done it too many times.

 

harbor freight has an adaptor that goes on to a floor jack for $50.00. that is what i used to hold the transmission.

 

They were out of stock on those the day I went and bought mine! The nearest store is about an hour away, so I wasn't going back empty handed, and I needed to get the trans in my truck done. The dedicated tranny jack has a better mechanism for pumping up the jack though. It swivels, so you can adjust the height while under the car, which makes the job go a lot quciker. Plus the base is a lot wider than a normal floor jack. One of the scariest things about using a floor jack is worrying the they are going to tip over or kick out with several hundred pounds of trans on them. If you're only going to do one trans in your lifetime then rent or get the adapter (probably about the saem price in truth). If you're like me and do several transmissions a year then the jack will pay for itself over time.

 

Anyone ever buy from these guys?? Any good or bad things to say??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33727
Or
http://www.phoenixhardparts.com/index.asp

 

dont know about them but i did buy one of these. excellent tranny.

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/cata...SUBCAT&CATID=B

 

also jump in and say it's not that hard to do a basic rebuild on that trans. there is plenty of info avaiable on the 700 . the hardest part would be diagnosing what's wrong if you don't know what to look for. i woulnd't ever take a trans to a trans repair shop unless i KNEW for a fact that they were reputable. there are also alot of easy cheap mods to do while in there like valve body mods , corvette servo. quality clutches and bands. there are books and video's on how to do a performance rebuild. those trans are dirt cheap. give it a shot! if you can't afford the down time get a used trans to drop in and rebuld yours to install later. good luck.

 

Thanks for the info.. I have had a couple of referrals locally, but I am just not sold on either of them, real shall shops, probably could do a decent job, but I am in this for the long haul, so I think I am going to get one from a company that specializes in trannies and complete rebuilds..

I will probably end up gettin one already done, then not returning mine for core charge, sine it will cost clost to what I pay for shipping it back, as I would get back for the core, then I could play with it...

Bowtieoverdrives.com looks to have the edge right now... Just have to come up with some scratch...

 

Don't forget step one. Remove tranny oil pan and drain fluid. It sucks royally when you take the line off the radiator and have trans fluid shooting out and the only thing you can do is stick your finger on the end.

 

yep, good one! or when it starts to pour out the tail shaft when you tip the trans.

 

I found out the hard way when I got a hole in my radiator and had to take it out to get repaired.. Pulled the tranny cooling lines and stuff was all over the place... Fortunately, I had a kitty litter pan handy just in case!!!

Live and Learn, that's my motto.

Thanks for the suggestions... I think I am going to go with the Bow Tie Overdrives. I sent them an email to ask, but have not heard back, do their prices include a core charge or not and what is the core charge??

Thanks.

 

they do not charge a core. i recieved my transmission and all misc. parts in less than a week. they give you step by step instructions. i switched from a 5 speed to that and didnt have any problems. i have worked with manuals for 20 yrs but this was my first auto. make sure you get a pressure gauge if you dont have one. it is $30.00 but you will know for sure that everything is right.

 

Just thought I would update, in case anyone reads this in the future...

I ended up using: http://maddog-transmissions.com He was within driving distance of my house, a lot cheaper, and actually answered my emails, unlike the bowtie overdrives guys... Although I did buy their trick cooling lines...

If you are doing this in the garage with jackstands, and unless you can get the car WWAAAAYYYY up in the air (IE past the range of most ordinary 3 ton jacks. Don't bother with a tranny jack adapter, won't fit. Just use a board, I used 3/4" plywood under the tranny pan and the same under the oil pan of the engine to keep it level when I took the tranny out...

Now to get the tranny back in, slide it on the grage floor under the car, then get a long peice of 3/4 plywood... With the jack all the way down and at the back of the car, with one end of the plywood on top of the jack and the other end under the tranny (think teeter-totter). Now you need 2 people, one to hold the tranny in place, while you slide the jack under the board until the jack sits under the tranny.. Then cut off all the wood you don't need.... Then jack it up and bolt it in..

Good luck with yours.......

 

The last few trannies I installed I did something simular. Used a 8ft long piece of 3/4" plywood as wide as the pan across the car sticking out under the doors on each side. Used blocks under the plywood on each side to get it up high enough to get the jack under it. Then spun the plywood so it was lenghtways with the car while holding the tranny. No problems at all.

I did this all alone.

I don't know why anyone would need a tranny jack unless you are using a hoist. Floor jack and a piece of wood is perfect.

 

I want to take out the 700r4 to put in a T5.
How high do you guys get the car?
I can build a ramp with some 8 x 8 just have to angle cut
to drive up on it. That would give me around 1 1/2ft clearance.
Is that enuff?

I only weigh around 160 so that tranny weighs about
same as me I think?

 

I don't know what the dimensions are of the T5, but I got my car 18" up off the floor to frame rail. It was a tight fit to work under there.. I would go 2 feet if possible, but 18 could work if you don't mind working in tight spaces.