Ok here is my problem. I will try to include all details to paint the picture. I know someone out here has been in my shoes, so here we go.

I have a camaro that is up on jackstands and has a new motor that has just been dropped in. There is obviously no tranny right now. I have the body leaning to one side a bit more so i can get to the tranny tunnel better. (I am trying to intall the T-56 I have.) The clutch and bellhousing are on allready. The tranny is under the car and it is on a jack, but not very stable at all because the location it is being jacked from is not flat. More like a V, so the tranny wants to rock back and forth making it hard to aim/allign.


ok well thats the jist of it. What is the best way to install this thing. I really can't get the car any higher. Do I just need a ton of buddies to come over and help or is there maybe a way to hoist the tranny through the shifter hole or somehting?

Thanks for any help.

 

2nd floor jack, or a transmission jack (rent one)

 

Yeah I have a second floor jack, But it is just so hard. I guess I just need more people to help me. I am afraid of damaging something as I install it if i is not stable.

 

you need 2 people.

use the jack on the main bottom rib like you have it... get it close with your friend keeping it balanced on the jack.

get under it so you can lift it.
hold it still while your friend does the same.
then just have you and your friend bench press it in.


its a million times easier to just lift it, and wiggle it in, then try to aim it perfectly on some holding device and slide it in... if you cant lift the trans, find a stronger friend.. lol.

with two people, its not that heavy.

 

I do my own entirely by myself with the 2 floor jacks. I use pieces of wood or whatever, to help keep it from rolling to the side.

It helps ALOT if the jacks are pointing to the front and rear, rather than to the side, of the trans.

Yes it requires a great deal of patience.

Worst thing to me, is if it falls off the jack, it's heavy enough that it will seriously crush something.... fingers, faces, wrists, etc. Not good.

 

wow thanks for all the help guys. Now I don't feel like such a jack *** for not being able to just toss it right in. I think the "bench press" idea will work. Me and my buddy are pretty stong. shouldn't be a problem. one quick runthrough though....

I have it under there on a jack now.....and the shaft is aimed forward and is close. Do I have my buddy lay down between the engine and the tranny, like right under the shaft? and then me more twords the rear? Then lift and have someone else roll the jack out of the way. Line it up and tos in a couple bolts with one hand???? I have never done anything like this, just trying to clear up any suprises..

Thanks again..

-Dennis

ps-Is it dificult for it all to line up? and when it does, is it ok to let a bit of the weight rest on the shaft as the first bolts go in? (Not even close to all the wieght just a tad while it is being held up with only 3 arms...

 

It has dowel pins, so if you get it lined up and fully inserted to the point where the case is against the bell housing, the dowel pins will be supporting it weight on the front, rather than the shaft.

DO NOT let the shaft support it; you will risk damaging the clutch disc.

 

gotcha, I know about the dowels, but I didn't know they helped with holding it up a bit. I will just do it as smoothly of possible with the most amount of weight being held by me. Thanks 4 the help guys, I will take it on tonight.

 

This is a good tip I have come up whith . The board will help too . Take an old tire tube from a bicycle and tie it around the board jack and tranny . You will still have play in the tube so tie it tight.

 

Yeah. i am going to try to slap a rubber pad under there. It is so close to getting in. Oh well I just need to find a couple friends with free time to help me.

I assume I bolt the x-member to the tranny and bolt the tranny to the bellhousing and then lift the tail and attach the member to the body, correct?

Later

-Dennis

 

leave the crossmember off for last..

when you first lift it in, if everything is lined up right, then it should go in all the way.


or atleast far enough in that the dowel pins are holding it.

then thread a few bolts in by hand so it cant fall back no matter what.

snug up the trans to the bellhousing.
once they're all snug, tighten to spec (i jsut do it by hand, but ive done it alot... i wont reccomend that online.. lol)

once the trans is installed tight to the engine, put the jack under the trans and lift it up. just a tad... now is the time its easiest to put the torque arm in its mount... otherwise that top bolt is a PITA to tighten.
also do the electrical connectors..

now lift it so its slightly higher then normally installed.

hold the crossmember up and loosely start the bolts.. dont have them tight. the trans should be just above it.

now start the trans mount to crossmember bolts.

once they're all started, then snug down the crossmember bolts to spec, set the trans down on it, and tighten the trans mount bolts.

then you just have the driveshaft and shifter.

(if you dont have the shifter off when you goto install it, take it off now... stuff a couple rags in the hole, then one over the shifter hole.. that should keep everything out of there.)

 

Nice, thatnsk for the walkthough. My install should go something like that if all goes well. I am using a spohn adj TQ arm, so that is a little different and also i am rewiring the entire car, so that is alo a bit different. But still thanks for giving me a good base. I was planning on doing pretty much what you stated above, but it is allways good to hear other people's views. Thanks for all the helpb

 

dennis if you need any help with the install just ask

 

fingers hurt but don't end up crushed in my experience.

 

I am so screwed. I had a buddy over last night to try and help. Nothing. I got under it and tried to bench press it up. No way, I couldn't even get it off my chest. (bruises, hehe) Now I am just running into a wall everynight. I don't even see how having more people would work. Please give more detailed ways of lifting. I am lost. I have plenty of other work to do, but this is my last real major hurdle. THanks

 

you tried starting with it on your chest.. thats the problem.

do like my first post... hold it on the jack so you and your friend can put your arms under it.. kinda like you're holding it over your head, but you're lying on your back.

lift it with the jack so its high enough to get some leverage over..

if i had it sitting literally on my chest, i doubt i could lift it either.. lol.

 

I did mine the easy way....installed it on the engine while it was out. then installed engine and trans at the same time...alot easier!!

 

I put my aftermarket T-56 in by myself. I just put the tranny on my chest then arched my back and "benched" it at the same time, once you get the input shaft into the bell housing it was easy from there, just manipulate it into position. I think I didnt use a jack until I had to put the bolts in the bell, i supported the rear of the case.

 

I'm 6'1" and weigh just over 130 lbs. I do mine without any help.

It's not that hard, if you use your head, and some patience.

Try 2 floor jacks, one at the front and one at the rear; pointed front to rear, not side to side.

 

First of all, let me say thanks for all the replies. Next let me tell you what my sitation is a bit better. I have 2 jacks and 4 jackstands. The tranny is now on the floor under the car. I have 2 jackstands holding up the front of the car and one jack holding the motor's rear. Is this easier with the car higher? My front jackstands are almost maxed out. I could go throught the trouble of getting it higher, but don't know if that is just going to make things worse. I know I need to put the tranny on a jack, but did you guys put the tail on the jack, the front or right at the center of gravity. Cuz I tried in the middle and it might have worked if it wasn't soooo unstable. Does wrapping it in a towel or something help out the fact that it is so odly shaped on the bottom? What did you guys do to make it not wable from side to side?


I honestly can usually think up solutions to kinds of thigs like this. I managed to lift my entire car 4 feet with just normal tools and extra stuff i found around the house.

Back to topic. I AM LOST ON THIS ONE! Mainly cuz I am scared or mesing up something. Oh well you guys have said it should be easy, so I assume I just need to find a way to keep it steady and hope that it goes in right. later

-Dennis

 

Put the car on the 4 stands.

Take the jack out from under the motor. Support the rear of the motor if necessary, with a stack of wood or something. If the car's exhaust is still in it, you probably don't need anything.

Put the 2 floor jacks under the transmission, one at the front of the trans with the handle pointing forward, the other at the rear of the trans (trans mount point works great) with the handle pointing rearward. Trans mount works great because that will help hold the trans rotated correctly (trans mount boss horizontal).

Put the trans under the car in about the place it needs to go. Roll the jacks up to it as described. Put the trans on the jacks, rear first. Jack the trans up to about the right height, at about the right angle. Roll it up to the motor. Adjust front & rear height as necessary. Plug into bell housing and crank. Install the bolts.

Piece of cake.

 

just lift in in off your chest. that's what I did. yes the t5 was easy to lift but, I did the t5 and the t56 my self. just use some muscle. I guess you both could have the trans across your chests and both lift it up and in? same thing just put the stronger guy toward the bell housing end.

 

thanks for all the help guys. I think I will be able to get it in there tomorrow.

 

GOT IT IN! Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

So, how did you do it?

 

help from a friend was def. needed and then using 2 jacks. Took forever to get the snout to line up so that it would slide in, but I used an angle finder to help with that.

2 jacks is def the way to go. one on the trans mount and then I get in the car, grabed the front through the shifter hole and was able to pull up enough to have my buddy put the other one under the front. Then SLOWLY raised it and worked it in.


Next up finishing the fule system (pics of my crazy set up in CD site) then on to the dual 3" pipes.