Ok, I'm going to need a new trans soon... I'm thinking of just going junkyard to an 89+ thirdgen and pulling it, and swapping it into mine... I will check the condition of the fluid out of the junk-yard tranny of course...

My question is, for someone who has never done this before, how hard is it going to be to get the trans out, and put it in? Once the trans is out, is there any mild rebuilding I can do myself with only basic tools to help lengthen the life of the tranny? Could I do a shiftkit myself?

Could someone break this all down for me, I'd really appreciate it. I need a new trans but have no money... I won't be able to afford a rebuild for another 3-4 months, I'm not sure it'll last that long not to mention that's half my college money...

------------------
1985 Camaro SC - 2.8L, auto.

C'mon, spin 'em for papa...
http://www.xenodrgn.f2s.com/Frontright.jpg

 

If you have to ask I wouldnt attempt ANY rebuilding. You have to know at least a little about autos to install a shift kit. I woudlnt attempt to install an auto by myself unless I was doing it on a lift with a tranny jack.

The biggest bitch will probably be the torque arm mount bolts and possibly the bellhousing bolts. I think there's a little more clearance on V6s though. I'd get a buddy to help you though. Taking it out will be easier but getting back in and having to align it just NOT gonna work with you laying on the ground and maybe 1 foot and half of clearance. Good luck.

------------------
1991 Z28 5.7 TPI

ZZ4 heads, ZZ4 cam, Harland Sharp roller rockers, Accel base, SLP siamesed runners, 52MM SLP Throttle Body, Hooker Headers, Flowmaster catback, MSD6A ignition, Home made ramair system, aluminum driveshaft, WC 5-speed etc

 

It's not fun, but it's not all that bad either. I even managed to get it done once using a cheap leaky floor jack, and a pair of scissor jacks instead of a proper transmission jack.

 

I wouldn't try it by yourself. You will need a helper and some patience. Before you put that tranny in install a vette servo and/or a .5 boost valve. Both are easy when the tranny is out and will give you some nice hard shifts.



------------------
350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, currant red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro

 

Yes, a helper or two was planned on...

Can someone give me a how-to or a write up on how to do this? What exactly has to be undone/loosened... I'd like to keep painful cursing episodes at a minimum here (but I understand they're gunna happen).

"transmission jack" Huh? Like I said... a floor jack (possibly two), the spare jack that comes with the car, and _possibly_ some ramps is it...

I'm going into this knowing it's gunna be a bitch, but with some help from you guys I'm hoping it'll be easier...

_ANY_ info you can post will be greatly appreciated!!! (and any detail as well... torque arm bolts? :shrug: )

 

its really not to bad.
The worst part is putting it back in...I had to wrestle with mine quite a bit, but I managed to do it by myself with 2 jackstands 1 jack, and a small peace of plywood.

So here is what you need to do:

Jack the front of the car up as high as your jack stands will reach. Put them under each side of the car.
To get to the top 2 bellhousing bolts, you will need to actually sit in the engine bay, so get in there, and wrench them out...yes, they are hard to get to, and they will most likely be rusted into place, but just be persistent.
go underneath the car to get the rest of the bolts out, the middle ones are a bitch.
next you need to take off the torqe arm, its not to bad, just a few bolts on the back of the tranny, I *think* you need to drop the exaust...when I did it, I had no exaust cuz I just put an engine in it. But if it had exaust, I imagine it would have to be removed.
Ok, now remove the torque converter dust shield(if so equipped) and remove the 3 torque converter to flywheel bolts, you will need to turn the engine either by hand or with the starter to accsess all 3.
OK, now your ready.
Put your jack under the tranny with your peace of plywood on it, bring it up to the tranny.
remove the bolt that holds the mount to the back of the tranny.
jack the tranny up an inch or so.
Remove the crossmember.
drop the tranny out.

When u re-install, be sure to use locktite red on the torqe converter bolts.
The hardest part will be wrestling the tranny onto the jack, I did it while I was underneath the car.....took about 2 hours of trying and straining and swearing.

 

Wow, thanks Josh... and welcome to the boards!

One question about the two top bellhousing bolts... Do I sit -on- the engine? Or just in the bay? Which way do the bolts face? accessable from the front or back (front makes sens, but I thought it would be from the back)....

Oh yeah, and are there any cables that need to come off? I can turn wrenches, but getting the cables back in the right spots is going to be impossible for me... especially if they are hard to hook up...

How do you adjust the TV once the new tranny is back in? Won't it be off? Or no?

Thanks guys... this is gunna s*ck, but it'll save me money...

 

the bolts go from the back of the car to the front of the car. ---* like that.

forgot to mention you will need to drop the starter, and remove the dipstick tube as well, which is only 1 bolt.

the only cable that comes off is the tv/pressure cable, unbolt it from the carburator it is a lot easier that way.

To adjust it I would say take it to a trans shop and let them do it, the 700r4 is very sensitive to adjustments and if it is only a bit off, it can screw it up.

 

I would certainly not recommend doing this with just a floor jack - even with a couple of friends. You can rent a transmission jack for $15-20, worth every penny (even on a college budget).

With a floor jack, you're going to spend a bunch of muscle just keeping the thing on the jack, and more to tilt it at the right angle. The tranny jack does both of these for you, and will allow the tranny to go down closer to the floor - a big deal when you have to raise the car another foot to get the bellhousing to clear the frame, and the transmission is already sitting on your floor jack.

------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4 (restalled TC). Ported World 305 heads, Crane PowerMax cam. ZZ4 intake, oil pump, pan & baffle. Accel HEI SuperCoil & module. Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback w/dual-opposite Flowmaster. 2.93 limited slip, Spohn SFCs. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily year-round driver. Best ET, speed TBD...
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7:1 forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 700 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

I swapped my 2.8's 700r4 out, and put a rebuilt one in. I had the car on 4 jackstands, and used my hydraulic jack with a home-made trans adapter to take the trans down. The trans adapter looked like an "L" rotated 90 degrees to the left. The larger, flat part went between the jack and the trans pan. The smaller, raised part contacted the bellhousing right "in front of" the pan.

2 years later, when I did the 2.8/2.8 swap for a friend, I actually wrote down how we removed all the trans bellhousing bolts. Visit that message here (on the V6 board): https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/001226.html

For the 2.8, you don't need to remove the starter. The only external connections you undo (as was said before) are the two trans cooler lines, the TCC connector, speedometer cable, and TV cable.

I wouldn't bother with a rebuild. ([edit] That is, if the trans is 89-up!!!) Make sure the trans you pull has reddish fluid, and you'll be good. Make sure you take the junkyard donor car's torque convertor! If your trans is dying, your existing torque convertor will be filled with metal filings- the convertor would need to be cut open to have those removed.

You'll also have to flush your trans cooler lines out... they could have metal inside.

When you seat the new torque convertor, remember that there's an extra set of splines in there (since it's a lockup convertor). If, when you put the transmission up to the engine, you find that the torque convertor is MASHED SOLID against the flywheel, you didn't seat the TC all the way. When the TC is properly seated, and when the trans is touching the engine, the TC should be able to slide towards/away from the flywheel about an inch or so. (The TC slides on the trans input shaft). You can see this for yourself as soon as you remove your current tranny's TC-to-flywheel bolts. Slide the TC back and forth along the tranny's input shaft, towards the flywheel, and backwards towards the engine- it's fun.

I followed the Haynes 82-92 manual for my trans swap.

One thing you could add is a polyurethane torque arm mount. I put one on when I did my trans swap, and WOW, what an improvement it made in handling! You've gotta take the torque arm mount off anyway; might as well improve it for $25.


------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

[This message has been edited by TomP (edited November 13, 2001).]

 

you can get all the bolts out from the bottom side of the car if you have some long extensions...after you take the cross member out you can reach the top 2 bolts....

 

Thanks guys! You've been a wonderful help. I'll be takleing this probably after the winter snows... Our local yard just had a pull-a-thon an ditched their entire lot, it'll be a while before they have a good selection of thirdgens to choose from. And by the time I have money to buy it, it'll be snowin anyway...

Fun stuff. Again, I thank you!