89iroc5.7tpi700r4. I've done a motor swap on a v6 without pulling the tranny.Now I want to swap out tranny's in my iroc.I've read the manuel on removing the tranny.It said to remove the bolt that holds the dipstick in and remove the stick out of the tranny. What kind of tool is supposed to get to this bolt with all the stuff that is in the way from the top and no room from the bottom to get my hands and wrenches in there.I've got the car 10 inches off the ground but gota lay on the ground to work.should I just go ahead and take the drive shaft off and torque arm off and lower the tranny a little to give room from underneth.looks like doing that with a very long extenchen might do it.I've tryed every cheep tool I got.About 4 hours and other than the hood being off I've goten no where! can you guys give me anything? Thanks

 

best way is lower rear of trans. i just did this 4 hours ago for the 27th time in 8 yrs. lol. remove the torque arm and driveshaft. be careful, the car can roll when you disconnect. make sure all 4 wheels are off the ground. make sure the rear can drop, meaning have the stands under the "frame" of the rear. i like the rear control arm mounting area to use. try to have around 2 feet of extensions. i have a 3 foot half inch drive just for my swaps. good luck and be careful

 

thankyou for your reply. I built a 10 inch high ramp that my car is on.It is level. It runs the full lenth of the car and then some. I have enuff clearence for the tranny's bellhousing to clear slidding it out.Not high enuff for the dip stick tube. I've put stop blocks in front and behind the front tires.I can also set the parking break. Why do all four wheels have to be off the ground.You talking for tranny clearence?I have 49 inches wide area under the car.the car is not jacked up at all and there should be enuff room to get the tranny out once disconected from the motor.All I have to do is slowly drop the back of the tranny down and tword the rear of the car right?I hope I can do this in 4 hours.I've had this car almost a year and fixing stuff while looking for a tranny.I want to drive this car buy mid week.wish me luck again.thanks again!

 

you should be able to get it with a long extension once the trans. crossmember is off.

 

the only reasoning behind the rear being able to drop is to remove the torque arm bolts. thats all. i had my jackstands holding up the rear from the differential and i couldn't get the bolts to come free cause they kept hitting the body. sounds like an awesome homemade lift to me. definitely enough room to slide it out. ill have mine done when i get a new tv cable. i had a mishap.....

 

fireburdluvr85, I went with raising the tranny a little to go from the top at the 2 top.I put a jack where the tracking bar and rearend come together and put just a little presure on it to get it off the torque bar. then disconected at the rear of the tranny by taking the side plate off the bracket with the rubber.only lossened the 2 big bolts at the back and pushed it aside.I think there's enuff room for the tranny to pass without removing the torque bar compleatly.one more top bolt to finish removing and back under the car I go.I will post back and let ya know how it's going.

 

you shouldn't have to remove the torque arm...that's just more work

 

I didn't take it off,just disconected it from the tailend of the tranny. I'm doing this tranny job by myself on my back.So I for one,have no wish to do extra stuff.Tell me,How can you remove the tranny without disconecting the torque arm,that runs from tailshaft mount to rear end.I've got the tranny out on the ground.Gota figure how i'm going to get the other one in.If it gose like the motor swap I did on the firebird it will take half as long to put it back in.

 

I just had mine out a couple of weeks ago and can tell you if you don't have a short transmission jack, you better have arms bigger than Arnold. I also used a swivel joint on my 3' long extentions with a small magnet (in the sockets) to hold the bolts in the sockets. You could also use black tape to hold the bolts in to get them started. Good luck.

 

oh yea, electrical tape definitely helps out. i have just always found it easier to get the damn thing out of my way { torque arm }. it also, to me, makes it easier to put back up. when the trans comes out if using a jack it doesn't just drop straight down, it has to go backward. ive never been able to get the torque arm unhooked from the tail shaft housing without first removing it from the dif. and i know how yah feel doing it by yourself. i have just done a trans swap for the 6th time by myself. seems helpers don't wanna show up but there quick to call when there in a pickle. anyhow, you may be able to get the top bolts from on top if you have a ratcheting flex head gear wrench. lift the back of the trans up till it wont go no more then climb on top of the engine. that's how i get the 2 top ones on mine.

 

i meant taking the torque arm all the way out as fireburdluvr was suggesting. you still have to disconnect it from the tranny.

 

I got it back in.I was able to get the pass side in with my hand fron underneath.And went with the long exstechen and swivel.my tv cable wont reach the braket for hook up.I didn't mesure them.they looked to be the same.I've got a tread asking about the difference between tbi and tpi tv cables.OH YES,always install the torque arm braket on the tailshaft before you bolt the tranny to the motor.Live and learn hey guys?Few things left to hook up and were ready tor tranny fluid.Then the test drive.I hope this tv cable thing dosn't turn into a night mare!