Looking for advice from anyone who’s “been there, done that”…..

I want to remove my transmission in order to service the clutch. Is it possible to lower the gear housing just enough to A) loosen and remove the four shifter lever attaching screws, and B) to disconnect the shifter assembly from the trans and leave it attached to the tunnel mounted shifter boot?

Having removed the shifter plate from the top of the console, I see that the console needs to come out to gain access to some of the shifter boot screws. I REALLY don’t want to mess with the interior trim if I can avoid it.

I have a transmission support that will allow me to lower the housing to any height needed.

I’ll take anyone’s insights and experiences. Thanks!

 

I did just that a number of years ago. That said, I don't recall much about reassembly.

JamesC

 

Sorry brotha, you've got to have access from the TOP to get those out unless you are Stretch Armstrong with super flexible arms...

 

It's really not that hard to remove just the upper center console....
Unbolt the stock boot, and it makes the trans removal so much easier than trying to dick around from under the car.
You won't get the trans out without removing the stock shifter as it's just really too long to clear the tunnel/opening to slide it back. Make sure you drain the trans too prior to removing the drive shaft. That t5 only weighs like 80lbs lol. Much lighter than my t56 :O

 

youre gonna have to drop the t5, its not that hard remove the torx screws on the console top, remove the 10 mm bolts in the bottom of the center console box, then remove the 2 10mm's holding the console down, once you remove the shifter plate youll see them, remove the 10mm bolts around the rubber boot and remove, then 4 14mm(i think) bolts and remove the shifter. drop the torque arm, crossmember, and the wires attatched to the trans, the slave (just tuck it all off to the side) use a long extension and a knuckle to access the top bolts, and remove them, remove the 4 (2 on each side) of the bellhousing. i just did my clutch the other day have someone under there with you, put your legs under the tail shaft, both of you grab the bell, slide back and rotate it counterclockwise (assuming your head is by the motor and your feet towards the back) and itll slip out

when you go to put it back in you will need to take a jack and a block of wood, place the wood on the balancer and jack it up slowly to tilt the motor back, if you dont putting it back in is a HUGE PITA

ohand dont forget to drain it before you drop it, that gets messy quick.

 

I ended up taking the console out and removing the shifter assy from the top. When you remove the cross member, the trans will tip back (and with it a gush of fluid!), but since I already had the shifter out, I didn’t think to check to see how much room I would’ve had (apparently, James C was able to pull it off if he did it that way). As you know, the only way to lower it more is to first slide it back to free the input shaft from the bearing.

Did you snap any cross member bolts? I snapped 2 of 4 (see my other thread). Apparently those are self tapping screws/holes from the factory, so the fit is pretty darn snug to begin with. I used a breaker bar and tried to gently rock each bolt to loosen the rust, but despite the extra care I snapped 2 of them.

The biggest PITA so far was the upper Trans to Bell housing bolts. I don’t have all varieties of tools or a pneumatic impact, so I had to wing it with multiple extensions, a swivel and a breaker bar to break the bolts free. It worked, and surprisingly didn’t spill any blood!

The next hurdle I encountered is one of the bell housing to engine bolts. I can’t get a 3/8” drive M14 attached to swivel in there. It’s the one that’s 2nd one up from the bottom on driver’s side. How did you remove that one? Did you tip engine slightly forward or back, or use a M14 swivel (socket built in)?

Two other questions:
1. Not sure I follow the PITA installation issue you mention (though I’m sure I’ll know soon enough!). Is this about trying to get the bell housing back on, or installing the complete trans with bell housing already attached?
2. Did you have to use the special tool J-33169 (or equivalent) during clutch removal? This is mentioned in the 1988 GM Camaro Shop Manual.

Thanks

 

I think I was using SAE but I used a couple extensions a knuckle and a socket like you did, worked pretty well, as for the gm tool idk what it is but I made it by without it lol
I installed the trans with the bellhousig attatched, easier than trying to align the throwout vestiges and the clutch fork through the small hole, either way you'll need to tilt the motor back, without the weight of the trans it dips forward, I'm sure you noticed when you pulled it out it wad kinda hard then loosened up really quick, we almost dropped mine on my buddy but I caught it with my legs and have some sweet bruising from it, if you tilt the motor back it gives you more play room, when you put it back in with the bellhousig on just put it in sideways then rotate it clockwise and it goes in perfectly make sure to grease your pivot points on the clotch fork and the shaft and situated the throwout bearing on there properly before hand

 

With my T56 I could only do it by removing the trans, then removing the bellhousing, then removing the clutch.

I didnt use a single u-joint or swivel, though. I found that with a long enough extension I could get to all the trans bolts. And this is a LONG extension I have, probably 8-10 inches or so, plus I have several 3 inch extensions I could pile on in addition. Those actually have enough wiggle in them that they give you a little extra room. And then it was just a matter of getting the right length extension to get to the bellhousing bolts. But I tilted the engine down so that I would have more room to get to them at that point.

 

you can remove/install the shifter bolts from the bottom if you lower the back of the trans. It takes some time but not as much as removing/installing the top plate.
I only do it for a complete trans removal and not a shifter swap which I do from the top.

 

What? I did it again (100th time) two days ago. Drop the cross member, lower tailshaft, and undid the 4 13MM head bolts with the air ratchet.

-- Joe

 

Quoted for truth.

Now granted, since i have nearly all of the unessential crap out of my engine bay its super easy for me to get them from the top, but on a stock car they are just as accessible from the bottom using uber length extensions.

A ball swivel socket might make life easier but I've done it without one.

 

Well he was asking about the shifter, but the rest of the bolts are all just as easy with an extension. Once I put the car on the lift, I don't lower it back down until the job is done. It's usually 45 minutes from driveshaft to flywheel, taking my time.

-- Joe

 

My bad.