I'm trying to help my buddy pull his motor out of his '91 Firebird Formula 5-speed since he totaled it. We ran into a snag with the tranny bolts today. I just couldn't get them off for the life of me! I've never messed worth this car as most of my experience is in working on the Z32 model Nissan 300ZX. Anybody have any tips (extension combos, etc) on how to get those bolts out?

 

Some members have mentioned pulling the tranny with the motor. Do a search. It may easier to get at the bolts outside of the engine bay.

 

Are you talking about the bolt from the transmission to the bellhousing? I'm assuming it's a T5 since you mention 5speed.


If it is those four bolts, the bottom two bolts shouldn't be too difficult to get a good socket around and use a breaker bar to break free. I forgot the size socket, but make sure it fits perfectly. You don't want to have a little bigger socket and risk rounding off the bolt, then it would be an even bigger pain to get out.

The top two bolts are definitely a little more difficult to get to, but I didn't have too much trouble getting mine down with the right tools. What I used for the top passenger side bolt was a 3/8" long extension connected to a shorter extension. The end of the extension had a star socket bit on it. If the bolts are original, I believe they should have a star shaped cutout (mine) in the middle so you can "unscrew" them instead of fitting a socket (because there isn't much room for a socket to fit around them.)

I again forgot what size they were exactly, but they are a pretty large size star bit. With the two extensions and the socket bit, you should be able to have enough room to have some decent leverage to break the bolt free. The drivers side should also use the same star bit, but it has much more room so you might not need the extensions.


Otherwise, if you are going to be taking the engine out and have access to the equipment to pull it, it may be easier going that route. I myself don't have an engine hoist so I have never been able to pull an engine, so I can't tell what the work involved in that route may be.

 

If pulling the engine, pull both together, much easier and faster.

Remove driveshaft, torque arm, shifter, clutch hyd. system, wires, trans crossmember

All the stuff to remove for engine removal and pull them both out together

 

I was trying to get at the bolts above (and directly to the sides of) the bell housing where it connects to the block. It sounds like it may just be easier to pull it together based on what you all are saying. I suppose I'll see if I can get those rusted exhaust bolts disconnected from the manifold. Time for the PB Blaster.

I do have a concern about the cherry picker though. That noise is crazy long. Even fully extended, the arm barely cleared my 300ZX bumper to reach to my engine. Anybody else ever have any issues with this or will it be fine?

 

Ahh those bolts were kinda annoying too. I think I used a 14 or 15mm ratchet-able wrench on one, and then I had a elbow extension for my 3/8s in drive for another.

If you have the cherry picker or something, taking them both out together is probably the way to go.

 

If you have a short boom cherry picker that just won't reach from the front, you can slide the picker in from the side... Remove a tire, or go around the tire and go from the side

I bought a longer boom hoist because of that years ago. Before then I had a shorter boom one and was able to pull some from front and others from side.

At one point I even welded to my short boom to make it longer before buying the new hoist.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...icture-134.jpg

 

I pulled the nose off when I pulled the motor. May not have been the best way to go but it worked fine for me. Not too difficult to do either

 

Have also seen threads of members who lift the chassis and take the motor and tranny out the bottom. Search.