Is is just me, or is it incredibly insanly hard to put a tranny in a second gen. I am not kidding when i say i have done about 10 tanny swaps, and every single one of them takes almost an hour to put it in. i just dont understand why it is sooooo hard. is there something i am missing? or is it really just that hard?

 

oh yeah, one thing i failed to mention, is my problem is acually getting the tranny to get into the block, i didnt mean how much of a pain it is to drop the exhaust, and the drive shaft, and yada yada yada.... i ment why is it so hard to get the tranny and the engine lined up so the tranny slips in.

 

It's all about the technique.




And some grease on the input shaft

 

I changed the tranny on my 90 n/a on a driveway with nothing but ramps to clear. What you need to do is put some lube on it, line it up with someone supporting the transmission while another is messing with the end where it connects to the driveshaft. There is no easy way to do it, just takes time and some patients.

 

well i know it takes time.... belive me, after 10 trannys, i am not new to this, just seems harder then it needs to be, and yes i do put lube on the input shaft. i have had it take as little as 15-20 minutes, and some stubburn cars i have had take around and hour or two.

also i have help, usually 2-3 of us.

 

did you try tilting the engine? that worked wonders for me.

 

Plan "B"

This is the 13th try in 30 minutes.

 

technique...experience...etc. I can pull/install a 5spd in about an hour...less actually. Try unbolting the engine mounts and lifting the motor a couple inches...sometimes the new angle helps.

 

yeah... did that, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.....

well it sounds to me like everyone tries the same thing i do, but none of you make it sound like it was a pain. you all make it sound like a 5 minute job.... true?

 

misunderstanding...please carry on...:p

 

nooo..... i have done one tranny with the engine out of the car, on my drag car i put the tranny on the motor out of the car, THEN put the whole thing in the car.
I must admit, it was harder, and took longer then i thought.

I had the engine on a stand with the rear poiting streight up, so the tranny was facing bell housing down, and it still took 10-15 minutes of moving it around to get it in.

i know this makes us SOUND incompetent, but try it first, before you say it is easy out of the car.

it is easyer out of the car, but still was harder then i thought it would be.

 

easy for me the second time...i did it laying on my back with the tranny on my chest

 

oh yeah... been there..... a tranny on your chest isnt the most comfertable feeling in the world!!! tranny suck!!!! so does pulling rear ends!! pain in the ***!!!

 

Loosen the motor mounts, and wedge something in the front of the block. Its probably possible, but, I couldent get it lined up without tilting the motor.. goodluck

 

differential was hardy than the tranny, but to me still nothing more than a few hours work max replacing either one. Never be intimidated by these cars.

 

Ding ding ding.

Thats the trick folks, have someone push back and down on the motor, tilting it. Took 10 minutes to get it in and up bolted.

Another trick is to through a 19" socket and breaker bar on the main pully bolt, have someone work the tranny and someone else tilt and turn the motor.

 

yeah, thats all stuff we do..... like i said, sometimes its 15-20 min. sometimes its an hour (if its being stubburn, like ususall.

I would much rather do a rear end, i have droped severall rearends, and its not ususally as bad as a tranny.... for me at least.

rear ends just require 3 or more people. we usually have on on each side of the car, one for a rear jack, and one for a front jack. works really well.

Trtannys are still a pain no matter what i try. All well, at least i know there isnt some magical trick i dont know about.

:-)

 

those techniques all help but the usual problem is clutch disc centering.

most people use the install tool and press it in, well gravity pulls the disc down slightly so it isn't perfectly centered. install the clutch disc and pressure plate so the disc is semi free floating then press in the centering tool and feel the slop up and down and side to side, try to center the disc in place of the slop while tightening the pressure plate(usually just a nudge upward on the tool does the trick) in a criss-cross pattern. be sure to lube the input shaft pilot area as stated as well.

 

yeah...... tried that to..... although i am with you on this one, i think it is due to the clutch not being 100% perfect. because even with the tool, you can still move it up and down, left and right just a little.

Well just a little will make it hard to install.

This could be why sometimes it only takes a little time, and sometimes it takes an hour.

...... I'll have ot pay EVEN more attention to that next time i do a clutch.... (my Turbo II needs one despratly!)

 

Adjustable tranny jack. Ever since I picked that up, they slide right in with zero problems, as long as you've got the angle set, which is super easy with a protractor and a level.
It honestly only takes about 30 seconds to slide together, and about 5 minutes to properly strap it onto the jack and adjust the jack.

Its all about the right tools for the job.

 

he he he, i think ill just fly you down here so you can do it for me