T3: Re: Tranny removal tips needed

[stans4@ibm.net (Stan Schaefer)]

I have to agree, it's easier to pull the engine, then the tranny.
There's no way you're going to get the engine moved back the 3-4"  to
clear the front nosecone mounting studs with it still attached to the
car.  You might want to get a tranny cradle for your floor
jack(rent?), would probably get it back in there easier.  It takes me
less than a half hour to get the engine out anyway.  The big thing
with the tranny is getting those CV joint bolts out, first time I did
it, most of them had gotten rusted out to the point where I had a lot
of trouble getting them out, ended up with vicegrips on the heads and
lots of LPS 1.    I've pulled engines both ways, Bentley method of all
at once and just the engine alone.  Much easier balancing just the
engine.  The thing with doing just the engine is getting the tranny
splines into the clutch disk and lined up with the engine on the jack.
A little joggling with a wrench on the generator nut is necessary.

On your shift coupler, I've used both OEM and those after-market
super-duper jobs.  The after-market one was made of so soft a metal
that the set-screw hole enlarged, letting the coupler loose in traffic
with me stuck in third.  Not something I want to repeat.  The urethane
is too hard, there's a lot of engine noise propagated up the shaft and
they're very stiff.  If you can get a good-quality, German OEM one, go
with that.  Presumably you still have the bottom cover, it won't
weather much  It was about half the price of a junky after-market
part, anyway.  Would have used the OEM one to start with, but the
parts guy didn't have one when I needed it, it's worth hunting one
down.

On Thu, 5 Mar 1998 17:25:56 -0600, you wrote:

>>Text item: Text Item
>>
>>Okay, as many of you know I'll be getting five-speed tranny next month and I'm
>>going to install it myself.  Looking through my Bentley I see that they
>>recommend that I drop the engine and tranny together.  Well, I would
>>rather just
>>drop the tranny.
>
>Bad news, bubba, cain't be done.
>
>Drop em both, only takes four more bolts and it's out anyway!  The rear
>support beam can be seperated at the ends, jack supporting the engine,
>disconnect the nose cone and CV joints. Then engine and tranny come out in
>one piece.  Easier that way.  If you are doing it yourself, remove engine
>then remove tranny, less weight.
>
>Big Al
>
>