Transmission Won't Come Off

Oski_Bear · #1 (**permalink**) 03-27-2008, 11:56 PM

Hey everyone,

I've been working on removing the transmission from my 88 spider for a couple of nights now. I've got all of the bolts removed, but I'm having the hardest time sliding the transmission off of the engine. I've gotten it to slide back a couple of inches, but then it crashes into the floor panels directly above it.

I tried angling the transmission toward the floor to clear the floor panel, but then it gets stuck on what I think is the output shaft of the engine? I see a shaft with gears on it. I am fairly certain that it's almost impossible to bend that shaft with just the weight of the transmission...yes?

Anyway, that didn't work. I tilted the engine slightly forward without loosening the motor mounts. The engine almost touched the suspension rod that is directly below it. I then tried wiggling the tranny off, but it still kept crashing into the floor panels.

Do I need to loosen the motor mounts and tilt the engine forward even more? Does this require the removal of the black suspension rod?

Thanks for your advice!

**backfeeder** · #2 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 12:54 AM

I feel your pain....good luck to you. I'm sure you'll get some help once some of these guys wake up in the morning.

**conedriver** · #3 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 05:37 AM

Oski Bear,

Assuming everything else is diconnected, the transmission should come off. You may not be tilted enough and the top of the transmission is interfering with the sheet metal tunnel. I place a wood block under the front of the oil pan, and jack up until the back of the cam cover almost touches the firewall. (I don't have a fan shroud, so your application may have to deal with this). At this point, the tranny should slide completely off. Also, I really take care not to hang the weight of the transmission on the pilot shaft. I don't know if this will bend, and don't want to find out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski_Bear

Hey everyone,

I've been working on removing the transmission from my 88 spider for a couple of nights now. I've got all of the bolts removed, but I'm having the hardest time sliding the transmission off of the engine. I've gotten it to slide back a couple of inches, but then it crashes into the floor panels directly above it.

I tried angling the transmission toward the floor to clear the floor panel, but then it gets stuck on what I think is the output shaft of the engine? I see a shaft with gears on it. I am fairly certain that it's almost impossible to bend that shaft with just the weight of the transmission...yes?

Anyway, that didn't work. I tilted the engine slightly forward without loosening the motor mounts. The engine almost touched the suspension rod that is directly below it. I then tried wiggling the tranny off, but it still kept crashing into the floor panels.

Do I need to loosen the motor mounts and tilt the engine forward even more? Does this require the removal of the black suspension rod?

Thanks for your advice!

john.harrill · #4 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 05:48 AM

Conedriver has the right approach. As stated, DO NOT allow the transmission to hang on it's input shaft, as it is possible to damage the bearing and bent the shaft. This leads to all kinds of problems that won't show up until you have everything back together.

Oski_Bear · #5 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 10:50 AM

I haven't allowed the transmission to hang on its input shaft...for very long. Maybe just a second or two when I was trying to see if it was free to come off. I think it's safe to say that the majority of the weight is supported by the transmission jack I have underneath it.

In order to tilt the engine forward until the cam cover contacts the flywall, do the motor mount bolts need to be loosened or removed? Is it the lower bolts on the motor mounts? The lower ones that hold the motor mounts to the frame?

**papajam** · #6 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 12:49 PM

No, the engine mounts do not have to be disconnected to tilt the engine. However, you may need to remove the exhaust system hangers.

Joe Papa Sr · #7 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 03:28 PM

Best way Ive found was to get 2 6" C clamps, (harbor freight), and put the top of the C on the rear base of the engine (youll see a kind of flat area there), and then the other end of C clamp(the circular disc thingy) under the body bar going across the car body, right below the engine. screw in both C clamps, about one inch or so, just enough for it to drop in rear, and allow the trans bell housing to slide off freely!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, these tricks are absent from the shop manual. Baaaaaad.

Oski_Bear · #8 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 03:52 PM

Can you clarify the action "drop in rear"?

Is this where the propeller shaft slides toward the rear and disconnects from the clutch?

Or is this to help the stub of the shifter clear the opening inside the cabin of the car?

Oski_Bear · #9 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 03:56 PM

Is there a good solvent to use to flush the transmission with? I'd like to clean it without dismantling the halves of the box.

I was thinking of just using some gearbox oil and running it through a couple times and discarding.

**vf31rhill** · #10 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 05:15 PM

Maybe I am missing something here but I see the flex hose to the clutch slave cylinder wraped around some kind of black bracket in one of your photos. In another photo it shows the slave cylinder is still captured in it's mount ring on the bellhousing. If I am interpereting what I see correctly, it is the clutch flex hose preventing the transmission from coming any further back.
Robert

Oski_Bear · #11 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 06:05 PM

The flexible hose attached to the slave cylinder is free. Thanks for checking the photos. It does look like it could be caught on something.

Just to make sure I have everything disconnected....the ground strap is disconnected, the two backup wires on the passenger side of the tranny are disconnected, the RPM sensor is disconnected, and the other two large rectangular connectors (i forget what they are for) are also disconnected. I believe that is all of them.

I'll be going home soon and will try to tilt the engine forward further, until it taps the firewall. I'm hoping the tranny will slide off and no longer crash into the sheet metal floor panels.

Joe Papa Sr · #12 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski_Bear

Can you clarify the action "drop in rear"?

Is this where the propeller shaft slides toward the rear and disconnects from the clutch?

Or is this to help the stub of the shifter clear the opening inside the cabin of the car?

Joe Papa Sr · #13 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 07:03 PM

You do have to disconnect that slave, you know............

**vf31rhill** · #14 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 08:02 PM

When all else fails, use a bigger hammer.
Robert

**Tifosi** · #15 (**permalink**) 03-28-2008, 08:55 PM

We did remember to take the shift lever off also didn't we?

As papajam mentions, you can disconnect the exhaust hangers to get a bit more tilt on the engine. In fact grabbing the tailpipe and push/pulling down on it gives a great amount of leverage to make that tip happen even easier without having to fart around with jacks or whatnot at the front.

The slave cylinder should be removed before the trans come out as the soft line couples to a hard line that is attached to the crossmember, and there just ain't enough length to get the trans on the floor with that stuff hooked up, though there IS enough play to help you wreck the crap out of the soft and hardline.