PITA - manual tranny replacement saga

[Dre]

Since I have tackled plenty of tasks on my own in the past I have decided to replace manual tranny on my 94 Sport myself. I felt good about it. For now (I'm not in real hurry) I have taken "half the truck" apart and transmission is still in the truck - not really attached to the engine anymore but sitting there wedged between the body and the exhaust Y pipe. I really thought I can remove it without taking exhaust apart... silly me. So now I'm stuck... grinder in hand I will start cutting the exhaust tonight. I do have a question though... I have stripped two bolts on the Y pipe (bolts bolting it to the manifold while trying to remove Y pipe) and was wondering what I should do... replace manifolds alltogether or try drilling old bolts out????? I hope I don't strip any exhaust bolts or otherwise I'm screwed big times. I know that I should be positive about this but somehow it feels that as soon as I do something I need to take something else off in order to finish...

o bother!

 

[ld50]

You could try an "EZ out" (I think it`s what they call`em)which is a smaller hardened piece of threaded, tapered metal that you screw counter clockwise into a hole you have drilled into the old bolt. The idea is that when it tightens it grabs the bolt and unscrews it.
BUT those bolts have to be really rusty and I can`t say that I`ve had good luck with the EZ outs before.

I`d say drill them out and retap them, bud...

When I do my tranny I`m hitting the local muffler shop first, to replace those ugly looking bolts before I have to try.

I feel your pain...

 

[JoshC]

Yeah, this is a major PITA but it is possible to get it out with the exhaust still in. I've did it a half a dozen times now. If you've got a couple of pry bars then you're set. Oh, and another set of hands help too. The pinch weld for the firewall and the underbody of the truck is what is holding you up. Once you get the tranny out you can take a hammer and knock that lip back and it makes it easier.

 

[Dre]

OK... I got it out. I got the whole thing out. Instead of toying with it without removing the exhaust I got my angle grinder out and my impact wrench and got it out stripping two bolts and cutting two. There is no way in the world you can undo these bolts by wrench. After 9 years "in service" they're in there for good... like welded. Now I also have my manifolds out as well.... I got lucky with manifolds because I didn't strip any of the bolts. I think that once I get tranny back in there I'll start looking for new headers. You know how it works.... you want to replace tranny and end up replacing entire exhaust and whatever comes in your way.

PS. To all those replacing tranny themself .. now I have what you need need! knowledge.

This tranny has been removed before without removing the exhaust - new clutch and new slave has been installed in the past and exhaust is original.

Thanks,