transmission removal question

[salamonius]

well after 190,000 miles my transmission is toast i am about half way finished removing it all i have left is the bellhousing bolts and the lines to remove (i hope) is there some special trick to removing the lines? the catalytic convertewr is RIGHT in the way of the lines along with the heat shield. will i have to remove the converter? (i hope not since it's all original and rusted to the point of not a socket on earth will fit it) it showed in my manual to lower the transmission a bit to get to the lines. i let the jack down and got an inch and won't come down any farther. i do not have torches to cut the bolts with i would have to use a sawzall and there is no way to get to the colt on the converter closest to the frame. i am at a loss if i can't figure it out i may end up cutting the cooling lines and just getting more but i would rather not have to do that. any ideas or insight would be greatly appreciated. BTW its a 94 4x4 explorer thanks in advance

 

[Maniak]

The lines are a pain in the butt.. I used stuby wrenches to get them off. I found that last time it was easier to leave them on for a while.. My hard lines are cut at the front of the vehicle for my aux trans coolers.. I pulled the hard lines away from the motor and disconnected from from the rubber lines up front.. When I got the transmission pulled from the motor some I could then get my hand in there to pull the lines off easier...

As for removing it.. You MUST remove the starter and pull the bolts off the converter. I try to do that first and I found using an impact wrench with a 3ft extension made it so I could knock them off.

~Mark

 

[salamonius]

thats wonderful news i will go back out and pull the torque converter bolts and the rest of the bell housing bolts and pull it down to get to the lines at least now i know i don't have to cut the exhaust to get the stupid thing out thanks a lot!!!

 

[fordnut71]

also remove the top vent line before you try an remove the tranny. if you dont theres a good chance it will get caught between the y pipe an the tranny tunnel an youll be fighting to get it back in enought to get it the line out.

 

[nemoremo]

Hi - I was searching threads for some help on removing my tranny.

Yes I struggled through getting the lines off and all the bolts for the housing to block. Used three feet of extensions to get over the top of the tranny and remove the top two bolts - what a pain.

My crappy manual has some vague references to removing covers to get to the flywheel bolts. I am assuming that I can reach in where the starter was to access these as I can see no other way. Then I have to remove the fan shroud I guess to get to the the front crank bolt to rotate through to the others.

Does this sound right? TIA

 

[Maniak]

<snip>

My crappy manual has some vague references to removing covers to get to the flywheel bolts. I am assuming that I can reach in where the starter was to access these as I can see no other way. Then I have to remove the fan shroud I guess to get to the the front crank bolt to rotate through to the others.

Does this sound right? TIA

Yes, that sounds right.. You get to the torque converter bolts through the starter hole but remember to disconnect the battery first. I used long extensions and an impact wrench to pull the torque converter bolts. The long extensions let me keep the wrench at the front of the vehicle and reach all the way back to the converter bolts.

You "may" be able to turn the engine w/out pulling the fan shroud.. I know I could on mine, but it was tight.

~Mark