Transmission / Overdrive: Install order

[mmagic]

I've pulled engine and transmissions together.
I've pulled just the engine before.
I've never pulled just the transmission or re-installed an engine/bell housing without the transmission.

I'm tempted to put the engine/bell housing in now and fit the transmission later.

Opinions please.

[rockne10]

Without a good hoist and/or transmission jack, easier to drop full assembly in from the top. Given a good hoist and transmission jack, installing the trans later is no problem; still not a walk in the park. Transmissions have been installed with the car on jack stands and the mechanic on his back. It is no fun at all.

[mmagic]

Have transmission jack.

It might actually be easier as I need to fit new floor shift to floor hole in the process and with bell housing in place, transmission front to back location would be exactly known.

thanks

[Tom Bredehoft]

I expect you know this, but remember to put two headless bolts or threaded rods in the top two bolt holes to guide the transsmission to the bell housing.

[sweetolbob]

I seem to recall you are installing a manual trans.

I always (almost) install the manual trans and engine together. No matter how well they are registered together prior to installing them separately, there is very little tolerance to align the splines and bushing in the crankshaft. Having the car on jack stands doesn't leave a lot of room for maneuvering even with a trans jack. It is just so much easier to get everything together and then drop the combo into the engine bay.

If it's an automatic, then putting it in after installing engine is not much more difficult than dropping the entire assembly in.

JMHO, Bob

[mmagic]

Tom B... Thanks, I didn't know that.... that is a great idea and makes sense.

Since the engine/bell housing is ready to go in, I don't have a good transmission in hand and I sorely need the floor space, I have decided to go ahead and drop the engine w/bell housing in. I have many details and fitting issues around the engine so that will let me proceed with those.

[mmagic]

It is just so much easier to get everything together and then drop the combo into the engine bay.
JMHO, Bob

You are right... short of disassembling the transmission and reassembling it above the cross-members, I don't think a T86/OD can be installed in a C/K after the fact. I don't regret sticking the engine in so I could fit the Saginaw etc. while waiting for the transmission. But, at this point it's only 4 bolts, unplugging 4 wires and a couple hours to pop the engine, mount the transmission and drop it back in.

Friday PM is supposed to be in the 50's so maybe I'll do it then.

[studepack]

You make installing the tranny easier by taking 2 bolts about 3" long. Cut their heads off and thread them into the tranny bolt mounting holes. Put the tranny into gear, slide the tranny onto the headless bolts to align with the clutch disc. My having the tranny in gear you can rotate the tranny tailshaft so the input shaft will engage the clutch disc and everything lines up. Then you will easily be able to slide the whole assembly together. You don't want to be having the clutch and pressure plate supporting a tranny and you don't want to be supporting the tranny with one hand while your other hand is trying to line up the whole assembly. By the way send some of that warmth here. It's in the low single digits today here in the midwest.

[mmagic]

My first issue is getting it above the cross memebers.

[jackb]

post #5 trumps posts #4 & #8. If you haven't aligned the disc correctly (if not perfectly with a tranny shaft or correct aligning tool) nothing is going to accept that input shaft

[Blue 15G]

Without a good hoist and/or transmission jack, easier to drop full assembly in from the top. Given a good hoist and transmission jack, installing the trans later is no problem; still not a walk in the park. Transmissions have been installed with the car on jack stands and the mechanic on his back. It is no fun at all.

Been there! How true.

Dave Bonn
'54 Champion Starliner

[5brown1]

If you are worried about the cross members remove them. The front one can be taken out by removing 6 bolts. The bat wing can also be removed easily. When I did my recent engine swap I used all thread and just lowered the bat wing so the rear of the transmission would be lower. Then when ready just tightened it up into place. I then worked the front cross member back into place. This is with a 700r4. The first time I thought I would never get it in but now that I've had to do it four times it is not a big deal.

[mmagic]

5 brown... Some idiot welded the front one to the frame and I toyed with removing the rear one. But, I've had the engine in and out 3 or 4 times and it is getting to be, "Oh Well" ! No hoses on yet and only 3 wires to be unplugged. 4 bolts to remove so I'll just pull the engine.