need step by step tranny removal
01-31-2008, 03:21 PM
#3
Before messing with anything always, ALWAYS disconnect the battery 
.
Step one: Chalk the front tires and jack up the rear of the car. Put car in Neutral (Apprx time 3-5min)
2.) Grab a 3/8 Socket and ratchet. Take off the 4 bolts holding the driveshaft on. If you cant get to the bolts turn the driveshaft with your hands. Once you get the driveshaft into the right spot. Climb out from underneath the car and yank the E-brake and get back underneath the car and take the bolts off. Repeat for the other 2 bolts. Then just remover driveshaft. (Apprx time 8-12min)
Now you can lower the rear back onto the ground. (apprx time 2-3min)
Chalk the rear tires now. Then jack up the front and put your jack stands to hold the car up. It has to be pretty high. (apprx time 8-10min)
3.) Now go ahead and remove your starter with a 15mm socket. There are 2 bolts holding it on. Then remove the 2 wires that are on the starter not for sure on sizes. (apprx time 5-8min)
4.) Grab your jack and put it on the trans pan. Start loosening the crossmember bolts. There are 5 bolts holding the crossmember on. All are 15mm. (apprx time 3-6min)
5.) steadily let the jack down until you can see the cooler lines running out the passenger side of the tranny. Once you can see them tighten the jack back up and start disconnecting the cooler lines. (Have a bucket handy to catch the fluid. (Dont remember what the size is sorry.) (apprx time 15-25min)
6.) Now unplug all electric connectors (ex VSS (speedo sensor ig green connector) one on the tailshaft, shifter cable, and your 02 sensors). (apprx time 1-3min)
7.) Remove the brackets holding the torque arm in place. There are 3 bolts holding this on. One on top and 2 on the bottom. Watch your hands bc the torque arm can pull up really hard and fast sometimes. (apprx time 5-7min)
8.) Now comes the fun part, you need to unbolt the converter from the flexplate. GM used allen head torque converter bolts in 98 and they are a pretty nice size. 99+ i believe came with actual bolts. You figure out what size fits best
. You will need to have a nice sized flat head screwdriver to turn the flexplate by hand so you can get to the converter bolts. (There are 3 of them). (apprx time 10-15min)
9.) Now get a 13mm socket and all your extensions. Start removing the bellhousing bolts (There are 8 of them). This takes alot of time and alot of patience to get this step done. (apprx time 3-6 hours)
10.) Once you got all the bellhousing bolts out the trans will be probably stuck to the engine. you will need to get that flathead screwdrive you used for the converter. Use it as a wedge to pry the tranny from the engine. Make sure your jack is ready to take the weight when you get the tranny separated.
This is when you find out if you jacked up the front of the car enough. If you didn't then you will prob have to slide the tranny out by hand. Which isn't to bad but its alot easier with it on a jack 
. (apprx time 3-4min)
There ya go, the steps and est. time involved in removing a tranny. I wish someone would sticky this for all the new guys that ask this particular question.
.Step one: Chalk the front tires and jack up the rear of the car. Put car in Neutral (Apprx time 3-5min)
2.) Grab a 3/8 Socket and ratchet. Take off the 4 bolts holding the driveshaft on. If you cant get to the bolts turn the driveshaft with your hands. Once you get the driveshaft into the right spot. Climb out from underneath the car and yank the E-brake and get back underneath the car and take the bolts off. Repeat for the other 2 bolts. Then just remover driveshaft. (Apprx time 8-12min)
Now you can lower the rear back onto the ground. (apprx time 2-3min)
Chalk the rear tires now. Then jack up the front and put your jack stands to hold the car up. It has to be pretty high. (apprx time 8-10min)
3.) Now go ahead and remove your starter with a 15mm socket. There are 2 bolts holding it on. Then remove the 2 wires that are on the starter not for sure on sizes. (apprx time 5-8min)
4.) Grab your jack and put it on the trans pan. Start loosening the crossmember bolts. There are 5 bolts holding the crossmember on. All are 15mm. (apprx time 3-6min)
5.) steadily let the jack down until you can see the cooler lines running out the passenger side of the tranny. Once you can see them tighten the jack back up and start disconnecting the cooler lines. (Have a bucket handy to catch the fluid. (Dont remember what the size is sorry.) (apprx time 15-25min)
6.) Now unplug all electric connectors (ex VSS (speedo sensor ig green connector) one on the tailshaft, shifter cable, and your 02 sensors). (apprx time 1-3min)
7.) Remove the brackets holding the torque arm in place. There are 3 bolts holding this on. One on top and 2 on the bottom. Watch your hands bc the torque arm can pull up really hard and fast sometimes. (apprx time 5-7min)
8.) Now comes the fun part, you need to unbolt the converter from the flexplate. GM used allen head torque converter bolts in 98 and they are a pretty nice size. 99+ i believe came with actual bolts. You figure out what size fits best
. You will need to have a nice sized flat head screwdriver to turn the flexplate by hand so you can get to the converter bolts. (There are 3 of them). (apprx time 10-15min)9.) Now get a 13mm socket and all your extensions. Start removing the bellhousing bolts (There are 8 of them). This takes alot of time and alot of patience to get this step done. (apprx time 3-6 hours)
10.) Once you got all the bellhousing bolts out the trans will be probably stuck to the engine. you will need to get that flathead screwdrive you used for the converter. Use it as a wedge to pry the tranny from the engine. Make sure your jack is ready to take the weight when you get the tranny separated.
This is when you find out if you jacked up the front of the car enough
. If you didn't then you will prob have to slide the tranny out by hand. Which isn't to bad but its alot easier with it on a jack . (apprx time 3-4min)There ya go, the steps and est. time involved in removing a tranny. I wish someone would sticky this for all the new guys that ask this particular question.
