67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Okay, we are ready to send the trans to Six Speeds Inc. to get rebuilt. Reverse keeps popping out, and there is a minor leak at the input shaft. This is a 2002 LS1/T56 in our 67 Camaro.

What I am dying to know is can we just unbolt the trans from the bellhousing and pull it out, or do we have to pull the bellhousing also? There is not a lot of clearance for pulling the top bolts on the bellhousing, and I cannot for the life of me remember is the slave bolts into the trans or just into the bellhousing. That would make this job a lot easier, since we don't have to send the bellhousing to Six Speeds...

billybob1142

You dont need to pull the bell housing off. Just unbolt the transmission. To get the top bolds you need to get a jack underneath the back of the transmission and lower it a little bit. That way it will put the transmission at a lower angle in the back. Use LONG extensions and come from the back of the transmission to get to the top bolts. Yes the slave cylinder is bolted to the transmission, all you have to do is disconnect the line from the slave cylinder and then you can take it off onces the transmission is out of the car.

wolfy

iTrader: (1)

billybob's right. the slave is connected to the trans, and the trans can be unbolted from the bellhousing.

for ease, i have a 28" extension that i use a wiggle socket on the end of, with an impact to loosen the trans-bellhousing bolts.

Rodder

iTrader: (2)

Tha's pretty much how I got mine out too.

The bellhousing can stay on the engine unless you need to remove the clutch or pilot bushing.

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Well, that sucks. Took 3 hours! Our fancy H pipe is slightly in the way, so we had to fight it. Those top two bolts are not very fun in a first gen! Anyway, we got it, and I think I will drop the exhaust while the trans is out to make putting it back in easier. We have the new rear end on order and hopefully can combine both projects into one long weekend. We should have taken your advise Rodder and sent the trans off before, we where just in such a hurry to get the car running.... oh well, hindsight is always perfect.

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Your guys bolts are that close? I can reach all my transmission bolts with a ratcheting wrench. I used ATS plates. I installed the engine/trans bolted together though although i dont see why i wouldnt be able to remove those bolts.

Rodder

iTrader: (2)

67rsss: I wasn't gonna say it... I don't have an H-pipe, and I dropped my exhaust cat the headers before I pulled the trans. I dropped the rear of the trans a few inches and could get to the top bolts fine with a really long extension. Getting a torque wrench under the car for tightening them up was no fun though. Were you not able to tilt the engine/trans down because the H-pipe was in the way?

Shawn: ATS mounts here too. I could get to mine fine, just took every extension I owned plus a swivel to remove them. To reinstall, I hit Sears and bought a long extension.

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

We have the S&P plates, and it is pretty tight back there. We originally thought we might get by without dropping the exhaust, but with the H pipe and the X pipe (if you recall the X resonated, so we added a balance tube) there just wasn't the clearance to get it tilted well. I will drop the exhaust before it goes back in though! We have the car stood up funny, because the rear end is coming out too, so it made it a bit tighter to work under there than we hoped.

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Oh i meant that i could unbolt them from the top. I've always used a 9/16th (for most all other old cars) ratcheting box end wrench to remove my bolts. I dont think i've ever used a ratchet on any of the 68-79s i've owned. But then again i never had a T56 in any of them either.

DCx

iTrader: (12)

i just found out my 3rd gear is toast in my 69 camaro. im so not looking forward to pulling the trans. i might just pull the entire thing and replace the autokraft pan while im at it.

Rodder

iTrader: (2)

Pulling it is easy. Putting it back is the hard part. In retrospect, I think it would have been quick to pull engine+trans from the top than try to reinstall the trans from the bottom without a lift or a trans jack. A real trans jack might have helped a lot.

Rhino

iTrader: (6)

I don't think they're any fun, regardless of what chassis it's in!

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Ups and downs to the trans jack. We have one, and it is great for moving the trans about under the car, but we are not up high enoguh to slide the trans and the jack under at the same time. Need to get the trans under the car, pick it up into the tunnel, and slide the jack under it...

andrew69_04

iTrader: (148)

i used hooker mounts and there is no way to get top bolts from the engine compartment

Rodder

iTrader: (2)

I discovered than an old tie-down strap between the subframe rails can hold up the trans while you switch jacks...

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Maybe is it possible i mounted my transmission too high then? Or you alls is too low? I mounted is so that the top of my transmisison mount is about an inch below the top of my frame rails. I modified my TH400 crossmember to fit. Here's a pic of my engine in. Does yours sit closer to the firewall?

Looking at the pic now, Maybe my tunnel is different due to the bolts 2" higher in the BOP transmissions

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

You are way more forward than we are!

Also, once you have everything in, you will have a much harder time getting at anything on the back of the motor.

Schitzo

iTrader: (6)

Hi Aaron these things are never done! are they? Are you going to be doing anything to the engine while the trans is gone?
Great choice on Sixspeed inc.

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Am i more forward on the K-member too? or does it just look like i have more clearence at the firewall?

Yeah i have been holding off on my headers and intake has been ordered but wont be here until 3/21. I've pretty much got everything inside done as far was wiring to gauges and switches and all the sheetmetal work. Just gotta lay down some carpet and isntall some seats. I know if i get the thing running im gonna want to drive it and lose focus with everything else.

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Thats why we didn't start it until it was ready to go together!

Robert, good to hear from you! We are not playing with the engine right now, but we are pulling the rear and replacing it with a posi 8.5" with 3.73 gears. That should make 6th gear a ilttle more usefull. We are also playing around with what size tires we can get away with on a 15" rim (we have 14's now, but are considering going to 15" rallye wheels). The biggest problem is availability. It looks like the Radial TA is it for 15" rims any more. Really like the tread pattern on some of the newer tires, but most are 17" or larger, and we don't want to go with a modern looking rim. We had hoped to do a bit more engine work this winter, but we had our first grand-baby, and he took a lot of our time!

Shawn, I am not sure if you are mor forward or not, but if your heater hoses clear the head and #8 coilpack without you having to bend them a little bit, then you are further away than we are. Also, the bolts we are talking about ar the trans to bellhousing bolts, not the bellhousing to block bolts. They would be pretty hard to get from above. I have pics of pulling the trans, and hope to do a little write-up on dropping a T56 for our camaro club's new website. We are the webmasters, and have built it up from scratch, and hope to release it soon, but I have been scrambling to put together some tech features for it. Any decently written/documented submissions accepted!