pdub42

Hi my friend is trying to get his tranny out of his 98 firebird to put in a new torque converter and hes got all the bolts out and it will not budge, hes got someone helping him who has done it on firebirds before so he knows what hes doing but are there any tricks or tips to help get it out?

LS1Silverado05

iTrader: (41)

Always double check that all the bolts are out. You cant even see one or two hardly on these cars. Did they get the VERY top one out? If they are certain they have, its just a matter of working her back. In my experience , if all the bolts are out, and a couple guys start to wrestle it around, it will at least start to break free.

pdub42

he told me they got 8 of them out so im guessing that is all of them? they tried using a prybar and everything and its not movin

Stroked96Bowtie

iTrader: (22)

Did they unbolt the torque convertor from the flexplate?

I just took mine out last week (for the 3rd time in 4 months, ugh). If you have everything loose it comes right out, everytime. The only other thing I can think of is maybe the ears on the transmission is hanging on exahust or something. But even then you would be able to pull it away from the motor some before it hit, then you would notice its hitting. If that trans still has the ears on there..I would highly suggest cutting all the ears off, it will go in and out alot easier. Seems to work for me anyway.

Two guys...pfft...I got it out myself with the help of a jack of course

Good luck!

89tang

iTrader: (15)

i'm using a tranny jack

Ok i'm the one with this dudes car and the tranny will not budge. YES all the bolts are out 8 in the bellhousing 3 on the torque converter. I know the converter is lose considering it will spin freely from the flexplate. The car has no exhaust so nothing is hanging up. It's the dowel pins their so rusted up i can't get the thing to budge. I've wrestled it around for the last 2 days and it hasn't broke loose.

I used penetrating oil and heated up around the pins and this thing still won't move. I'm afraid of breaking something if i pry to hard, so obviously it doesn't come right out everytime............

This isn't the first tranny i've done on an LS1, i've never had this problem before with anything i've ever worked on. Tranny shop might be the only option since they can put the car on a lift.

RICEETER

iTrader: (49)

yeah, the dowel pins on these cars are a pain. soak em with some penetrating oil like PB Blaster or something. then, its just alot of tugging and prying. i've even heard of some people heating up the dowel pins, but fortunately i didnt have to do such. good luck

89tang

iTrader: (15)

Yup that's what i used was PB Blaster, i'll hit the dowels with more heat i guess. The ones on our TA were alittl snug but god damn these one's are insane!

John_D.

iTrader: (2)

I spent 2 days trying to separate an engine and transmission on a pallet. It was corrosion on the dowel pins.

Got progressively more forceful with it. Hammered on any part of the bellhousing that extended away from the engine. Pryed anywhere I could get a grip. Used a punch and pounded on each side of the dowel pins. Finally on day 2, one side budged just a hair. Then I could get something in there to pry a little more. Once it started rocking just a little, I kept working it, and finally it came off.

If I remember right, after I wirebrushed the pins and the holes, I put a little smear of antisieze on the pins on the re-install.

John_D.

iTrader: (2)

Heating the pins will expand them tighter into the holes. Heating the area around the pins may give you some relief. Be careful not to overheat the aluminum though.

89tang

iTrader: (15)

Sounds like i'm in for a shitty afternoon again lol. It's hard to get a hammer up there too so that's even worse.

Stroked96Bowtie

iTrader: (22)

Yeah thats not good...sounds like you got everything loose. Sorry never ran into that with any of the ones Ive done...have been lucky I guess. Im able to get my car 2ft off the ground with 6ton jacks...its my minilift

heymoej

iTrader: (67)

ratchet strap the tail to the rear end...........

LS1Silverado05

iTrader: (41)

LOL I didnt want to say it..

Black LS1 T/A

Fit a large flat-head screwdriver or straight punch at the union of the bell housing and motor. Carefully hammer into that seam and that kind of leverage will make them separate. Once your tool is between the motor and transmission, pry them farther apart. Work both sides equally, a little at a time.

That worked for me, the first time I had to take mine out; and it felt as though it was still bolted on.

Black LS1 T/A

And make sure the jack under the tanny is taking the weight off of it so that it is not pinching onto the pins.

And think about it ... heating the pins will make them expand. I woudn't do that.

heymoej

iTrader: (67)

hahaa what ever works.........

TransAmy

iTrader: (2)

i feel your pain.. i had this same problem with mine a few months back, boy what a pain in the *** and frustrating! the pins will rust so we soaked it in pb blaster overnight, then if you jack up the trans a bit, and take the pressure off of the joint, it will be easier. take a HUGE prybar and crank on the thing. popped right off. after 107k miles, that thing was stuck on.

89tang

iTrader: (15)

I soaked them all afternoon and me and the owner of the car pryed on it for awhile still nothing. I told him i don't think i could get it, someone with a lift will need to do it. I'm putting it back together he's got a new cam and everything else to play with for now.

DOUBT IT

iTrader: (13)

I played hell getting mine off the pins when I did my converter swap. Lots of PB Blaster and cussing. Finally I got the BIG prybar out. (48 incher) That got it off the pins.

I would say (as others have already) make sure that the trans is at the right angle to come off the pins, and just keep trying at it.

Now I don't even want to talk about what it's like trying to get a trans back in on a transmission jack that's leaking down constantly. Check the jack before you get the tranny on it!

Sweet71

iTrader: (10)

I had the same issue on mine, i used a torch on the bellhousing and it worked like a charm