Converter Install Questions - PLEASE HELP
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 497
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Converter Install Questions - PLEASE HELP Well I got about 1/2 way thru the install yesterday but then had to wrap things up for the night. I have a stock 98 Z28 A4. I have some questions that I really need some help with:
My tranny did not budge after removing the driveshaft, transmission crossmember, and torque arm nuts. Two of the three torque arm bolts are still in without the nuts because there is not enough room to pull them out. I did move the clamshell bracket aside as noted in http://www.modernmusclecars.net/articles/TCinstall Shouldn't the tranny drop at this point? In the article it says that you need to drop it to remove the transmission cooler lines. I have not removed the lines because they are too far up on the tranny. Do I need to remove the tranny cooler lines before lowering the tranny or is there enough flexibility to leave these in?
Also we decided that the stupid transmission dipstick tube is unreachable. We tried a wrench, but it will not reach the 15mm bolt on the block. How do you get to that bolt? Can I leave the dipstick tube attached if I can't reach the bolt?
Also the article says the remove the Y pipe on a stock exhaust system. So far it does not appear to be in the way at all. Is it really necessary to remove the y pipe?
Any help is greatly appreciated. THANKS
My tranny did not budge after removing the driveshaft, transmission crossmember, and torque arm nuts. Two of the three torque arm bolts are still in without the nuts because there is not enough room to pull them out. I did move the clamshell bracket aside as noted in http://www.modernmusclecars.net/articles/TCinstall Shouldn't the tranny drop at this point? In the article it says that you need to drop it to remove the transmission cooler lines. I have not removed the lines because they are too far up on the tranny. Do I need to remove the tranny cooler lines before lowering the tranny or is there enough flexibility to leave these in?
Also we decided that the stupid transmission dipstick tube is unreachable. We tried a wrench, but it will not reach the 15mm bolt on the block. How do you get to that bolt? Can I leave the dipstick tube attached if I can't reach the bolt?
Also the article says the remove the Y pipe on a stock exhaust system. So far it does not appear to be in the way at all. Is it really necessary to remove the y pipe?
Any help is greatly appreciated. THANKS
Well reading your post you dont mention taking the bolts out of the bell housing that connect it to the motor, if you didnt take those out then no the tranny will not move.
There is some flex to the cooler lines, but not enough to drop the tranny, we got mine off while it was still up in the air. I'm assuming you dont have a tranny jack, so you definitely need to get them off before you try and lower the tranny.
I have an aftermarkey Y and didnt have to remove, cant help you with that one. The dipstick tube we left attached and just removed it from the tranny itself. Hope this helps
There is some flex to the cooler lines, but not enough to drop the tranny, we got mine off while it was still up in the air. I'm assuming you dont have a tranny jack, so you definitely need to get them off before you try and lower the tranny.
I have an aftermarkey Y and didnt have to remove, cant help you with that one. The dipstick tube we left attached and just removed it from the tranny itself. Hope this helps
If you remove the torque arm and y pipe you can lower the rear of the trans down, then you can have a straight shot at the bolts that hold the trans to the engine.
You also need to remove the torque converter bolts and let it stay with the trans when you remove it.
You also need to remove the torque converter bolts and let it stay with the trans when you remove it.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,132
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
When every thing is disconnected from the trans and it's still connected to the engine it should sag down quite a bit. I was even able to reach the top bell housing bolt with my arm once every thing was disconnected from holding the trans up, so yeah it should drop alot. As for the dipstick bolt I just used the same bunch of extension and a ratchet that I used to get the top bellhousing bolts out.
