changing my trans t 400
 

i'm pulling my leaky trans and installing a rebuilt unit. in my driveway.
will i need to lift or support the engine?
i guess i'll have to get the car pretty high.
anything else i should know?

I'm no expert, but I did the swap with just a small hydraulic jack. It took me awhile since this was my first time doing a tranny swap with the engine still in the car. I had the car on standard jack stands in the front and had plenty of clearance. The hard part, for me, was getting the new tranny on the jack. I could have used help but I'm to stupid to ask for help.

If you have a dummy yoke to stick in the output shaft of the trans to prevent fluid loss all over your driveway thats a good idea along with the transmission jack adapter for your floor jack or a dedicated unit. Ive used a second floor jack with a wide block of 2x6 etc under the oil pan to support the engine while the trans is being changed.

thanks guys...did you replace the converter? or is there anything i should do while i've got the converter out?

Do not use an old converter in your newly rebuilt trans or you'll pump any metal fragments/ crap from the old trans through your new trans possibly plugging a passage in the valve body etc. This is what Ive been told. you may be able to flush your old converter and reuse it without incident but taking a chance IMHO. Very Nice GTO BTW.

The dummy yoke is a great Idea, I made a huge mess in my garage. I was going to put the plastic shippinc cap off of my new tranny on my old one but that is how I discovered that the splines were different on the trannys....:eek:

4 dedicated jack stands. Beg, borrow or steal them, but get'em. I welded a square steel plate to my floor jack & studs to outline the tranny so it won't fall off the jack, because it WILL when your trying to align it to the engine. There are probably better ideas, but this one works for me !

Remove the distributor cap.

I've had mine out a number of times. 4 jack stands sitting on foot long sections of 2 X 12. Lift the car as high as your floor jack will take it. I've had no difficulty pulling the trans with just my Craftsman floor jack with a piece of plywood bolted to it. I do staple a piece of towel to the plywood to keep the trans from slipping around on the plywood as easily.

I try to block the oil pan a little so the engine is not twisting against the mounts too long, distorting the rubber. As an alternative, I have also braced the back of the engine against the firewall a little with wood and some old towels on occasion, depending on the model and other issues.