Transmission Removal

[All4theoutdoors]

Hi everyone, I hope this finds you happy, healthy and wealthy :)

I have an earlier model roadster that I bought from my father a year or so ago. It was my preference to build one, but, I helped with this build when I was younger and it came with sentimental value. My father is a bit unconventional and chose to put an automatic transmission in it. I hade plans to replace it with a T5 to begin with but had other gremlins to work out first. Well, something broke in the current setup and I need to start pulling the transmission out. So long story for a quick question. Can I pull the trans from under the car? or do I need to remove the whole engine and trans together?

[Avalanche325]

People have done manual transmissions from under the car. Not sure with an automatic, which tends to be physically larger and the bellhousing is an intagral part of the transmission. I would pull the engine/trans out. It sounds like a bigger deal, but it's not.

[All4theoutdoors]

Thank you for the response, I think I would rather pull it from the top so I can give everything a once over if I am doing the work anyway, but, it can't hurt to have the perspectives and knowledge.

[welske]

When I first had my car put together, before licensing, but after being able to drive it enough to shake out and introduce my own gremlins, I managed to burn the clutch completely out. I tried to find a shop that would take it but couldn't get any takers (at least not in my neck of the woods). At the time I was worried about removing the whole drivetrain with the shell on so I put it up on some tall jackstands and removed the (manual Tremic TKO600) transmission from below the car. It wasn't easy, but I had a friend and we managed to get it out, clutch replaced, and back in a Saturday morning to mid afternoon session.

That said, if I had to do it again, I'd take the hood off, dump the liquids, and pull it from the top. Even with the body on and painted, I think it would just be a lot simpler to manage, although it'd take a bit longer (if I was doing it) to make sure I didn't miss anything or crunch anything.

[CraigS]

I am assuming this is not a MkIV w/ the removeable trans mount. On the older cars you could get the trans out the bottom but each of the three I have helped with, we had to separate the trans from the bellhousing to get it out. SInce the auto trans can not be separated I am 99% sure you need to pull engine and trans together. With that in mind and not knowing what tools you have, I strongly recommend an engine levelor. I pulled my MkII engine several times w/ a come-a-long hanging from the ceiling. I put a 4x4 across 3 trusses and got a long eyebolt. All that was visible below the ceiling drywall was the eye.