Trans drop continued.

You guys have been a great source of knowledge. I feel like I'm the kid that asks too many questions but I really don't want to get off on the wrong foot on this project. I'm new to working with such large and heavy(not aluminum) equipment. The biggest motor trans I've moved before this was on an engine less than 1500cc. Since I'm doing this by myself and in my (cold cold)driveway I'm a little nervous and want to have everything right the first time.

First & foremost I observe safety precautions and I'm not going to put my fingers somewhere they'll be lopped of de-gloved etc.

I want to know if I can balance the trans on the crossmember to drop it like so:


Is this way off of the center of balance for the trans & tcase? I want to drop it enough to disengage it so that I can slide it back and get the carrier spring installed (with forceps no fingers in there).

I don't want to accidentally drop the assembly and crack a case or bend an input shaft etc.

Do I need to move the floor jack forward?

Exactly how much does the assembly weigh? I'm guessing ~300lb.

I presume the engine jack is because the back of the engine will pivot to the ground without support. Is a 1" hardwood block sufficient to protect the oil pan?

 

So..What is the plan? Replace clutch or rebuild? Depending on what you want to do. It maybe easier to remove the transfer case. And I would think the hole thing weights 175lbs?

 

I would recommend NOT pulling it out that way. I've got a cheap trans adapter (Harbor Freight) that goes on my floor jack that makes the trans/ t-case assy much more stable. It is a very bulky/ awkward assy...

 

I ended up using the floor jack like yours but I bolted a larger board to it - easy to do.

I think you would be better off not putting the jack on the cross member but instead take the cross member out and get your jack under the center of balance of the assembly. This will lower the GC of the assembly so it's not so tippy.

You can rachet strap around your jack board and the trans to help keep it from falling off. Also, you can tie a rope or strap that goes under the trans and over a 2 x 4 that's up above (support the 2 x 4 on the dash & tail gate or on the roll bar & wind shield or on milk crates).

As mentioned by others you will need to move the trans towards the back before going down. You could turn your floor jack or you could drag it towards the back with a rachet strap or come-a-long.

You can do it with the t-case attached or you can remove the t-case first. I prefer to remove the t-case first mostly to reduce weight.

Go slow, I once got in a hurry and broke off the lower ear on the t-case when it hit the concrete floor to hard. I usually don't have a helper but it really helps if you can get one.

 

When pulling/installing a trans/TC be your self, I found that renting a transmission jack makes things a LOT easier and safer. The rental fee is money well spent IMHO.

 

Haven't done it, so don't know.

Can the carrier spring (and here i'm thinking you mean the throw-out bearing carrier) be replaced without removing the tranny/tc before hand?:?

 

I'd try to find a floor jack with a bigger pad. My usual method is to put the jack under the trans, pull the cross member, then slide the whole assembly back and drop it.

I've found that I get to the point where it's all unbolted and I've got 175 lbs of cast iron balanced above my head, I'm a little nervous about it coming down on top of me, and then it won't budge. I always end up needing to pry between the bell and trans with a bar in order to break loose 35 to 50 years of crud.

 

Neither the Haynes or Chilton's mention how to replace ( or when or where ) the bearing retainer spring.

I don't have access to a service manual.:?:?

 

Thanks everybody for the advise on centering and balancing the jack.

I found an old professional 1-ton mechanical transmission jack for about a hundred bucks so I think I may go that route. It'll slow down my budget by 20 days but it would be a safer way to go and when it comes time to change the clutch in my other Jeep eventually I'd have an easier time too.

@1960willyscj5
The Jeep Field Service Manual doesn't either. That part isn't given more than a passing glance in the military manual. Without it, you won't be able dis-engage the clutch as soon as the fork gets crooked to the t/o carrier tangs(as mine did for the PO). I still can't find where the old spring went but the clutch appears to disengage if I line up the T/O bearing and work the lever. So I'm going to try first replacing the spring.

@scott milliner
If replacing the spring doesn't work I think I'll just order a replacement clutch kit pull the trans again get the flywheel resurfaced and bolt it back together.

 

I used this transmission jack:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=39178

It was less than $100



It worked great.

 

I'm to cheap, floor jack from behind the Jeepunder the crossmember (skid plate removed) and slide tranny/transfercase out and down at once.

 

That's the one I bought about 5 years ago and it works great! All you do is pull off your floor jack pad and slip the tranny adapter in it's place. Fully adjustable; and much easier to store than the conventional tranny jack.

 

When you get ready to put it back in, try this. Get a couple of bolts the same size as you trans. to bellhousing bolts. Get them about 3 -4 " longer. Cut the heads off to make a pair of studs. Screw these into the upper bell housing holes and use them to align your tranny. Once you have it in you can pull the studs and put in the bolts. I filed a couple of flat spots on the end of the studs so I could get an open end wrench on them as the weight of the tranny can make then bind a little when you remove them. You can use three studs if you want to make it easier. Put the tranny in gear before you put it in so you can turn the output shaft to help align the splines on the tranny with the clutch center splines. 1" board should be OK for supporting the engine pan. I put a bottle jack under it so I can raise or lower the engine a little to help line up the tranny when it goes in.

 

Thanks everybody.

Took a quick trip down to the H. Freight tool store today and bought one of those trolly jack adapters. I'll try it out tomorrow but it looks pretty slick! Definitely worth the piece of mind and insurance to prevent cracking an iron case. It only set the budget back 10 days. To keep domestic tranquility my tool/part budget is $5/day. The whole jeep will be a slow project (as I only have the most basic tools + an air compressor) but I'm not in a hurry. Hopefully though I can get the clutch working before the first snow.

@posimoto: Thanks for the alignment stud idea. I might do it with some threaded rod though so I can cinch a couple of nuts to pull them when the trans is on. I don't have a grinder or even large flat files yet.

 

@w3srl: Absolutely right! I was born with these fingers and want to keep them. I'm in one of the most likely places in the country to get a digit reattached but I don't care to see if I actually can.

Update: Watch out which trans adapter you get -- I got the 95640 because the box was there and it said transmission 3 ton jack adapter. I should have got the 39152 -- because the 95640 only has an M30 threaded stud on the bottom. Didn't fit anything but the H. Freight 3ton jack. Fooey! I drove back there today and tired to get the right adapter but could only find the cheapest transmission jack for $80. Oh well, this puts the budget 3 days in the future. So I'm going to give it a shot with the trans jack listed earlier in this thread. I don't mind the $30 as much as a weekend day lost. I work slow enough as it is.