While you've got the trans out you should clean and scrape the underside of the tunnel and under coat while you have a chance. You'll be glad you did. You may want to replace the u-joints in the drive shaft since it's out too. Paint it real nice since it's the last thing to be put back.
Rob Carpenter also suggested to me I take the rear end apart while it's all apart. I pass this advice on to you. (never got any bad advice here) I'm glad he did. He found loose stuff in his. I just tightened everything and checked for wear then replaced the oil. The manuals tell you what kind of gear wear to expect. Make sure you use hypoid gear oil. 80-90 weight. I think it's all hypoid now.
Terry Smith '67 Series V
-----Original Message----- From: Jay Laifman <Jay_Laifman(at)countrywide.com> To: alpines(at)autox.team.net <alpines(at)autox.team.net> Date: Friday, December 11, 1998 12:23 PM Subject: Tranny Removal
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>A couple of years ago, I asked the same questions and did remove the
>transmission without pulling the engine. If I were to do it again, I'd
>just pull the dang engine. The only good thing about not pulling the
>engine was that I did not need an engine hoist. On the other hand, by the
>time you finish loosening or taking off everything you have to take off to
>allow the engine to rotate back, you are pretty much ready to pull the
>engine (see below). MOST IMPORTANTLY, I had one bitch of a time balancing
>the engine and the transmission both to pull back the transmission and then
>to try to line it up to put it back on without damaging the first motion
>shaft. And, I was very unhappy about how problematic it was to support the
>dangling engine and transmission.
>
>After doing everything to rotate the engine, this is all that is left to go
>all the way and pull the engine: disconnect (1) the oil cooler, if fitted,
>(2) the oil pressure guage line, (3) the fuel line and (4) the wires to the
>alternator. Less than 5 minutes of time, yet it save you all sorts of
>grunts and snorts in dealing with a very heavy, oily transmission on a
>strange angle.
>
>Now, if you insist on avoiding pulling the engine (as I did) here are a few
>other suggestions I got (and did) when I asked: (1) remove the radiator or
>take off the fan so that the fan does not rotate into the radiator, (2) if
>you just take off the fan, remove the hoses to the radiator because they
>WILL stop the engine from rotating enough, (3) disconnect the throttle
>mechanism (unless you have a cable set up), (4) loosen the front motor
>mounts so that all the twist does not come at the expense of the rubber
>(let it screw up the threads instead - ie a lose-lose situation), and (5) I
>found I had to remove the valve cover to get enough rotation for the tranny
>to clear.
>
>Also, be very careful on supporting the rear of the engine. I'm not sure
>what to suggest. The rear of the oil pan is angled, so you really can't
>get a good spot for full support. And be darn sure you clean off any oil
>so that whatever you use doesn't just slip right off.
>
> Now, are you sure you don't want to just pull the engine? Even now it
>sure sounds "easier" to not pull the engine. But, as I said, I think I'll
>pull the engine next time.
>
>Jay
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