<VV> Removing transmission on early Corvairs

[Tony Underwood]

At 06:04 hours 04/15/2005, Clark Hartzel wrote:
>Mr. Hubbell says you have to remove the entire powertrain to get the trans
>off.  I beg to differ.
>I have replaced transmissions on earlies by just lowering the front of the
>powertrain until the trans clears the horsecollar and the body.  It's not
>easy but it can be done.  The problem is if the car is level or worse yet
>just jacked up in the rear, the trans will almost fall off but very
>difficult to muscle it back uphill to reattach it.  You can't use a
>floorjack as the trans comes off at an angle.  So it is lay on your back and
>try to lift it with your arms.  Weird as it sounds it would be better to
>jack up the front of the vehicle about 5' off the ground so the trans comes
>out level with the ground.
>Clark Hartzel




Great minds think alike.   ;)

I've replaced both a 4-speed and a Powerglide in this manner on 
earlies.    And you're right, jacking up the *front* helps a lot when you 
put the transmission back.    It *is* an adventure juggling the 
transmission around so as to not bend the shaft; it likely wouldn't bend in 
any event but I still was afraid something evil  would happen if I let the 
transmission rest on the shaft.    A floor jack helps, if it's under the 
differential and the rear of the car is up a bit (of course the front still 
needs to be higher) to allow some wiggle room.    It does save considerable 
time and effort swapping a gearbox this way.

And, it offers the option of your being able to do it by yourself in the 
back yard with nothing but one floor jack, two tree stumps, and a 
trunk-carried tool box to work with.    Removing and reinstalling the 
entire driveline with limited tools by yourself is not an easy approach 
under the best conditions and damned near impossible when the job is taking 
place in a friend's  back yard and he's such a nimrod you will remain happy 
that he's NOT helping you.

This guy would buy a new car every two-three years because he thought the 
interest deducted "from taxes" was free money given by the government.

tony..