Trans/Transfercase install tips?

[fishEH]

I need to install a TC and R380 into my D1.
Are there any tips or tricks for getting them into position, lined up, and bolted in?
If I make the adaptor plates described in the Rave, what do I mount them on and how?
I used a couple jacks and cam buckle straps to drop them in a somewhat contolled method, but that won't work for reinstall.

 

[p m]

Brett, a Harbor Freight lift cart works for this kind of stuff.

 

[Mongo]

sucks ass doing it the driveway...no easy way to get to the top bolts on the bellhousing while lying on your back.

 

[squirt]

When I've done it in the past, I've used a trans jack, and dropped the truck by taking the wheels/front springs off to drop the front end. Alternately, you could build a short wooden platform for the job, but trans jack is critical. This is the one I've used many times over the years - can't complain.

https://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-60234.html

 

[Icannap1]

When I had to teardown the tranny and tc I used the HF jack as Squirt listed on his post it did a great job but to clear the bottom of the truck you will need to remove the tranny off of the jack unless your rover sits higher and clears the bottom when sliding the tranny out. putting it back in was easier as long as you install the tranny without the tc. Easy way was to slide the tranny under the truck then wrap a tie down strap under the tranny have someone inside pull up the strap to lift a corner up then slide the tranny back onto the HF tranny jack to clear the bottom of the truck for reinstallation. Then install the tc.

 

[fishEH]

Being the cheap bastard that I am and wanting to spend as little money as possible on a tool I'll use probably once, would this one work? https://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-61232.html
Or is the tilt function of the 800lb unit a "must have"?

 

[mearstrae]

Last year, when I had to change the tranny in the street, I used the cheap HF jack and it worked pretty well. I pulled the tranny and transfer separately, And pulled the shifter console because the cables were toast (the front drive shaft went through the trans and beat everything in its path). So the top bolts were easy to get to. I also made two long studs out of bolts with the heads cut off to help remove and install both the trans and transfer (so things didn't just pop loose and drop). This made it easy to get in place and then align the input and output shafts. I used ramps but still had to jack the truck up more to get the trans out from underneath. Pulling separately let me address the various end seals as well. Also, I did this without removing the torque converter, using the alignment pins made this easy to reinstall into the converter.

 

[aliastel]

The tilt function makes it a lot easier. You can usually rent transmission jacks for not much. I usually lift the transmission and transfer case in as a unit with a ratchet strap attached from the end of the tc to the jack to keep it stable.

 

[p m]

Being the cheap bastard that I am and wanting to spend as little money as possible on a tool I'll use probably once, would this one work? https://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-61232.html
Or is the tilt function of the 800lb unit a "must have"?

I have one you linked. Tried it once, and it was too unstable for comfort and transmission was difficult to attach to it. When I finally did it, the transmission sat so high up that it wouldn't clear the framerails (the same would be true to the lifting cart option, just to a lesser degree).

 

[aliastel]

sucks ass doing it the driveway...no easy way to get to the top bolts on the bellhousing while lying on your back.

I get at them by removing the console and shifter and unbolting/bolting them from the top with a long extension. Really easy and quick that way.

 

[aliastel]

I have one you linked. Tried it once, and it was too unstable for comfort and transmission was difficult to attach to it. When I finally did it, the transmission sat so high up that it wouldn't clear the framerails (the same would be true to the lifting cart option, just to a lesser degree).

I just put the whole vehicle up on heavy duty jack stands to their highest setting. I also did it once with one axle on ramps and the rear on jack stands. Then the transmission and tc will clear the frame rails.while on the jack.

 

[p m]

I just put the whole vehicle up on heavy duty jack stands to their highest setting. I also did it once with one axle on ramps and the rear on jack stands. Then the transmission and tc will clear the frame rails.while on the jack.

I know there's a way to use it, otherwise nobody would buy it. I just wanted to point out that the collapsed height of that transmission jack is pretty darn generous - besides clearance issues, having two hundred pounds wobbling around on that thing was not confidence-inspiring.

 

[aliastel]

I know there's a way to use it, otherwise nobody would buy it. I just wanted to point out that the collapsed height of that transmission jack is pretty darn generous - besides clearance issues, having two hundred pounds wobbling around on that thing was not confidence-inspiring.

An extra ratchet strap on the tc stabilizes it pretty well.

 

[fishEH]

Thanks guys. I'm probably going to mate up the trans/bellhousing first, then do the TC second instead of doing it as one big unit.
I've got some feelers out on FB to borrow a jack. I'll also reach out to some auto parts stores, see if they have loaners. If not I'll buy one of the Harbor Freight ones and make it work. I'm sure I "could" make a floor jack and straps work but that seems like a lot of assing around.
I think no matter what I'll have an issue rolling the trans and jack under the truck and clearing the framerails. I'll most likely jack up the side of the truck, wheel the tans/jack under, then drop the side down.

 

[squirt]

Another option is to effectively rent a decent trans jack by buying and re-selling. There are always people looking for used ones that they need for a single job, such as yourself.

I'm also a cheap bastard, but I wouldn't use anything less than the 800lb HF one I posted. Lessons hard learned. Regardless, I'd do the trans and TC separately. There's no time savings if you can't maneuver the thing around.

 

[Jimmy]

I built square stands out of layers of 3/4" plywood (securely attached to each other so there's no shifting, etc.) to raise the jack stands up enough to raise the vehicle, so that I could slide the transmission in and out on the garage floor. I have a HF long-travel floor jack, so I can safely get a vehicle up a few feet up... but the standard 3 ton jack stands aren't close to being tall enough to take advantage of that.

I went even cheaper and used a transmission adapter for a floor jack from HF. Since it's a cheap-as-shit piece, the transmission likes to roll/shift on it, so I'd use another jack of some kind to help rotate and angle the mess together. It's a real pain of a balancing act to make it work. Good luck getting a decent/proper jack to do the job.

The next time I need a clutch done, it's going to a shop. I'm over it.

 

[HiSPL]

I've done a couple of transmissions this way. Cribbing blocks for the front, rear was on ramps. Motorcycle jack for the transmission. I still had to put a couple of 4x4's between the trans and the Jack to get it high enough.

 

[luckyjoe]

That's exactly how I did the swap in my D1: cribbing under the wheels, borrowed motorcycle jack, then trans and t-case installed one at a time. The cribbing allows enough height to roll the jack in with the case strapped on it.

 

[fishEH]

A friend did offer up his motorcycle jack.....
Why are you guys cribbing under the wheels? Wouldn't a set of jack stands under the axle work well?

That's exactly how I did the swap in my D1: cribbing under the wheels, borrowed motorcycle jack, then trans and t-case installed one at a time. The cribbing allows enough height to roll the jack in with the case strapped on it.

 

[gimebakmybulits]

I know its a dick move but Harbor Freight's rental .... I mean return policy is pretty good.......especially if it "didn't work". I've got the 800# version and if you want to see what freight would be you are welcome to it.