Auto transmission swap?

Paul K

Paul K

Well-known member
May 1, 2004
316
0
La Grande, Oregon
All:

Where's the best place to get a how-to on replacing a D1 automatic transmission? I have a '95 D1 that only goes backwards. From all the research I've done, the transmission is probably toast- so I bought a used one. I got a couple of estimates on the swap, and they were about $1k. I'm willing to do it myself (with help) but I've never done one before & am not sure in which order stuff comes off/goes on. I have an inspection pit, and have rigged up a 'sled' that will slide under the D1 so we can support the old tranny & then jack the replacement into place. Also have a good selection of tools. I have a transmission service kit en route from RN. I've searched here & on YouTube, to no avail. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Paul.
 
H

HiSPL

Well-known member
Aug 28, 2016
76
3
College Station , TX
Its just bolts. It should be pretty obvious that stuff thats in the way has to be moved. Then unbolt the transmission. Slide it back and down. Not too difficult, just time consuming and involves a fair amount of yoga.

The only real gotcha is making sure the torque converter is seated 100% all the way on the new trans before bolting it up.
 
luckyjoe

luckyjoe

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2004
462
129
New Jersey USA
Years ago I pulled the Trans/t-case together with the help of a few friends. To slide them out from under the D1 combined I think I needed ~24-inches of clearance at the sills. This was accomplished with the wheels still on and sitting on 4x6 cribbing. Over the next week or so I separated them, replaced all the seals and swapped the trans with a low-mileage used ZF. Going back in I went ZF first, then t-case second.

Not a bad project to undertake. I threw a whole lot of preventative maintenance at it at the same time. Only modifications I made were to remove the shift safety interlocks while everything was apart.
 
Tugela

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,763
564
Seattle
What's the problem with only going backwards? It seems like half the chase scenes in Dukes of Hazzard involved one or more cars driving in reverse.

I can't answer your question, but I will make an observation. While you have the transmission and transfer case apart you have a golden opportunity to perform as many other projects as possible to prolong the life of the drivetrain. For example, output shafts and bearings, gaskets, drive shaft u-joints, etc. The more you do the more you save. Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom