Installing a trans in the old days by yourself; the way we old timers had to do it!

[340challconvert]

 

[Xcudame]

I watched my poor pop lift a transmission into his Mopar. Then when I got older, I showed him how to use wood blocks and a ten foot long 2x6! Then they came out with floor jacks we could afford. (dang! Am I dating myself?)

 

[tonysrt]

I had times when I had to replace a 3 speed tranny. So when my 68 Road Runner 4 speed blew the clutch, out of warranty of course, I knew I could do it myself. Living in Queens NY, and no garage, working on the street dropped the tranny and when it fell on my chest I thought I was going to have a crushed chest. I had no idea the weight of that thing. I tried like hell to get it back in, but to no avail. I had to get 2 friends that were weight lifters to get it back in. Now I have a 3 car garage, jacks that do my heavy lifting and a crane to remove and replace engines. I learned a lot working on the streets back then. The warranty on the clutch was 24,000 miles, but I had about 27,000 miles on it when it crapped out.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I have done 18 spline hemi boxes by myself in the past , couldn't lift the 727 without a jack !

 

[mrmopar340]

I put studs in the top holes of the bellhousing to make reassembly easier to do. Get it on the studs and wiggle it in.

 

[tonysrt]

I use B head bolts with the head cut off to align tranny. When I tried getting that 4 speed in, I could only lift the front on to the bellhousing and that was it. Couldn't lift the back to get it in there. Now my good friend Jack does all the heavy lifting.

 

[mrmopar340]

I use B head bolts with the head cut off to align tranny. When I tried getting that 4 speed in, I could only lift the front on to the bellhousing and that was it. Couldn't lift the back to get it in there. Now my good friend Jack does all the heavy lifting.

Ingenuity at its finest. If old age has taught me something it's how to find these shortcuts making things easier.

 

[rogue]

jack makes it easier to lift but it's still not "easy" alone since you have to wrestle it up onto the jack, keep it balanced while lifting it up and wresting it into place

 

[heminut]

I 'bench pressed' many 3 & 4 speeds back into place back in the day, and put a couple of auto trannys in with nothing but a cheap floor jack. No way I could do that now! I also picked up a Chevy shortblock (no heads or oilpan) off of a steel bench and carried it about 15 feet and set it on another steel bench back in high school auto shop class. If I even attempted that now, I would be laid up in bed for a week!

 

[hdwrench]

i remember them days and the stone driveway!

 

[340challconvert]

I did a number of automatics and 4 speeds in my younger days in driveways with a floor jack and strong legs! Now that I am old; I picked up an inexpensive low profile trans jack from Harbor Freight and recently installed my 727 in the A66 solo. Worked like a charm!

 

[Spadman]

About 1971, I was laying on concrete putting the A833 back after a clutch replacement. No such thing as alignment tools that I knew of then so I hooked up the pedal when I got it close and told my mother to press the clutch pedal. I was still struggling to get it in when she said, “Do you want me to push it again?” Yes, press and hold and it slid right on.

 

[rklein71]

About 1971, I was laying on concrete putting the A833 back after a clutch replacement. No such thing as alignment tools that I knew of then so I hooked up the pedal when I got it close and told my mother to press the clutch pedal. I was still struggling to get it in when she said, “Do you want me to push it again?” Yes, press and hold and it slid right on.

I have done something similar except I didn't tighten the pressure plate bolts all the way, just enough to keep the disc in place but still allow the disc to move around a bit. After the tranny was in, I would rotate the engine to tighten the pressure plate bolts.

 

[Spadman]

I have done something similar except I didn't tighten the pressure plate bolts all the way, just enough to keep the disc in place but still allow the disc to move around a bit. After the tranny was in, I would rotate the engine to tighten the pressure plate bolts.

That was a good work around. You know, as I think back, clutches didn’t last me very long back then. I got better at it as time went by.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have done dozens just like that in the old days. I have a transmission jack now that has now dozens and dozens more over the years on my vehicles and other buddies vehicles.

 

[Spadman]

I have done dozens just like that in the old days. I have a transmission jack now that has now dozens and dozens more over the years on my vehicles and other buddies vehicles.

Yeah, I need one of those. I’m just not as able now. It’s been a while since I tried it. I bet it would be shocking what 50 years has done.

 

[440WB]

View attachment 122214

I have done something similar except I didn't tighten the pressure plate bolts all the way, just enough to keep the disc in place but still allow the disc to move around a bit. After the tranny was in, I would rotate the engine to tighten the pressure plate bolts.

Right - same here, had to figure it our yourself. The wonderful days of the 70's !!!
Only a couple of garage/shops with a long wait. did that once, (while my car was parked outside in the lot a few days - it got broke into stealing my stereo with gauges) mostly changing my clutch every few weeks seemed like ( would go thru Throw Out Bearings )
I would go in the street in front of my house, driving the car up on the curb passenger side - would give me extra height... using my knee's would lift and get her in.

 

[6PKRTSE]

Yeah, I need one of those. I’m just not as able now. It’s been a while since I tried it. I bet it would be shocking what 50 years has done.

Here is the jack I purchased from Horror Freight over 25 years ago. Hard to believe it was only like $45.99 back then.

 

[Deathproofcuda]

I bench pressed the four speed back into my Cuda one afternoon after high school. Feeling all proud of myself, I told my dad about my progress when he got home from work. He looked at the work bench in the garage and pointed out the new throwout bearing still sitting there in the box.

 

[Spadman]

I bench pressed the four speed back into my Cuda one afternoon after high school. Feeling all proud of myself, I told my dad about my progress when he got home from work. He looked at the work bench in the garage and pointed out the new throwout bearing still sitting there in the box.

Now that stuff hurts. I know by experience!