HOW TO: Remove Your 5-speed Getrag tranny From The Bottom

[kuntzie]

1st off... i most likely missed allot of steps, and ill will add as questions are answered, etc etc etc...... and check my spelling later too

IT IS possible to remove your transmission without removing the subframe

Alright, since i recently replaced took the Transmission out of my car, ill explain what i did. (getrag 284 transmission)

NOTE this was with a 5-speed transmission, and i DID NOT have to drop the whole Subframe

1. I started off by Removing the battery from the car/ and removed the drive side brace (felt it was easiest that way) and i removed the hood off the car for more room

2. I took all the lines off the turbo, and then used a 13mm (or 1/2") ratchet wrench to remove the bolts from the downpipe (5 of them) and then the 4 on the x-over pipe.
the turbo has to be removed to access the transmission bolts.

3. i then took off my x-over because i decided to header wrap it up real nice to keep the engine cool  everything else is already done so it was planned

4. jacked up the front of the car on the subframe and used an impact to remove the front tires

5. put jackstands (3) on the frame of the car (not the subframe on the driver side)

6. removed the brake caliper from the driver side front rotor. and tied it to the hood hinge

7.  (driver side) removed/ separated the ball joint from the control arm, and then remove the strut from the car by taking the 3 strut bolts off (1/2") from the strut tower

8. Drained the transmission fluid

9. unplugged all sensors etc on the transmission, and removed the shifter cables from the bracket.

10. put a jack stand under the tranny,  left 1 bolt in the tranny slightly loosened and removed all the rest (18mm)
 
11. removed dogbones from the top of the engine, leaving them on the dogbone mounts

12.  went back underneath and removed the bushings from the driver side., had it jacked right the control arm on the subframe

13. slowly lowered the jack and the engine and tranny went on a nice angle.

14. removed 4 bolts off the tranny mount

15. removed that last bolt on the tranny

16.  pulled and pulled until the tranny finally break loose from the engine

17. slid the tranny out the wheelwell.


 

[Invasion1]

Added as a Sticky.

Title Edited.

Spell Checked.

[TGPilot]

Yet another reason to own a 5speed....ease of removal!

Good write-up man.

[sleeperred90tgp]

Hay Jeff,
Good write up. So your saying you let the motor and sub frame hange by the passenger side SF mounts. Did you have to hold the motor up? I guess the next question is how are you going to get it back in? Area wise looks like an auto could come out the same way. Granted it's a little bigger and heavier.

Keep us informed.

Jud

[kuntzie]

oh the only reason i posted is becuse the tranny went in smpoother then icecream :)     a 2x4 and chains onheld up the engine, with a jack on the oilpan justincase it wanted to fall

[kuntzie]

well i successfully did this in a 1997 gp and a 96 cavalier (both auto) so im convinced that the autos in the tgps can be done this way aswell.

[TGPilot]

I did a clutch in a 2000 Cavalier about a month ago. Couldn't use a tranny jack...couldn't use a floor jack. You have to rotate the tranny out of the cradle towards the front of the car. Putting it back in I grabbed the tranny and heaved it onto my shoulder to set it up in place while it was on the lift. Hernia #1!

[kuntzie]

hmm i alsways just jack up the front when doing a trans on a 3rd gen cavalier

[stockgp]

since i've had some trouble with this, i'll throw a few suggestions in.

for an auto tranny:

remove fuel lines.  a getrag is smaller, so you may not have to.  but, when i removed my auto, the fuel lines were just about ruined because the cradle had to drop so far.

remove the speed sensor.  it may hang up on the downpipe bracket.

have a helper.  i decided to remove it myself.  when i finally figured out what was hanging it up, i gave a good yank and it came out.  problem is, i didn't expect it to come out as fast as it did, and it crushed my hand.  the tranny pan or the valve body cover cut two of my fingers open and bruised them quite badly.

[PhatMpk]

is this the same procedure for a 4t60?

[stockgp]

yes.  if you refer to my post right above yours i make a few suggestions for the 4t60.  it's still pretty much the same

[PhatMpk]

thanks Matt im looking into finding a replaced trans asap