Transmission removal questions - 2002 Z71
01-28-2014 | 09:16 AM
#11
Your Y pipe should come off pretty easy then , hopefully you used band clamps on it . Mine comes off easy.
Also as hinted above the bell housing dowels may be galded or stuck in the engine block . You'll need a good pry bar and some patience to split it apart possibly.
The stock converter bolts suck as they are socket allen head cap screws , a def pain in the *** to try to get out .
Good luck my friend .
Also as hinted above the bell housing dowels may be galded or stuck in the engine block . You'll need a good pry bar and some patience to split it apart possibly.
The stock converter bolts suck as they are socket allen head cap screws , a def pain in the *** to try to get out .
Good luck my friend .
01-28-2014 | 09:27 AM
#12
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (42)
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 4
From: Baltimore, MD.
Your Y pipe should come off pretty easy then , hopefully you used band clamps on it . Mine comes off easy.
Also as hinted above the bell housing dowels may be galded or stuck in the engine block . You'll need a good pry bar and some patience to split it apart possibly.
The stock converter bolts suck as they are socket allen head cap screws , a def pain in the *** to try to get out .
Good luck my friend .
Also as hinted above the bell housing dowels may be galded or stuck in the engine block . You'll need a good pry bar and some patience to split it apart possibly.
The stock converter bolts suck as they are socket allen head cap screws , a def pain in the *** to try to get out .
Good luck my friend .
Yes, I definitely used the stainless band clamps, but did mistakingly use the collector flange (swingset) hardware that came with the headers, and they are very rusty. Damn, allen heads on a converter? WTF were they thinking when they designed that? Might as well have used a TORX head and really screwed us, LOL.
01-28-2014 | 09:34 AM
#13
Thanks Tim. Hope you're doing well. Obviously, I'm not on here too much lately. Haven't really done anything at all to the truck, aside from putting it back to stock height and using it to tow the Chevelle every once in a while.
Yes, I definitely used the stainless band clamps, but did mistakingly use the collector flange (swingset) hardware that came with the headers, and they are very rusty. Damn, allen heads on a converter? WTF were they thinking when they designed that? Might as well have used a TORX head and really screwed us, LOL.
Yes, I definitely used the stainless band clamps, but did mistakingly use the collector flange (swingset) hardware that came with the headers, and they are very rusty. Damn, allen heads on a converter? WTF were they thinking when they designed that? Might as well have used a TORX head and really screwed us, LOL.
Well if the collector bolts give you a fit , just zip them off and use two new bolts with some lock washers , you should be fine .
Yeah just be careful as you know to make sure the Allen wrench seats all the way in the head of the bolt . Now my truck had these style bolts but it's a 2000, maybe you'll get lucky .
Like many of you guys here , wish I was closer and could lend a hand , if ya get stuck post up !
01-28-2014 | 09:46 AM
#14
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (42)
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 4
From: Baltimore, MD.
I had to give up the motorcycles due to the old back, but I had to have something to toy around with...so I rewound myself back about 25 years, lol. 
Here's a little Go-Pro fun I had with it about a month ago, before I put it away for the winter. It had a turd of a 402 big block in it, which was unacceptable, so I built a little 427 for it.
Big Block Chevelle fun after work - YouTube
Here's a little Go-Pro fun I had with it about a month ago, before I put it away for the winter. It had a turd of a 402 big block in it, which was unacceptable, so I built a little 427 for it.
Big Block Chevelle fun after work - YouTube
01-28-2014 | 09:49 AM
#16
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (42)
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 4
From: Baltimore, MD.
No sir, I won't. I have access to a short one, for working on jackstands, and a 7' one for use with a lift...I just need another set of hands so I don't get myself in a pickle like I did when I installed the engine in my car.
01-28-2014 | 12:53 PM
#17
TECH Resident
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 870
Likes: 0
From: Enid, OK
For what it's worth you can get the rear main seal housing which doubles as the rear engine cover, with seal installed, a new gasket and new bolts from GM cheaper then you can get just the gasket and seal. I've seen the gasket leak more then I have the rear seal.
01-28-2014 | 02:08 PM
#20
I have a gauge for that
iTrader: (42)
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,266
Likes: 394
From: Huntsville, AL
I have dropped my tranny 5 times and can now do it in under 3 hours. Last time was a couple weeks ago and I did did all by myself on jack stands and didn't spill a drop of fluid. Practice makes perfect. I found it has been easier to drop it with the transfer case still on. You have to remove the torsion bar cross member, the tail end of the tcase can pivot on the frame cross member and helps with balancing it when using a floor jack. You need to make sure you have truck jacked up high enough so the bell housing will clear the fly wheel and oil pan when you are angling it down, my running boards are 20" off the ground on the jack stands. The shift indicator connectors are usually stuck so I left them connected and just unbolted the shift indicator and just pushed it to the side., use a scribe and score around the bolts so you can put it back in the same position. When I had a shop do it once they broke the shift indicator trying to remove the connectors. I should have told the what to do, cost me a new indicator.
Good luck.
PS if you go with dropping the torsion bars be sure to use a proper torsion key unloading tool and mark the torsion key bolts so you can put them back in the same place. A heavy duty c clamp will not work and is unsafe.
Good luck.
PS if you go with dropping the torsion bars be sure to use a proper torsion key unloading tool and mark the torsion key bolts so you can put them back in the same place. A heavy duty c clamp will not work and is unsafe.
Originally Posted by oldred
For what it's worth you can get the rear main seal housing which doubles as the rear engine cover, with seal installed, a new gasket and new bolts from GM cheaper then you can get just the gasket and seal. I've seen the gasket leak more then I have the rear seal.