Gearbox removal

[Sam]

Can anyone give advice on removing and refitting the gearbox from inside the car as the manuals suggest.

 

Do you need bionic arms or is there an easy way.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Sam

[jonlar]

Sam, my wife helped me with mine (6), me underneath supporting and levering (tyre lever), her inside the car guiding it backwards, until the prop shaft end cleared enough for input shaft to clear clutch - much easier than I expected, but I haven't put it back in yet.   I did find that supporting the rear of the engine to just and just foul the body made it easier.   I'd imagine the 4/4A is very similar.   Mine is J type with OD but isn't that heavy.

[Ade-TR4]

Hi Sam,

Jonlar's method is best if your "at home" (and have an understanding wife; my future wife is as mechanically minded as a fish!)

OK here goes...

1 - strip out the interior (both seats, the under dash support and the gearbox tunnel)

2 - raise the front of the car onto axle stands

3 - remove the clutch slave, starter motor, prop shaft, flywheel cover, speedo cable

4 - support the back of the engine under the sump and remove 2 large bolts at back of gearbox (o/s one may have exhaust support bracket too)

5 - undo 4 bolts and remove plate and rear gearbox rubber mount (goodtime to upgrade to revington's polybush version as the normal rubber ones do not last long!)

6 - undo bolts and remove gearbox (be careful not to raise engine too far as the bellhousing flange will catch on the bulkhead.) --> as the gearbox comes backwards, rotate the clutch arm downwards to avoid fouling the floor pans. Move the rear of the gearbox onto the n/s floor and "roll" the gearbox out. (Swearing IS compulsory as the gearbox comes out and scratches your nicely painted floors and catches the under dash wiring!)

7 - If there's any doubt about your clutch, replace it now as you will appreciate (if you've got this far) that this is not a procedure to be repeated regularly!!!

 

8 - when reinserting the gearbox, support the bellhousing from underneath and guide the input shaft into the spiggot (remembering to rotate the cluth lever out of the way of the floor). The person in the car holding the back of the 'box should "rock" the output flange (helps if it's in gear) to help line up the splines. The shaft should the slide home. Try NOT to let the gearbox "hang" on the input shaft until fully located on the rear engine dowels.

10 - bolt up the bellhousing and rear support then have a brew!

 

if i've missed out anything i'm sure it will be added!!!

 

good luck (it's really tricky the first time but gets quite straight forward --> the heardest bit is getting the splines to locate when reinserting the input shaft)

 

adey:D

[Sam]

Thanks chaps for the advice.

Managed to do it using a strategically placed trolley jack (more obedient than the wife with less complaining!). Getting it back in was a bitch though. I found it easied to omit the propshaft flange until it was roughly lined up. The clutch plate needs to be aligned very carefully - I used an old first motion shaft.

 

It would have been a lot easier if there was more clearance for the clutch arm in the floor pan. You also have to be careful not to drag the arm too far backwards as you are pushing the box forwards otherwise the release bearing disengage off the nose piece and the box has to be pulled back out far enough to get it back on.

 

Much easier with the body off!

 

Sam