The DareDevil

I was able to stick my hand through the large opening on the transmission bell housing and slide the coupling by hand.

Legoland951

Make sure both bolts are completely out of the coupler. Bolt ALL the transmission bellhousing bolts back TIGHT as if you are reinstalling the transmission. Use a flathead screwdriver (large) and pry against the front of the coupler through the hex screw bolt access hole to move it back an inch. Then take a big angled prybar from the large access hole and pry against the back of the coupler since moving it back 1 inch gives you an access point to pry on the coupler all the way out. NEVER undo the bell housing bolts without taking the coupler off first as that will bend the couple and possibly break it. The torque tube center is not easy to bend fortunately.

MM951

Hey, all bolts are in tight. Should I bolt the transmission x-member up again? I'm hoping to have this all done by today, wish me luck

Thanks guys
Mike

Legoland951

If you had the crossmember and bellhousing bolts off, the only thing holding the transmission on is the coupler. Get a new one. If the welds are not broken on the rectangular part, its most likely bent or damaged especially when you run the engine in that configuration for 2 seconds. My guess is you will have spend more time trying to put the old one back than it took you to take it apart unless you get another one.

IceShark

Yes. If you leave the transmission cross member loose there is probably enough slop to bind up the coupling.

shmucklebuckle

Do everything mentioned (crowbar, hammer, bolts, etc), and add a little bit of heat and some heavy gloves (so you don't burn your hands). Take a Propane torch, and heat the coupling, but not the shafts, if you can help it. Just don't point the flame directly at the shafts, and you should be ok. The heat should cause the coupler to expand a bit, and slide off easier. HTH.

MM951

I am so frustrated with this car. I did EVERYTHING mentioned and used a torch...got the coupling to move some but still not enough. I can't believe how long doing the freaking transmission is taking. One problem after another on this POS. I have countless cuts and pieces of metal in my eye from this car and I'm about ready to give up on it. I haven't had transportation since EARLY July because of this

The coupling is back enough that I can't see the square part the bolt goes into in the round access hole. It won't go ANY past that. With prybars, constant heat on it, etc.

The DareDevil

Did both the bolts come out with ease? How do they look?

MM951

Hey, both bolts came out easy. They looked really clean. I had both rubber covers on the transmission.

Thanks
Mike

35thSLP

If you are using a transmission jack secure the trany to the jack with the saftey chains and unbolt it from the torque tube. keep the trany level with the torque tube and have a helper control the jack. now pry the sleeve off of the drive shaft while moving the transmission to the rear of the car. once the transmission is out you can slide if forward to get it off of the transmission. It sounds like the mishap earlier bent the sleeve enough for it to bind up. Use a new sleeve to put the thing back together. Good Luck!

Jfrahm

Using heat to get this part off? I don't know about that. Gotta be the alignment. Torque the torque tube bolts and look to see if everything is completely square. Bet it isn't .

-Joel.

MM951

Hey, I didn't loosen the torque tube bolts at all. I may not get what your saying by making sure everything is square since I haven't gotten underneath the car again and looked. Do you mean lined up?

Getting sick now is gonna make working on the car more of a PITA..ohwell

Thanks for the help guys
Mike

Yabo

Didn't you saythe jack dropped and the tranny hung only connected by the sleeve for a bit? I'm going to guess that is the probelm.

Here's an idea.. I don't know if you can fit, or have a blade long enough for a sawzall, but reach it up in there, and cut to the furthest back on the sleeve that you can get to. Cut straight through the transmission shaft and the sleeve. Pull the tranny, then you can just pull/wack the sleeve off the torque tube shaft.

35thSLP

I i were going to try and cut the sleeve I would cut it between the two shafts. getting something in there to cut the sleeve may be a trick though, it is pretty tight in there.

Legoland951

Sawsall won't reach in there. The most critical part is using the big screwdriver to pry the first inch from the front bolt access hole. If you don't know what you are doing, maybe ask someone who does or take it to a shop. Your only other option if you can't take it off "the easy way" would be to do something drastic like breaking it off by hanging the transmission on it while prying on it and replacing anything else that breaks along the way (hopefully not having it drop on your head). Otherwise, you have to sawsall/torch the transmission bell housing so you can cut that part off and replacing the torque tube or transmissionn in the process.

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing. If I were a betting man, I bet I can get that thing off in about 10 minutes.