Clutch Replacement question.....

[wrd1972]

Hello, I need to put a new clutch in my 95 z28. my question is do you pull the tranny from the bell housing then remove the bellhousing. Or do you pull the bell housing with the tranny still attached. It would make sense to me that if the tranny is removed from the bell housing then there wont be the access problem to the two hard to get top bolts.
Thanks
Bill

[Sean 94z28]

I don't think it can be removed from the bell housing first (the trans won't go back far enough for the input shaft to clear the bell housing). I must all come out together. The top bolts require about 4+ feet of extensions and can be accessed from the far end of the trans (along the top and sides).

I could be wrong. I know I took it all out together when I did the clutch on mine.

Good luck
Sean

[Injuneer]

I've pulled a T56 out several times (both LT1 and LS1 F-Bodys) without removing the bell-housing. You need to get the TA out of the way, pull the DS, remove the cross-member, remove the shifter, remove the slave cylinder, push up on the front of the engine to tilt the tranny down. The 2 top bolts are easiest to reach by making up a super long extension for your ratchet, and reaching through the shifter hole in the floor while someone under the car guides the socket onto the top bolts. Remember to pull the clutch fork off the T/O bearing, and the tranny will come out without the bell-housing. It weighs approx 120# wet, so a tranny jack or a couple strong friends are helpful.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Injuneer is the expert but the only thing you will save is removing the 8 bolts that holds the trans to the bellhousing. The extra effort required to save removing these 8 bolts in my opinion simply isn't worth it. It's tight under there.

[95TransAm]

I believe my first post ever on these boards was how to pull a tranny, and how to get those darn trans-engine bolts! I managed to get the top passengers over the top of the engine, but the drivers side was a different story. 3 1/2 feet of extensions, a bleeding hand, and a very short temper later, and that tranny was disconnected from that LT1. I might have an auto (for now), but its pretty much the same tight fit in some of those spaces.

I never tried Injuneers way, but it definitely seems like the best route. A buddy of mine was pretty much doing the same thing as you are, and i wish i would have thought of going through the shifter. We did the mile long extension thing, and it did work...tedious...but effective .

Good luck

[Joe 1320]

I usually do it the way Fred outlined. I find that removing the trans only leaves me plenty of room to accomplish whatever else is needed. come to think of it, that's the only way I've done it.

[azkkn]

you guys think its tight in an F-Body, try it in an LT-1 vette, you wouldnt think that it would have any less clearance being the same engine and tranny, but let me tell you, its definately tighter than my camaro. get help too, i took that t-56 out of the vette alone on the floor with the car up on jack stands. its heavy. putting it in my dad helped me, and it went a lot easier. i pulled the tranny off and left the bell housing on the motor, and i thing that was the best way. i put it on the same way too, easier to lign up the dowel pins on the bell housing with out the weight of the tranny on it.

[MN6WS6]

I pulled the tranny first on mine then the bellhousing, and it made life a whole lot simpler. I have a lot of tools, and the brain damage involved with trying to remove the whole thing in one swoop was too much for me to handle. Those bolts holding the tranny to the bell only took me about 3 minutes to get off.

One more thing, drain the tranny before you pull it. You might as well change the fluid while your under there, and if you don't drain it first, it's probably gonna spill all over God's creation anyway. So just drain it first and save yourself one hella cleanup later (I speak from experience on that one).

[Injuneer]

I forgot to include that critical step... if you don't drain it, cut the conical top off a plastic soda bottle, so the diameter is just slightly larger than the inside diameter of the output shaft housing. Push the soda bottle in over the output shaft and duct tape it to the housing..... no fluid drips. I'm just copying this stuff from the guys I worked with on other F-Bodys..... they seemed to know all the tricks. Somehow we end up doing a lot of this stuf in my garage because there is a good supply of tools, and a fridge for "cold beverages".

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Be careful. Like Squat13 said, when you lower the rear of your transmission or jack the front of the motor, you can brake off the oil pressure sensor (94-97 LT1). I broke mine this past weekend. I'm going to buy a 1 1/16" deep well socket to replace it. I can't get any tools back there.