DIY Network

Clutch Replacement: Transmission Removal From "Weekend Mechanic" episode WKM-306

Safety Alert: Dropping a heavy transmission out of a vehicle is difficult and must be done safely. A special transmission jack is required. Never use an ordinary car-jack to lower a transmission. A transmission is heavy and could fall off of an ordinary car-jack.

Weekend Mechanic host Bruce Bonebrake continues work on a worn-out clutch on a Ford F-250. In this segment, the truck's transmission is removed in order to access the clutch and get the clutch repairs underway.

Materials:

In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, etc.), some of the specialty tools that will be needed for this project include a transmission jack, torque wrench, clutch-alignment tool, vehicle jack, jack-stands and hydraulic bleed tool. An air-compressor and set of pneumatic tools will also be very helpful for this project.

DIY Difficulty Rating for Repair: This job is a fairly advanced job and does require some special tools. We gave it a difficulty rating of 4 on a 5-point intermediate-level scale. It took us about 8 hours to finish this job.

Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with power tools and when working underneath a vehicle. Also, wear ear protection and eye protection whenever working with pneumatic tools.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Transmission Removal

Safety Alert: Dropping a heavy transmission out of a vehicle is difficult and must be done safely. A special transmission jack is required. Be certain that the transmission jack that you use is rated to handle the weight of your vehicle's transmission.

Safety Alert: As a standard safety precaution, always disconnect the vehicle's negative battery cable before you begin work on any electrical or mechanical components. On this truck, there are two batteries so we disconnected both negative battery cables.

• Inside the vehicle cab, remove the gear-shift boot (figure A).

• Note: Before removing the boot and shifter, put the truck's transmission in neutral. This will help ease the removal of the driveshaft bolts

• With the gear-shift boot out of the way, disconnect the shifter by removing the two securing bolts. Once the bolts have been removed, the inner boot can be removed and set aside, then the shifter can be carefully lifted out of the top of the transmission (figure B).

  Tip: To keep dirt out of the transmission during the remainder of this project, stuff a clean shop-rag into the shifter opening.
  

  
  

• To remove the driveshaft from the truck, loosen and remove the bolts on the brackets that hold the universal joints in place (figure C). This is a good time to inspect the universal joints for damage or wear.

• With the bolts and brackets removed, carefully lower the driveshaft from the vehicle (figure D).

• If there are any wiring harnesses or cables in this area, they must be removed before proceeding with removal of the transmission. On our truck, only a single wiring harness had to be removed.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  
  

• With the driveshaft removed, the cross-member that supports the transmission and holds it secure to the frame can be removed. First, the transmission jack must be raised up so that it's centered properly and supporting the transmission. Once the jack is in place, a safety is run over the top of the transmission to ensure that the jack cannot fall off of the jack when it's lowered.
  

  
  

• With the transmission jack safely supporting the transmission, you may now unbolt the cross-member (figures E and F), and remove it from the frame.

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  	Figure G
  	Figure H

  
  

• A block of wood placed between the engine oil-pan and the truck's frame as a spacer (figure G) will help keep the transmission stabilized as it is lowered from the vehicle.

• With the jack positioned properly, and the wood spacer in place, the engine and transmission can be slowly lowered with the jack, against the block of wood, until they stop moving. The bolts that hold the transmission onto the engine can be removed. An extension will be required to reach these bolts.

  Once engine-to-transmission bolts have all been removed, check to ensure that the safety chain is in place and -- with the assistance of a second person to help steady it -- slowly and carefully lower the transmission (figure H). Lower the transmission very carefully to ensure that it doesn't slip off the jack or damage any engine parts. Even once the jack is all the way to the ground, be careful to ensure that the transmission doesn't fall off as you roll it from beneath the vehicle.
  

  	Once the transmission is safely removed, the clutch assembly is visibl
  	Safety Alert: As a standard safety precaution, always disconnect the vehicle's negative battery cable before you begin work on any electrical or mechanical components. Diesel trucks like this one have two batteries, so disconnect both negative cables.

  
  

Important: Included in this segment are the steps in this automotive procedure as shown in the episode. These steps are general guidelines that are applicable to most vehicles. With any particular vehicle, there may be procedures, specifications, settings, tolerances, components, etc. that are specific to that vehicle. There are also variations according to the type and brand of repair-kit you select. Always consult your vehicle's service manual when undertaking significant automotive repairs, and read and follow the manufacturer's directions and precautions that come with your kit or replacement parts.

RESOURCES :

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Car Care
Author: Dan Ramsey
ISBN: 0028635833
Alpha Books

Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896