I had a thread going this week about my starter going bad because it would not engage right no matter how I shimmed it.
I pulled the old one today and I sure as heck don't like what I found.
The starter gear is a little worn, but when I looked at my flywheel, i found that it is completely ground down. I am assuming I had too much of a gap between the starter and flywheel so they started wearing.
At this point I am assuming the worst, that I will have to pull the motor back out to replace the flexplate.

Anyone who has tried to pull a big block trans with the engine still in, is it even possible? Seems like stabbing the trans back onto the engine would be a b-tch to line up under the car.
Tremec 5-speec with the muncie bellhousing.

 

Do you have a removable crossmember? I made mine removable and I don't even mind pulling the tranny anymore.

If you have a removable crossmember I'd just drop the tranny. I can probably get mine out within 2 hours.

I have a Richmond 6 speed and it's a heavy biatch. Last time I used the hoist (with a chain through the shifter hole) lift it back up, then slid the jack (with a plate) back under to tweak it into sliding in. I found that if I push it up fairly high it is easier to align...worked so well that I had to pull it back out to see if I did something wrong, but no, lifted it up high again....and it slid right in.

Pretty sure I'll be doing it again after summer...... if my plan to go to a 200-4R comes together..... I'll time myself then.

 

It is the stock crossmember , but I have had it off before. So I think I could to that.

 

Ouch! You really need the correct alignment tool/dowel to set the transmission back into place. The tool helps you line up the clutch so the job isn't AS terrible.
I haven't done a trans-stab in 50 years, but I would hope you WOULD NOT have to remove the engine, but could remove the driveshaft-etc./unbolt slide the transmission and bell housing far enough rearward to replace worn parts...then use the alignment dowel/tool to center everything so the trans can be re-stabbed (rookie rough guess).

 

Yeah I've still got that tool from when we first put in the trans and engine. (Filed under "Tools I won't need again". HA!)
I'm going to try that approach and try to NOT pull the engine. Oh well, it will give me a chance to clean some things up under there and find my trans fluid leak. (Trying to find a bright side here)

 

I know there is a bolt on each end of the cross member and I think I remember taking it out.
Anyone with a 68 know if the stock crossmember is removable?

 

I can reposition the driveshaft up and away from it's standard placement such that there is room to back the tranny out. Haven't had to remove it..... I would suspect you could do something like that? Is your tremec longer than a stock Muncie tranny?

 

I think it is a bit longer.
Not a ton though. The PerfectFit kit came with a new driveshaft and an adapter to the crossmember.

 

I'd shove a new starter in there, shim it tight and see how long it goes. It might give you a little time to plan things out.

 

The big block part of the equation is no problem - a tranny is no harder to pull with a big block or a small block. Your problem is the size of that Tremec 5-speed... Last time I did one I just pulled the whole engine/tranny as an assembly - it's easier than trying to drop the tranny by itself:

Lars

 

With removable transmission cross members. I always installed the engine first from the side never removing the hood. Because that just adds man hours to the job.

You support the rear of the engine on the oil pan. Tilting it down so you can R&R the bell housing and then stab the transmission

Never never use the tranny ears and bolts to suck it in.

 

Yeah it is highly likely I might end up having to do that. We dropped the engine/trans in together so I'm confident in that. I was just hoping I could replace it without dropping the trans.

 

I hear you, but then I am taking a chance of leaving myself stranded somewhere and having to get it towed home.
An much as it hurts to end my summer a month early when Seattle doesn't get much summer, I like that more than having her wind up on another flatbed.

 

I do not remember if your car was originally a stick or an auto. The factory auto crossmember is removeable with a bolt, the factory manual trans crossmember is welded in.
The Silversport site has a video to show you how to put a tremec in with a welded in crossmember, and it is not pretty, but it works.
If that is what you have, I would sawzall the welded in crossmember out, and make it a removeable one. There is a bracket conversion kit for that.
I did it to mine.
It can even be added with the body on.
You'll thank yourself next time around.
The welded in trans crossmember is such a dumb design, it makes maintenance just overly hard! And to what end?

 

So this is very interesting. Because I thought Mine was stick when stock, but my cross member does have a bolt on each end and I "thought" I remembered it coming out (or maybe I just hallucinated that).
For the replaceable, is there welding involved?

 

Hi Scott....If you had an autpmatic in there before it is removable and has bolts on each end at the frame. If it is not removable you can use the kit that Leigh showed and yes it needs welding. You would have to have welding blanket draped over the old frame and have a squirt bottle handy for when the fire blanket catches fire. If you are calm you can just squirt it out. You dont have to use the 3 fire extinguishers you hsould have nearby...and by nearby I mean next to your ear if youa re on your back under there welding like I did. Its far more difficilt to cut the frame straight than it was to weld upside down.

As for doing it without it being removable I would pull the hole thing as a unit. I tried pulling my muncie out once with the crossmember in ther an dit was a lot of swearing and pushing and twisting just to get it in. Aligning it suuu-uuuu-uuucked. I have had my 5 speed in and out 5 times in the last 2 months...maybe 6 or 7 with the swap back to the 4 speed and back again. You can pull the flywheel off with the engine still in but you need a flywheel tooth engagemnt tool. Its like a big spanner wrench that grabs the flywheel teeth in 2 spots so you can hold it still. You maybe able to use a screw driver in the teeth and jam it against one of the alignment dowels but with your teeth, who knows.../

To pull the tranny with a removable crossmember:

1. So it easiest way to do it is to grab the back of the engine with a cherry picker adn lift it up a 1/8th inch just to get the pressure off the tranny.
2. disconnect the shift lever adn remove it on a 5 speed. On a muncie you just pull the shift arms off the tranny and let them hang. you can pull the shifter with the crossmember.
3. disconnect and remove the driveshaft at the slip yoke and the diff yoke.
4. remove the parking brake wheel and let the cable hang or stuff it up somewhere....its going to get in the way if you dont
5. remove the speedo cable
6. disconnect the clutch linkage, if you can get the clutch arm out then take it out if not them when you pull it the throw out bearing will slide off so youneed ot keep and eye on that
7. Then unbolt the tranny mounts and pull out the crossmember if its removable and all the mounting hardware, disconnect the exhaust or make it loose enough at the header flange or manifold flange that it can move.
8. I have 2 different tranny jacks, one is a crank and the other is hydraulic. Once you lower the tranny strap it on because you will want it when you install the tranny.
9. if you have someone handy have them slowly lower the engine until the chrome shielding on the distributor just touuched the wiper washer pump, if not you will be doing alot of climbing in and out
10. then put the tranny jack under the tranny and lift it until you get some pressure on it.
11. unbolt the 4 bolts and walk it out balancing it on the jack....when I use the cheap harbor freight scissors jack I use a drill with a 1/2 inch socket drive in it to make it fast. You will need to grease the crap out of it because it hangs up and it will come down like a guillotine and take off a finger or 3.
12. lower it and crawl it out.
13. take off the bellhousing
14. use that special tool and take off the dflywheel.....

its that simple. LOL I kept track of my hours and with the removable crossmember I had mine out and on the ground in a couple of hours. Takes a bit longer putting all the stuff back in with torque specs and sealing stuff and what not, especuallyw hen you are swapping from 4 to 5..

heres a few pics so you can visualize what you willhave to deal with under there



my hoist on the back of the engine



driveshaft for the 4 speed out, shifter and tranny mounts



crappy scissors jack

tranny out...I use a hydraulic clutch...no more adjustments and always smooth





When I align the disc and tighten the clutch I push upward on the alignment dowel then check that it slides in out easily so that it engages the thrust bearing as I tighten it


make sure the throw ouut bearing and arm are installed before you shove the shaft all the way in

you need a steep angle when you re install it so you can line up the input shaft and the clutch teeth. I put it in gear so I can grab the slip yoke and twist it to align the teeth.

once it in just slide it forward and walk it in until it flush keep checking the throw out bearing

once its flush bolt it in and you can either jack it up or just climb out and lift the mtor until the tranny is kissing your tranny tunnel and install the mounts

 

Damn Rogers! Best and most thoughtful response ever!!! Thank you.

So I crawled back under to (ok I slid on the creeper of course) and this is what I found.
I will be damned if that isn't a removable crossmember.
So weird! Did someone really convert this from automatic to a 4 speed? Either way this could be good news.

 

Removeable is Good news!

Based on what I am seeing there, that is not a factory auto trans c/m. That is a home-made removeable one. Started life as a manual.
Looks well done!

 

i was gonna say the same. home made conversion. not badly done. show another angle. from under the rocker trim looking up and inwards. wanna see the welds...

 

I wish I was that lucky!!! That will save a lot of work. Obviously the exhaust may be a small issue. I would pull it off as best you can from the manifolds to teh back of the tranny to save you some grief. It looks like it has some removable clamps that will take some of thepain out of it