Truck Forums - Removing a Trans

How high is your truck? You can remove the trans without pulling the engine. Remove the trans from under the truck. All you really need to do is raise the truck up about 8 to 1 inches. Use jack stands at all four corners.

If you don't have jack stands, Do you have something you can raise the truck up with. Something like lumber? You can use 2' long pieces of 8x8 under each tire. They are very strong and reliable. Jack the truck up, slide a an 8x8 under the tire let it down, set the e-brake.

There is plenty of room to work, and all you really need is a hydraulic floor jack, some wood to protect the trans oil pan, and a friend for some extra help, though I have done this alone, too. it's not quite as easy as with a friend.

Disconnect the linkages, the oil lines, Drop out the drive shaft, place the jack under the trans with a small pieces of plywood or some short 2x4's wood on the jack cup between the jack cup and the trans oil pan. If you have some load straps or even rope will work, wrap it around the trans and secure it to the jack cup.

Unbolt the trans mount and the bell housing and have a friend balance the trans on the jack, while you SLOWLY lower the trans on the jack. AND WATCH YOUR FINGERS!

With the 8x8's under the tires you should be able to easily roll the jack and trans out from under the truck.

When I used this method, I removed the jack cup (on my jack it simply lifted out leaving a 1" where the cup mounted to the jack). I made a small wooden box that fit snugly around the trans oil pan, and ran a 3/4" bolt through the center of the floor of the box, down through the cup mounting hole in the jack securing it with some large washers and two nuts.
The box held the trans securely enough that I didn't have to strap it, and I could remove the trans by my self. The box was made of cheep 1x4 sides and a 3/4" plywood bottom. I screw and glued it all together (didn't want nails pulling out while the trans was on it).

Of course, you could also either buy or rent a transmission jack, too. I now have a trans jack, but the method I above worked safely and repeatedly for a number of years. It sounds like a long process, but it really takes only a few minutes to drop out the trams.

don't try to do this on dirt or grass, though, the jack will not roll too well. If you have to work on dirt, slide a piece of 3/4" plywood under the truck first, so the jack will roll easily, as well as your creeper (if you use one).