Hey fellas, I recently inherited my dad's 56,000 mile Shoebox. We pulled the 8BA about 7 years ago and rebuilt it, and I'm just getting ready to put it back in. Since the engine was already out I pulled the 3 speed too, then combined its good parts with an OD unit, and now have a freshened up OD with new bearings and seals. The trans was a pain in the ass to remove, and I ended up taking it out of the bottom of the car. I thought it'd be easier to pull through the empty engine bay for some dumb reason. I was WRONG! With both ready to go back in I'm looking for a little advice. Should I drop the steering linkage that runs behind the front cross member, and drop the engine/trans back in as one unit? Will it fit? Or, should I leave the steering linkage in place and put the trans in first, then install the engine, then bolt them back together? Input? Experience? Thoughts? Criticisms?
U should be able to put both in at the same time i did u have to get the front of the motor pretty high so u might need a leveler on your hoist just my 2 cents...
Thanks ironhead. Do you remember if you dropped your steering linkage? I don't think the trans will fit through with it in place.
I've dropped in many an engine and then crawled underneath and slipped the transmission in from below. Never seemed to be such a big deal to me...
I've never done it that way, but everything I ever did was a SBC and TH350. I guess that seems "natural" to me now. Often someone here will ask an incredibly dumb question (like me) and a simply brilliant answer will come out. Just looking for simpler ways to do things, no need to reinvent the wheel ya know.
i've seen 'em pulled and replaced together, but i think it's a lot easier to take the trans out first. no need to mess with the steering linkage, either.
Pulling/installing the combined eng/trans is a lot easier if the front end sheetmetal is off the car, which it often is during a build. However, I would NOT take the front end off just for that purpose. That would be a lot more work than just slipping the tranny in from below. I really don't understand why you think that is such a burdensome task. Do you not have have any way to raise the car safely......no jack stands, etc. ?? I realize there is no rear support for the engine when the trans is not coupled, the trans crossmember provides that when in place. It has also been fairly common to have the trans IN PLACE under the car, hanging on the crossmember, and jiggling the engine into place. Thats a bit more difficult in my opinion (I have done it a few times back in the day) because getting the input shaft exactly inline with the clutch splines AND the pilot bearing can be frustrating. All things considered, I think I would opt to have the car up on stands, drop the engine into place with some sort of support under the pan (wood blocks?) and put trans in from underneath. You do have a choice to make........best wishes. Ray
Ray, the steering linkage is what's in the way that made the trans so difficult to get out in the first place. With this bar in place the trans will NOT come out through the engine bay, only out the bottom. And with this bar in place pulling the trans out the bottom was damn near impossible. I have plenty of tools including about a dozen jack stands and even a lift in my garage. I've just never seen something so difficult to remove when I expected it to be pretty straightforward. Thanks for the insights though, the trans will go back in through the bottom then the engine will be placed and the trans slid into place. Wish me luck.
Because wrestling the trans and engine back in together as a unit; is made difficult with the steering linkage in place. This might be a good time to drop the link and inspect (and or replace) the ball joints. Easier to do with the engine out.
this will come in handy when I swap out my 3 speed for an OD in the near future, thanks for asking the question!
Remove all that stuff thats in the way, linkages and manifold etc. I like putting them in as a unit so that I can put the mainshaft into the pilot bushing without problems right there on the garage floor. I did one of these a couple of years ago and went in pretty easily with the grille out of the car. I guess everybody has thier own way and on here you will find all the experts to help you along. let us know how you make out. Seems to me I recall a difference with the OD tranny but can't remember what. Mount? Solenoid? CRS sets in.
I'd say...borrow a good puller/spreader to pop one end of the crosslink (NOT a pickle fork, which works but can damge stuff you want to keep). This will make dropping the link down a one-minute operation, and rehooking that end simply reinstalling the nut and outting in a cotter. MUCH less sweat than fighting things. This of course allows you to assemble as much as possible into one lump and swing it all in at once. Dropping one end of the link just is not s biggy, and need not change any adjustment or anything. If no friends with tool...a cursory look at Amazon shows decent ones around $30, and ones that might or might not work/kill you for $12.
I didn't think about the bellhousing remaining with the transmisson in the car, or the manifolds, for that matter. I had envisioned having the flywheel, clutch AND bellhousing on the engine block, then putting THE ENGINE IN PLACE FIRST, then raising the trans into place and sliding forward into bellhousing/clutch, and bolting to bellhousing......install crossmember...big stuff done! Also, I think Bruce Lancaster makes a very good point about dropping one end of the steering center link There definitely is more than one way to skin a cat....... Ray
This place never sucks. Good info everywhere, and knowledgeable guys willing to share it. Bruce, as usual you've generously imparted great knowledge. I'm going to drop that cross shaft, bolt everything together and try it. If it doesn't fit I'd rather have tried the easy way, only to have to do it the hard way later. The gamble is worth the extra effort. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
I have never done a '49-'51 but have done it a lot on a '53. I checked the Motors Manual and it says nothing about dropping the steering. I would do it this way: Raise the car 6 to 8 inches, assemble the clutch and align the disc/pilot bearing and attach the bellhousing to the engine. Take a look at the four transmission to bellhousing bolts, are they 7/16-14, 1/2-13 ??? Whatever they are go the the hardware store and buy two partially threaded bolts of that diameter and thread about 8 to 10 inches long. Take them home and cut the heads off, chamfer the end you cut off and take a hacksaw and cut a slot in the ends to fit a straight blade screwdriver, set aside. Drop the engine in and LOOSLY fasten the front motor mounts. Support the rear of the engine, something under the pan, between the pan and bellhousing etc. Take the two bolts that you modified and thread them into the top two trans. to bellhousing mounting holes these now become guide pins. I don't know how much your OD trans. weighs but I used to install a regular 3 speed by myself (when I was 16) so it may take two people. Lift it up and engage the two guide pins into the top two holes of the trans. If you went to the trouble of "clocking" the clutch and input shaft it MAY slide right in, probably not and you will have to wiggle the trans and perhaps rotate the flywheel or input shaft to get it to slide in. Install the two bottom trans to bellhousing bolts and remove the guide pins one at a time and replace with the correct bolts and tighten all four. If the tailshaft is high enough you can install the rear motor mount, you may have to raise the back enough to get clearance. Once all fasteners are in finger tight with no binding you can tighten them all. Did you check to see if your rear motor mount is in the same position on your OD versus the 3 speed? Hope so. Mike.
I will be watching this Eric, as I picked up that OD unit from Matt recently and will be doing the same thing. My only opinion is to replace all the steering ball joints when this is done.. that way its a new steering setup and you only had to mess with it once.
Seems to me there is a transmission support crossmember that comes into play here. I remember that, during my mispent youth, several Saturdays were spent lying under a '51 (or '49-'50) wrestling a crippled transmission. The exhaust system had to drop down so the removable crossmember could be dropped away from the rear transmission mount. I can't envision any way to insert the asssembled engine-transmission unless that crossmember is our of the way (along with the tie rod).
Thanks for everyone's input. With the help of a good friend, I dropped the engine and trans (connected together) in the car last night. By simply removing the two bolts indicated by red, the L bracket and drag link slipped easily out of the way and everything cleared. Again, thanks for all the replies. I hope this helps others pulling/installing their flathead/trans in their Shoebox!
Thanks for sharing that with us. The HAMB is the BOMB!! Great place with great minds to help each other out of jams like this....
Thanks guys, just hoping to help others out. Eric, you're welcome to borrow it but its fairly heavy. I got this one at NAPA for $45 including tax. It'd probably cost that much to ship it down and back but if it'll help ya you can count on it! Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
This looks like the moment when you stroll over to the workvbench to admire your accomplishment and notice that the pilot bearing is sitting there...
LOL, I had one of those brass donut looking things laying around when I was finished... yes really. HOWEVER, I ordered a spare "just in case". Red's sells them for about $2.50. And thanks a LOT Bruce, sheesh!
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