Write-Up: Transaxle Removal & Installation

Guys, sorry this took me so long to do. It's a whopper. Much of it was taken from my FSM. No pics, but it's pretty descriptive. Add pics if you can - generally when I'm this far into the car I'm in no mood to take pics nor am I clean enough to touch my camera... Here goes:

Transmission R&R in order
Read notes before starting:
Notes:
These instructions are mostly from the full FSM, with some of my own additions to save you some effort where possible. Sorry about the sarcastic asides, I can't help it. Some of them should be helpful so even if you have no sense of humor read the asides!!

Where applicable, I listed socket/wrench sizes that I could recall from my '98. Most bolt-on accessories were 13mm, most frame/body bolts were 18mm.

I moved a step - I was not able to remove the rear transaxle mount bolt until I started to lower the subframe. You could probably remove it by lifting up the trans, but you are dropping the subframe anyways so might as well wait a bit on that one instead of killing yourself trying. The horizontal bolt you need to slide out interferes with one of the brackets vertical bolts that drops through the subframe.

I was able to leave the CV shafts bolted to the hubs and pull the struts far enough out of the way to remove the CV shafts from the trans and just bungee them up out of the way. You may need to remove the CV shaft if you can't do that but I didn't have to. No need to unbolt outer CV joint from hub.

The first time I put mine back together either the subframe or the steering rack was out of position a little bit and although my alignment felt straight, the steering wheel was crooked. I loosened the rack and nudged it to one side and that took care of it.

While I had my subframe out I discovered the control arm bushings were very loose. It's actually pretty easy to make the lower control arms a complete seperate job. Good time to inspect the bushings though.

Remove Transmission procedure

Disconnect Negative Battery Cable (don't they all start this way? Yes really, do it!)
Remove Air Filter assy
Disconnect Transaxle electrical connector
Unbolt and remove shift control cable bracket with cable attached (13mm and 15 mm)
remove top transaxle case bolts (3 and 4) (18mm)
disconnect rear O2 wire

Remove subframe
(following steps are just for removing subframe)

Remove vacuum reservoir (I skipped this)
Support engine/transmission. I laid a 2x4 across the upper radiator support and my STB, then ran a tie-down strap across the lifting brackets and 2x4. Yes I still have the lifting brackets.
Remove 2 drivers side rack and pinion bolts. I used 5 extensions and a wobble on a 15 mm socket from the top. These bolts were two of the hardest for me.
Remove top bolt of rear transaxle mount (13mm)
Raise car and support body very well. Don't support it from the subframe! Raise the front AND back of the car as high as you can safely. I recommend 4 very solid jack stands.
Remove front wheels
Remove left and right splash shields (a whole bunch of those little plastic pull-out pins, pliers and sometimes a screwdriver)
Remove ball joints from steering knuckle. I was able to unbolt mine with an open-end (18mm I think) and tap the knuckles side to side with a hammer until they dropped. (Don't forget to remove the cotter pins first)
Not men
Remove front air baffle under front bumper/radiator - more of those little plastic pull-pins
Remove brackets retaining power steering cooling line. 10mm (5 retainers I think)
Remove passenger side rack and pinion retaining bolt, 15 mm from underneath next to exhaust downpipe
Support steering rack from above. I lowered a strap down from the top and just looped it under the rack, ran it over the engine and hooked it out front somewhere.
Support the frame with a floor jack.
Remove the 6 frame insulator bolts. These are the big 6, the main mounting points for the subframe. Mine were 18mm and I actually snapped my 12 point socket on a breaker bar trying to bust them free. I don't think penetrant can reach the threads on these bad boys, so big-ass impact gun if you got one... might do it here. PITA.
Start to lower the frame, then stop -
Remove front and rear transaxle mount bolts. These are horizontal - 15mm bolt 18mm nut on rear
Lower frame.

Continue removing trans:

Remove flexplate covers 10mm
Remove flywheel to torque converter bolts (15mm)
Mark flywheel position to torque converter before you remove the last bolt. White out or tire crayon did fine for me.
Disconnect Input speed sensor electrical connector (pass. side near output)
Remove engine to transaxle bracket (13mm, 4 bolts pass. side near output)
Remove dipstick tube (13 mm)
Remove rear engine mount. This is drivers side, oval shaped thing bolted to the frame, actually more like a transmission casing mount than a 'rear engine mount'. Who names these things anyway? I was actually able to leave mine bolted to the frame and just drop the lower two nuts off it. 15 mm deep socket. Another PITA if you really do remove it. I recommend against it.
Remove remaining transaxle to engine bolts. Don't forget the "Bastard Bolt". That's one that goes from the engine side and threads into the transmission. To make it more fun, it's hidden in the rear. I used a mile of extensions and did this from outside the passenger wheel well. 18mm.
Remove trans cooler lines. Don't remove the adapters, or if you do keep track of where they were. One of them has a check-ball in it. I supported mine out of the way with a bungee cord from above.
Support transmission with jack. Lower a bit to get past "rear engine mount". Wiggle that sucker out. You did it!

Installation:
Raise transmission into place, wiggle onto guide pins and up over "rear engine mount".
Install all 5 transaxle to engine bolts, including bastard bolt. Tighten to 55 lb ft, 18mm.
Connect cooler lines. Thread most of the way by hand as these are easy to cross thread. Tight but not too tight.
Install dipstick tube. 15 lb ft if you care.
Install transaxle brace to engine. rear, pass side, 13 mm 4 bolts, 44 lb ft(Didn't they call this engine to transaxle bracket in removal procedure? Who proofreads these things, jeez).
Connect input speed sensor electrical connector
line up torque converter mark with mark on flywheel, install all 3 bolts, tighten to 46 lb ft going around TWICE. (says so in the directions!)
Install flexplate covers (10mm)

Install Subframe:

Raise subframe into place
Install front and rear transaxle mount bolts when it's close to the top - 48 lb ft, 15mm bolt 18 mm nut, bolt goes in from drivers side
Install 6 frame insulator bolts. Use big phillips screwdrivers/dowel pins with alignment holes near rear bolts to help center it before you tighten it up. Tighten to 142 lb ft (mine were just fine at cheapo impact gun tight as possible tight), 18mm
Remove rack and pinion support strap
Install pass side rack and pinion bolt, tighten to 48 lb ft, 15mm
Install power steering cooling line retainers, 53 IN lb (very light), 10mm
Install CV shafts
Install ball joints, tighten nuts good and tight (hard to measure with open-end wrench) and add cotter pins
Install drivers side rack and pinion bolts, tighten to 48 lb ft
Install Vacuum Resivoir if you removed it.


Continue Trans install:

Connect O2 sensor
Install top rear transaxle mount bolt, 13mm 42 lb ft
Connect shift control calbe and bracket, 13 mm
Check adjustment of shift cables, re-adjust as needed
Connect transaxle electrical connector
Install front air baffle and side splash shields, little push-pins (available at NAPA if you lost some)
Install front wheels (100 lb ft)
Install air filter assembly
Connect negative battery cable
Check transmission fluid.

You're done!

I've been reading and re-reading this looking for typos or missed items. If I've missed anything, please PM me and I'll edit it so we don't mess up the thread with stuff that doesn't need to be here.

Aaron, if you could add this to the write-ups section it may help others...

-Derek

THANK YOU BUDDY!!!

hey, where are you at with this? Still waiting for my writeup or did you get it done somewhere or what?

deekster_caddy wrote:

hey, where are you at with this? Still waiting for my writeup or did you get it done somewhere or what?

It's sitting in my garage peacefully awaiting a new tranny,

As of right now FINANCIALLY i could afford to do it myself

BUT.......
I don't want to risk anything and i would have to buy a tranny jack, and make a engine hoist...... i am going to look around to some smaller shops to see where the best deal is for a trannsmission install

Like I said in the write-up, you don't need much of a hoist, I made one with a 2x4 and a strap. A floor jack with a board is enough to server duty as a tranny jack if you have some helpers to balance it on the way down.

Will do! Excellent write-up, thanks very much for the info, Derek.

Great write up Derek..

A personal suggestion and I know the FSM is basically laid out the way you wrote this up. I suggest undoing trans lines, speed sensor, backwards bolt..and anything else that you can while the frame is still bolted in. This lessens the amount of time you are under a motor/trans. The engine support should have no trouble holding, safetly first whenever possible and if you aren't under it, that's safer.

Thanks for the great write up!! I have a '98 Buick LeSaber with an 3800 Series II engine that needed replacing. I decided to do this myself, but ran into a problem since the AllDataDiy diagrams didn't show the "bastard bolt" you mentioned. I thought i would share a photo of the extensions required to get to remove the bolt.

Thanks for the addition, nice pic! I also found I was able to reach the bolt from the trans side if you have the crossover pipe removed, with a standard 18mm box wrench. The closed side can slide right over the bolt, if you know where it is. You may need to "double-wrench" it to break it free though.

Glad my writeup was able to help you out!

nice job with the write up Derek. i got that same bolt out with a swivel ratchet.. plus a pipe to break it free. It can be done from the tranny side but will take some force. just like Derek said remove the crossover pipe, its amazing what will be exposed..