!!!i Need A Lot Of Help!!!

like the title says I NEED ALOT OF HELP!!!!!

Normally my friend would help me with this but he went to the marines and left the job half done. Then my cousin was going to help me but he moved to miami so now I'm all alone and I've been saving up until I could buy everything I need and its finally time for me to tackle this project alone.

When I got an engine off of ebay and my friend dropped it in for me he said it didnt work. He took it back out and opened it up and it was worse off then my original engine he said. From what I could tell it was just a lot of metal shavings to much to be normal wear and tear but I found a place where you can recycle metal and I took both of my busted engine up there and got a little less than 900 for the metal, so I made a nice profit off of that but that just went towards the new engine hoist and some more tools (craftsman to replace the stuff I bought from Target). Then I got a job @ starbucks and bought a new engine hoist (I forgot to buy chains to lift the engine out with guess that has to wait), a remanufactured engine from GM and Chilton manual. The problem is the Chilton manual I bought is for RWD vehicles and mine is a FWD and when I went back I couldn't find one for FWD vehicles :( and most of the pictures do not match. I also looked for a shop manual but I could not find one for my car...Heres a list of what I've done so far..

*removed the radiator
*removed the air cleaner assembly
*removed belts and hoses
*disconnected all of the wiring (i was told i didnt have to take a pic of it because the connectors can only connect into ont thing and cannot be mistakenly put into the wrong place)
*removed alternator
*disconnected power steering pump
*disconnected the exhaust pipes
*drained out the oil
*removed the oil filter adapter

Doing all of this was hard because I had to do it on the side of the street since my uncle wouldn't move his 86 Buick Century out of the way (he hasnt driven it in the last 2 years) but he finally sold it so now I can work without worrying about cops or getting hit by a car.

As far as I know I still need to unhook the tranny, remove the starter, and my friend said since its a FWD I have to remove something called a drive train. My chilton manual doesnt say anything about a drive train but it says something about a flywheel. My friend also told me I dont have to worry about that because I do not have a flywheel :banghead:.

This is where I get confused I understand disconnecting the tranny and removing the starter but what/where/and how do i remove the drive train he said if I dont my axle would break when I was trying to pull out the engine. I can handle myself when I have instructions but since my manual is RWD i cant follow it anymore because nothing else matches....

So actually this will be the 3rd engine going into the car but this one has a money back guarantee and a warranty.

I NEED HELP!!! I wish I helped with taking out the other engines so I could know what I'm doing now guess I always have to learn the hard way.

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED AND I'M SORRY IF MY STORY IS LONG WINDED I JUST WANTED TO TELL THE ENTIRE STORY.

I Love my 87 Olds ninety-eight and I dont ever want to part with it and I plan on keeping this car until the wheels fall (may not be to far from now) off or until I am not capable driving anymore. To me its a classic and I'll do anything to restore it.

PLEASE AND THANK YOU :licka:

OK here we go. The drive train is the transmission. You can change the engine without taking out the transmission just make sure to support it with a jack underneath. Your does not have a flywheel but it does have a flexplate that connects to the torque convertor. You will need to get under the car remove the dust cover from the transmission and unbolt the four bolts that hold the torque convertor to the flexplate. After that you need to remove all the bolts from the bell housing and you should be able to lift the engine out of the car. Make sure to support the engine with the hoist before you attempt to unbolt the transmission because they support one another.

Make sure you get all the bolts out of the tranny to make sure that the transmission doesn't catch and hold the engine. When you attempt to remove the engine make sure that you lift it gradually so you can move it around as needed.

To be honest, It is easier to just remove the whole tranny, engine assembly unless you happen to have a large car lift. With similar tools as you, It took me and a couple other guys (who helped off and on) about 2 weeks to do an engine swap.

Basically, You just have to slowly lower the engine into the bay and hopefully get all the mounts to line up....go here:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/15/dd/d8/0900823d8015ddd8.jsp

That ought to get you a good start. Otherwise, search the forums. Olds 88, 98, Pontiac Bonneville, Buick Lesabre, Buick Park Avenue (FWD) all have the same basic design and engine. Your best bet would be either the 88 or LeSabre forums, since they get the most traffic of the above listed.

OK here we go. The drive train is the transmission. You can change the engine without taking out the transmission just make sure to support it with a jack underneath. Your does not have a flywheel but it does have a flexplate that connects to the torque convertor. You will need to get under the car remove the dust cover from the transmission and unbolt the four bolts that hold the torque convertor to the flexplate. After that you need to remove all the bolts from the bell housing and you should be able to lift the engine out of the car. Make sure to support the engine with the hoist before you attempt to unbolt the transmission because they support one another.

Make sure you get all the bolts out of the tranny to make sure that the transmission doesn't catch and hold the engine. When you attempt to remove the engine make sure that you lift it gradually so you can move it around as needed.

Ok so disconnect the four bolts on the torque converter to the flexplate disconnect the tranny bell housing bolts and I'm done? Nothing more?
And I'm guessing I'll have to remove the oil pan in order to access the torque converter bolts, and how do I turn the torque converter to access the bolts easier?

To be honest, It is easier to just remove the whole tranny, engine assembly unless you happen to have a large car lift. With similar tools as you, It took me and a couple other guys (who helped off and on) about 2 weeks to do an engine swap.

Basically, You just have to slowly lower the engine into the bay and hopefully get all the mounts to line up....go here:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/15/dd/d8/0900823d8015ddd8.jsp

That ought to get you a good start. Otherwise, search the forums. Olds 88, 98, Pontiac Bonneville, Buick Lesabre, Buick Park Avenue (FWD) all have the same basic design and engine. Your best bet would be either the 88 or LeSabre forums, since they get the most traffic of the above listed.

Thanks for the site. Much more detailed than my Chilton manual.

alright well i dropped the oil pan and got off the torque converter bolts (there were three and i have to buy new ones now) one was stripped already then i accidently stripped a bolt.

i got off the top four tranny bell housing bolts but there are two more. i need a deep socket for them and i didnt have one so i have to go buy it in the morning. i also cant find a way to get to the one in the back. so i have to do some looking in the morning.

just that alone took me about 2 hours :(

As for the last bell housing bolt that is in the opposite direction of the others, you need a long extension to reach it. You run the extension through the hole in the tranny-to-engine mount...and you really didn't need to pull the oil pan. You did, however, needed to pull the starter and plastic covers over the "flywheel".

You also need to remove the tranny to engine mount bolts.

Overview: You have to remove the 6 bell housing bolts, 2 tranny to engine mount bolts, tranny mount to chasis bolts (or tranny to mount bolts), torque converter bolts. That should do it....and, of course, remove the CV axles (be careful to not split them apart!).

Are you supporting the engine somehow? Come-along, cherry picker?

i'm using a cherry picker and how do i remove the cv axles (i'm going to do a search and find out)

I think i may be able to finishe this up over the weekend if i keep going at this pace thanks....

CV axles...hehe...fun (sarcasm).

First, you gotta pull off the wheels. Next, you need a 36mm socket to remove the center axlt nut. Then, remove the cotter pins and bolts (19mm...or 18, not sure) from the tie rod end and from the lower part of the spindle. At this point you may need to invest in a pickle fork (~$30). Use said pickle fork to get the tie rod ends and spindle loose. DO NOT bang on the threads with a solid hammer to get them out so that you don't mash any of the threads. Loosen them up with the pickle fork then try to have a buddy get them loose with a pry bar...or a jack of some sort.

After this, you should be able to swing the whole strut/spindle/rotor/caliper assembly off and away from the cv axle. You may want to secure them out of the way with a bit of wire or something.

To actually get the axle out, you should be able to pull it out. However, to avoid pulling a boot off one of the knuckles, I suggest you GENTLY pry them out between the tulip and transmission housing.

Everything else doing OK for ya otherwise? PITA, ain't it? :)

BTW, it took me and an experienced mechanic about 6 hours to replace a transmission...and that was with a lift and air tools. The whole pulling out part isn't too bad...it is the whole getting it back in that was challenging.

CV axles...hehe...fun (sarcasm).

First, you gotta pull off the wheels. Next, you need a 36mm socket to remove the center axlt nut. Then, remove the cotter pins and bolts (19mm...or 18, not sure) from the tie rod end and from the lower part of the spindle. At this point you may need to invest in a pickle fork (~$30). Use said pickle fork to get the tie rod ends and spindle loose. DO NOT bang on the threads with a solid hammer to get them out so that you don't mash any of the threads. Loosen them up with the pickle fork then try to have a buddy get them loose with a pry bar...or a jack of some sort.

After this, you should be able to swing the whole strut/spindle/rotor/caliper assembly off and away from the cv axle. You may want to secure them out of the way with a bit of wire or something.

To actually get the axle out, you should be able to pull it out. However, to avoid pulling a boot off one of the knuckles, I suggest you GENTLY pry them out between the tulip and transmission housing.

Everything else doing OK for ya otherwise? PITA, ain't it? :)

O goody. This sounds like fun...... and I'm guessing theres no way around that....

So in the end I'll have the entire front axle off, or just a part of it?

alrighty i'll try to get everything else done and then do that....
so looks like i have to get out that last bell housing bolt off which sounds like it will be a pain but not as much as the CV axles....

everything else is okay....... only thing left is the last bell housing bolt, a couple of motor & tranny mounts, and the CV axles :(

and yes this is a PITA.
i never thought it would be this hard to do an engine swap....

BTW, it took me and an experienced mechanic about 6 hours to replace a transmission...and that was with a lift and air tools. The whole pulling out part isn't too bad...it is the whole getting it back in that was challenging.

when you do a tranny swap dont you have to take out the engine if you dont have a lift?

ok stupid question..... how do i take off my hubcaps?

O and do I take off the cv axle after or before I take the bolts out of the mounts and will i need to go under the car to remove the cv axle?

Do you currently have the engine completely loose, including the bell housing bolts? If you have removed the torque convertor bolts, try to move the engine slightly forward from the transmission and lift it out of the car. If everything is loose you should have enough clearance to pull it from the top and leave the transmission and CV shafts alone. This will save you a lot of time an effort if it works.

Do you currently have the engine completely loose, including the bell housing bolts? If you have removed the torque convertor bolts, try to move the engine slightly forward from the transmission and lift it out of the car. If everything is loose you should have enough clearance to pull it from the top and leave the transmission and CV shafts alone. This will save you a lot of time an effort if it works.

Yes the bell housing bolts are off and the tranny has jack stands under it. I dont have to remove the CV shafts if I have enough clearance to pull it out?
I dont have to do anything extra in order to pull it out without taking out the CV shafts?
Just undo the mounts, pull it foreward and, pull it out?

You got it!!!

Thank you so much everything is out and the new engine is almost ready to be dropped in.
I should have it in by friday.

Thanks again.

Let me know when you get it running again. This has been quite a job an process. Did you pull it from the top or take the tranny out too? Just checking for future reference!

Yes it has been one hell of a process but its out I can't count how many times I busted/scraped up my knuckles in tight spots.
I pulled from the top but everyone said it would've been easier/faster to just pull everything but it looked harder to me. Right now the tranny is being supported by 2 jack stands so it doesn't just hang there.
Hopefully ill have everything up and running by next week I'm off friday and sunday so it'll b running sunday if I'm lucky.

Thanks again.
Andrew

Let me know when you get it running again. This has been quite a job an process. Did you pull it from the top or take the tranny out too? Just checking for future reference!

Anytime Andrew, always glad to help out!!

alright everything is going back in now but before I hook up the tranny bolts and such should I use some thread lock or something on them?

also would it be okay to run high-mileage synthetic oil in a new enging or should I go buy some normal synthetic oil not made for high-mileage vehicles?

I would say a definate no on the threadlock...just think about the poor soul that has to take them out eventually :(

As for the oil, I just use regular 10w-30...but my engine has less than 50k on it... Umm, I do notice, however, that oil on my Park Avenue (almost 190k miles) seems to go dark faster than in my LeSabre. I have also heard that the high-milage stuff is supposed to last longer and have less friction on engine components, but I'm not sure if it is enough to merrit the extra money.

good idea on the thread lock i didnt think that through....i am however going to buy some new bolts because some of these dont look to fresh and i'm scared they might round off next time i try to take them off even though i have to bolt-out i dont want to go to the trouble if they do round off.

well i think i'm going to go synthetic (because i heard good things and I want this engine to last as long as possible that means I'm going to baby it and buy it whatever it wants :) ) but i dont know if i'll do high mileage because its about $.30 more a bottle and going synthetic is already costing about that much over regular oil so all of that will add up over time.

New bolts wouldnt hurt. Id try to get exact matches though for whoever has to take it off the next time will know what to expect.

I'm sure a Lowe's or a well-stocked auto shop would have 'em.

Synthetic is an excellent choice! It will prevent wear and make the engine last a long time. New bolts are also a good idea, If you want to use thread locker, use loctite "blue". It will keep the bolts tight but they can be removed easily. This is especially important on the torque convertor bolts that attach it to the flywheel.

New bolts wouldnt hurt. Id try to get exact matches though for whoever has to take it off the next time will know what to expect.

I'm sure a Lowe's or a well-stocked auto shop would have 'em.

I tried the local auto stores and they didnt have any bolts. So my next stop is Lowe's because I called and they said they have any bolt I need. So I'll get my flywheel bolts from they also.


Synthetic is an excellent choice! It will prevent wear and make the engine last a long time. New bolts are also a good idea, If you want to use thread locker, use loctite "blue". It will keep the bolts tight but they can be removed easily. This is especially important on the torque convertor bolts that attach it to the flywheel.

Yea and I heard you dont have to change your oil as often with synthetic. I'll try loctite "blue" on my torque converter bolts because I dont want to have to worry if I put them on tight enough even though I will be using a torque wrench.

What are your opinions on AC Delco spark plugs because I just bought some. I read a previous thread and saw that Bosch doesnt work well with Olds and that I should stay away from Fram oil filters. So I have to find an oil filter but Fram is everywhere around here (Kragens and Autozone) but I'm guessing there's more brands in the stores I just haven't noticed them.

Fram's are crap, and AC Delco's are your engines best friend. AC Delco's are what your engine was designed with in mind for stock plugs, so that is what I have always used in my 3800s with no problems.

Look around a bit at Wally Wurld and maybe a bit more at auto stores but you should find some non-fram oil filters...they cost significantly more than Fram, but you get what you pay for in quality for most things anyway.

Alibi is right on the plugs. AC is a very good choice for a GM engine. If you purchase bolts at Lowes, make absolutely sure you purchase grade 5 or better. You don't want cheap bolts holding components together. Also the bolts are probably metric threads so be careful not to get SAE. Take a bolt with you to compare them. Finally STP filters are OK, WIX and Hastings are top of the line and are used by a lot of race car drivers. Mobil 1 filters are very good but quite expensive. For WIX or Hastings check their website for a dealer in your area.

I got AC Delco plugs and now I'm about to go out and look for an oil filter...

Is Mobil 1 a good synthetic oil or should I keep searching?

I haven't heard anything against Mobil1. I have heard that castrol is crappy and any off-brand stuff ought to be avoided just on the theory that cheap oil is cheap quality.

Umm...lemme see if I can find a page online somewhere with more info...

Two interesting sites:

1. Thread in a forum that states synthetic isn't what it is cracked up to be
http://forums.automotive.com/community/70/10711/maintenance-repair/auto-maintenance/no-synthetic-oil-for-me-thanks/index.html

2. Site illustrating how some oil called AMSOIL (popped up a lot during my search) is better than Mobil1.
http://www.syntheticoildealer.com/amsoil/amsoil_vs_mobil1_supersyn_synthetic_motor_oil.htm

I especially found the first link interesting to read through

hmmm....

thanks for the links. according to the second one i should go with AMSOIL. I dont want to buy them offline so I'll find somewhere that sells it. Shouldn't be to hard I'll just call around first.

and the first link is just funny he said something and everyone just bashed him for being stupid. that made my night.

thanks everyone.

O and I got a duralast belt. It wasnt the cheapest one at autozone but it wasn't the most expensive either.

Hope it works out good.

There is nothing wrong with Mobil 1 as far as a synthetic oil. Amsoil is excellent and was the first synthetic oil available to the masses. I have used both Mobil 1 and Amsoil and had no issues with either one. Mobil 1 is more readily available and can be purchased at discount chains. Amsoil is good for 25K miles if you change the filter at 12.5K miles. If the engine you purchased is new or remanufactured you may want to run regular oil for the first 3000 miles to insure that the rings seal properly then switch to synthetic. If it is a used engine go for the synthetic.

I had never heard of AMSOIL before I did that search....other than online, what stores stock them? I dont' recall seeing it at Autozone, but I wasn't really looking for it either.

Hehe...The first link listed that you don't have to run regular oil trhough a new engine before going to synthetic. The seals will only leak w/ synthetic if they weren't good to start with (according to the fist link). It was in a list of myths about synthetic that someone had posted.

Amsoil has been around for a lot of years usually through independent distributers. Not too many stores carry it. I have seen it at A&A Autoparts but that is the only store I have ever seen it in. As for synthetic in a new engine some rebuilders and manufacturers want you to run regular oil for a few thousand miles to allow the rings to seat. Since the synthetic lubricates so well there isn't enough friction to allow them to seat properly. Starting with synthetic will not hurt anything but I would see what the manufacturer recommends before starting with synthetic oil. A short break in period on dyno oil won't hurt anything then change over.

well went searching for Amsoil and its not at my local kragens or autozone but they both had mobil 1 for different prices.

The only place I could find Amsoil was the internet and after seeing the bottle on-line I know I seen it somewhere but I cant remember where...

O well even on-line its cheaper than mobil 1 is at autozone or kragens but the shipping and tax take 6 quarts of oil to a little less than $45...
Does that sound reasonable or should I just go with Mobil 1 it is easier to gain access to and the price is only a $.20 difference and Mobil Clean 7500 10W-30 says its good for 6 months while the Mobil 1 Extended Performance 10W-30 is good for up to 1 year.

Maybe the price is worth it but I'll go with conventional oil for my first oil change to make sure everything is sealed perfectly.

P.S. I dropped in my new engine today but I didnt get it lined up with the tranny yet (it was harder than I expected) so that is my job tomorrow and hopefully I can figure it out.

Go with the Mobil 1 extended life oil. It is very good stuff and there is not enough price difference to matter. You may want to check Walmart as they sell the same stuff for about $27 per 5 quart bottle. They are usually cheaper than autoparts stores for oil. I usually buy mine there.

$27 sounds a lot better than $45 so I may have to try them out, plus they just built a new 24hr Walmart about a 15min walk from my house so I shouldn't have a problem...

Is there some secret to getting the tranny and engine to line up or is just trial and error until everything falls into place?

When my mechanic friend and I replaced my tranny, we used a jack to manuvuer (SP?) it into place enough to get a couple of bell housing bolts in. After that, we were able to lower the jack to be able to install the rest of the bolts.

When my mechanic friend and I replaced my tranny, we used a jack to manuvuer (SP?) it into place enough to get a couple of bell housing bolts in. After that, we were able to lower the jack to be able to install the rest of the bolts.

U used a floor jack to manuver the tranny up and down or the engine up and down or did u use the engine hoist to lift the engine up and down?

Both, we had the car on a lift, a cherry picker on the engine, and a tranny jack (basically a floor jack with a large pan on it). We would move the cherry picker up and down to accomodate the engine mounts and we would move the trans up and down to accomodate for its mounts plus trying to line it up with the engine....

Lots of trial and error :(

dang......
trial and error is always the longest way unless I get lucky :)
hopefully i can get it but I'm not off til saturday so i'm just patiently waiting until then....
actually i'm at work now so i gotta go..
keep the suggestions coming though
thanks

Me and my mechanic had several advantages over you though...for one, we had an actual shop with air tools and a nifty car lift. Also, we had the nifty trans jack designed to install a trans.

Umm....gee...You're just gong to have to be very patient and have several friends help ya out. One guy on the cherry picker lifting it up and down, one guy guiding the engine in, and you...doing the hard work of lining everything up on the underside. And maybe a beer-getter :)

Me and my mechanic had several advantages over you though...for one, we had an actual shop with air tools and a nifty car lift. Also, we had the nifty trans jack designed to install a trans.

Umm....gee...You're just gong to have to be very patient and have several friends help ya out. One guy on the cherry picker lifting it up and down, one guy guiding the engine in, and you...doing the hard work of lining everything up on the underside. And maybe a beer-getter :)

I dont have that many friends jk....
So I should line the engine up from the underside hmmm i've been trying to do it from the top and it seemed almost impossible but then again i was trying to do it all by myself....
I was jacking up the tranny using the cherry picker and still trying to move it around....
And the hardest part for me is how I can only jack the tranny up so much because of the (cv axles)? I think thats what is attached to the tranny.

Try sitting the engine on the mounts and moving the transmission around with a pry bar. Do it gently but there should be enough movement in the transmission to allow it to move into place. If you have the transmission jacked up to meet the engine once you have the engine in place gently lower the tranny and try moving it together. This should allow them to slip together easily.

Try sitting the engine on the mounts and moving the transmission around with a pry bar. Do it gently but there should be enough movement in the transmission to allow it to move into place. If you have the transmission jacked up to meet the engine once you have the engine in place gently lower the tranny and try moving it together. This should allow them to slip together easily.

Well said. That is more or less how my trans was replaced...the main difference with mine was that we removed the trans and left the engine while your project is the opposite.

We had the car off the floor about 2 feet and my mechanic was under the car moving the trans while I lowered the engine (was supported by the cherry picker). One he had a bolt in, I used a pry bar to gently move the trans around enough that he could get the rest of the bolts in.

Hhmmmm.....
Put the engine in its mounts and move the transmission around..
Sounds easier than what i've been trying.

I've been moving the engine around and trying to make it meet with the tranny.

Should I have the car jacked up off of the ground?

It will probably be a lot easier if it were off the ground so you can move the transmission easier. Just be careful when you jack it up as the transmission may move up or down. If the engine is in its mounts then the transmission will be easier to move around since you can use the engine as a prying point. Once the engine is in place then jockey the tranny and you should be able to get them to line up easily.

Thanks that will be my project tomorrow.
I would do it today but I gotta spend fathers day with the family so i wont have time.

I'll post an update tomorrow night.
Wish me luck...

Wish me luck...


OK: Good luck! :)

Ya gotta love those multiple-week projects, eh?

Anyway, I would get the car up off the ground as much as you can...the more room you have to work with, the better. Unfortunately, you are limited by the jacking height of whatever you are using to hold up the trans. You can always use a ladder or stool to get at the engine compartment from above if you can get the car up off the ground a bit.

LISTEN UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OKAY! I have an 86 Regency 98 and I'm in the middle of swappin out the tranny. FIRST! It is easier to lift out the entire assembly with the engine. The reason being that the tranny is wide at the motor and wraps around the back. Second, the axles that everyone refers to are more dificult than just "pulling them. I had to drop the control arm and disconnect the tie rod end on the passenger side. After that, gently pry on the shaft, where the axle goes in to the transmision. Since there are two axle shafts (commonly reffered to as a half shaft) you will have to repeat this for both wheeles. Remember to locate all three mounts from the tranny to the frame. So, drain the oil, radiator and tranny, then remove all vaccum, electrical and fluid hoses that lead anywhere other than back to the motor and tranny, disconnect the axle shafts, hook up a hoist to the motor, disconnect the exhaust, unbolt the motor mounts and lift the assembly out slowly so as to make sure that you didn't miss any steps. Finally after you have the motor and tranny out, it's good practice to replace all gaskets and oil seals, so in the near future, you don't end up with a leak and have to pull it out again. And remember, there are gaskets and seals on the tranny too. If you have any questions, email me.

LISTEN UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OKAY! I have an 86 Regency 98 and I'm in the middle of swappin out the tranny. FIRST! It is easier to lift out the entire assembly with the engine. The reason being that the tranny is wide at the motor and wraps around the back. Second, the axles that everyone refers to are more dificult than just "pulling them. I had to drop the control arm and disconnect the tie rod end on the passenger side. After that, gently pry on the shaft, where the axle goes in to the transmision. Since there are two axle shafts (commonly reffered to as a half shaft) you will have to repeat this for both wheeles. Remember to locate all three mounts from the tranny to the frame. So, drain the oil, radiator and tranny, then remove all vaccum, electrical and fluid hoses that lead anywhere other than back to the motor and tranny, disconnect the axle shafts, hook up a hoist to the motor, disconnect the exhaust, unbolt the motor mounts and lift the assembly out slowly so as to make sure that you didn't miss any steps. Finally after you have the motor and tranny out, it's good practice to replace all gaskets and oil seals, so in the near future, you don't end up with a leak and have to pull it out again. And remember, there are gaskets and seals on the tranny too. If you have any questions, email me.


FYI, this is an old post and if you read the whole thing, then you probably would have found most of that info in there already. But yeah, trans swaps suck.

Welcome to AF though :) You sound like you know your stuff :smokin:

LISTEN UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OKAY! I have an 86 Regency 98 and I'm in the middle of swappin out the tranny. FIRST! It is easier to lift out the entire assembly with the engine. The reason being that the tranny is wide at the motor and wraps around the back. Second, the axles that everyone refers to are more dificult than just "pulling them. I had to drop the control arm and disconnect the tie rod end on the passenger side. After that, gently pry on the shaft, where the axle goes in to the transmision. Since there are two axle shafts (commonly reffered to as a half shaft) you will have to repeat this for both wheeles. Remember to locate all three mounts from the tranny to the frame. So, drain the oil, radiator and tranny, then remove all vaccum, electrical and fluid hoses that lead anywhere other than back to the motor and tranny, disconnect the axle shafts, hook up a hoist to the motor, disconnect the exhaust, unbolt the motor mounts and lift the assembly out slowly so as to make sure that you didn't miss any steps. Finally after you have the motor and tranny out, it's good practice to replace all gaskets and oil seals, so in the near future, you don't end up with a leak and have to pull it out again. And remember, there are gaskets and seals on the tranny too. If you have any questions, email me.


THANKS FOR THE INFO.

too bad i've finished the swap a while ago and now shes basically runnin like a dream minus needing new tires and a minor tune-up