89 halfshaft removal problem :(

Hello all. I have a 1989 buick T-type with a 3.8 vin C in it swapped in from a 1990 oldsmobile. I wrecked the olds on the front drivers side. Since the swap, I drove the car about 250 miles with absolutely no problems, but then a leak all at once.

After the swap into the LeSabre, the transmission seal around the driver's side halfshaft started leaking but the shaft seems to be stuck (probalby from the wreck). My mechanic tried a 10 pound slide hammer and three guys with prybars but it wouldn't budge at all. He suggests that he could try to weld some chains onto the tulip (the remaining portion of the shaft in the tranny, the rest was torn apart) and pull it off with a come-along. However, he is not sure if this would damage the transmission or if the transmission is already damaged from having the tulip stuck anyway.

I have a spare transmission that is good, but I have no clue how many miles are on it so it would be an option to just swap in the other tranny...however, I just got done with an engine/tranny swap and I'm really not up to doing a tranny swap now, especially since the transmission only has 45 thousand miles on it.

So what do you guys think? Should I let the shop try to yank on it with a come-along (I have a spare halfshaft to replaced the destroyed one with) or should I just give up and replace the tranny? Or is there a way to remove a portion of the transmission to remove it without having to remove the whole transmission?

Help would be great!! I'm going to post in the other H-body forums and see what I can get too :(

Man, you already have it tore apart and you might as well let them try to get it out, because if you don't you are still left with a leaky trans. So if you don't you have the leak, if you do and if it screws up the trans then you got a spair. As an old saying goes, if you are going to do the job do it right or don't do it at all. I feel for ya, having as the worst case senario being replacing the trans but what are you gonna do? Bite the bullet cuz in the end you'll feel better cuz everything is right. But as to why the half shaft won't come out is that there probably is a pin or those needle pin bearrings that are probably bent and it isn't letting it come out.

Over in the Lesabre forum, It has been suggested that the splines on the output shaft and/or tulip have been bent so that it won't budge. Another problem is that, when checked against the same part in my running trans in my Park Avenue, the shaft appears to be pushed into the transmission about 1/4-1/2 inch more than the non-leaky trans...

I think that even if I could get the tulip off, I would have a destroyed output shaft and even if that is fixed then there is still the issue of internal parts haveing been moved 1/4-1/2 inch...I just don't think it would be safe anymore :(

Looks like I'm going to have to pull the trans...

wow... that sux dude... looks like your in deep on this one...:frown: i think your best bet would be to rent a hydralic spreader, or puller, or somthing

You say that the drivetrain came from a wreck on the drivers side am I correct? if so it sounds like it got hit pretty hard and I would think its damaged inside as well and I wouldn't waste my time trying to repair it unless theres a guarranty its only tight.