S13 5speed transmission install by yourself?

[Yeg180sx]

Hey everyone hows it going?

Just wanted to ask if anyone has any tips on installing a 5 speed transmission by yourself in a s13

I blew out my pivot bolt and pulled the tranny and replaced everything. Problem is now that I just can't get it close to the hole to put it back in there, keeps jamming up against the firewall area.
I know once I get it slid in and how to line it up if I'm having problems but I just can't get to that point. Iv done it with a few of us befor but didn't seem to be such a pain in the ass with that many hands.

Just curious if you guys have any little tips or home made things done to make it easier to install one by yourself?

Any tips or information on this will be much appreciated. Spent all night trying and getting mad and I know that doesn't get you anywhere so figured I'd ask knowing someone must of had to pull this off by themselfs befor
Thanks again

[brndck]

loosen the engine mounts, and back off the nuts that hold the engine crossmember to the chassis (do this one at a time, you just want to loosen them so the cradle moves down a bit and gives you more room, NOT enough that they come off)

once you have done this, you can put a jack under the oil pan (i typically put a big chunk of rubber mat between the jack and the pan) and jack up the front of the engine, tilting the back of the engine down. this tends to give you more room to work with. i've also found that when you go to stab the transmission, for some reason its easier if you turn the trans 90 degrees clockwise, stab it, then rotate it back upright.

[mr.nismo.]

What he said^ also depends your size and strength. I'm 6'4 and am long enough to lay under the trans and push up that way. I line the trans with the bell housing on my chest and the tail at my knees. Let's me use my arms, chest and legs to manipulate v just hands and Jack and for me gives more control of the angle it's going in. I stick the input shaft in with the trans upside down then rotate counter clockwise in relation to looking at the motor from behind. Once it's stabbed in thread a few bolts and the cross member . This is what works for ME though . Wear this mechanix gloves not disposable do you don't cut your hands up on the case.


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[Agamemnon]

Make sure you unbolt your down pipe as well when tilting the engine.

[brndck]

Make sure you unbolt your down pipe as well when tilting the engine.

totally good call. mine was 1pc Dmax cobra, I would just pull my whole downpipe out when dropping the trans anyways.

[Agamemnon]

I spent an hour trying to tilt the engine before I realized the down pipe was lifting the engine straight up.

[jedi03]

Lol...the little things we see!

[WPN-X7]

dont forget to rotate the trans 90 degrees clockwise when you go to huck it in, this gives you some more room to slot it up and in. (not as needed if you loosen mounts and such as mentioned above)

get the input shaft seated then rotate it back before slotting it onto the locater dowels.

[derass]

Two tips:

1) As previously mentioned, loosen the mounts and jack up the front of the motor.

2) Find a helper, it makes a world of difference.

[anti tyler]

Two tips:

1) As previously mentioned, loosen the mounts and jack up the front of the motor.

2) Find a helper, it makes a world of difference.

Sounds like the helper is out of play here.



Listen to the above fore mentioned, but above all be safe. You can adjust the motor as mentioned an be just fine. I changed mine out with minimal help while the car was 6" off the ground. It's tough but not impossible, definitely helps when you don't have to fight the trans tunnel.

[Kingtal0n]

I know its crazy but I prefer to pull the engine to get to the trans. Couple reasons, first is, there is usually more going on than just a clutch/trans swap when you do this, for me, it was a chance to pressure clean the bay (hard to reach areas under the engine) and change all the exhaust gaskets including turbo/manifold/etc all refresh with new locking tabs and hardware. Having the motor out makes all of that way easier. It probably needs to be done anyways.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220522_zpsgvlyryu6.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220522_zpsgvlyryu6.jpg.html)

Second, the engine is much easier to clean up while it is on the ground. I was able to degrease/scrub/pressure wash my motor pretty well this way to look almost new again. See how clean it looks here? This is after scrubbing the side for an hour with a brush already, but before pressure wash. It was filthy.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220526_zpsjwdt1vn8.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220526_zpsjwdt1vn8.jpg.html)


third, is the comparison to working on the flywheel/clutch with the engine sitting on the floor in front of you. Much easier if you do not have a lift, than trying to wiggle under the car with the torque wrench and have stuff falling in your eyes all the time (wear glasses if you do this)
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220586_zps6rpcfqcs.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220586_zps6rpcfqcs.jpg.html)

fourth, consider the clutch should last 50k or 4-5 years. Pulling the engine to pressure wash it/the bay every 5 or so years is kind of a no brainer to me anyways. Considering the updated gaskets/hardware, and the fact the engine is very light (500~lbs amirite?) it just makes way more sense to me.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220617_zpsqip1a5sr.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220617_zpsqip1a5sr.jpg.html)


Last a note. Make sure you SUPER CLEAN the throwout sleeve and use the required Molybdenum sulfide lubricant as specific by the FSM
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220538_zpsodafde6q.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220538_zpsodafde6q.jpg.html)




cheers and good luck. It takes me one whole day (24~ hours) to do all of the above by myself. I bet it would take 12 hours just to do the trans alone from under the car fwiw, by myself.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a90/kingtal0n/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/th_P1220628_zpsbtixypl0.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/kingtal0n/media/Kingtal0ns_240sx_2/P1220628_zpsbtixypl0.jpg.html)

[kruked]

I bet it would take 12 hours just to do the trans alone from under the car fwiw, by myself.

Whew. It takes me about 4 hours to do it myself. About an hour and a half of that is dicking around.

[kashira kureijii]

engine pulling is easiest for realz everything is too cramped and annoying otherwise,
if you know where all the bolts are and everything is to take it out, you can have it out in like 3 hours. What takes the longest is getting it the correct angle to pull the engine and trans up and out of the bay, and convincing someone to help you get it oriented

[jumboflan]

+ 1 for the downpipe. lol. My grandfather caught that when Me and my dad under there wrestling that thing. this was 11 years ago. lol. man my dads and my arms(deltoids) were burning. Actually I think it's a braket bolt that connected downpipe to a heatshield.

[derass]

I think pulling the engine to change the trans/clutch is absolutely nuts. It adds hours of work and more cost (replace coolant at a minimum). If OP can't change the trans himself, there's no way he's puling the engine himself either.

[Yeg180sx]

Hey been busy with thanks giving and family stuff.
Just wanted to say thanks alot to everyone who replied. I picked up alot of helpful tips. About to give it another shot tonight an hope for the best. Also having a buddie swing by just incase. Would of replied to each of your posts but figured this would be easiest.
An for the biggest tip. The oil pan jack spot, never would of thought I could do it from there with doing damage.
Also the down pipe part. I seem to have got lucky and don't have to pull it. Not even close to jamming up.
As for the pulling the engine with the trans definitely gonna do that next time but pulling it all shortly to clean up the wiring an bay area along with a fresh rebuild for next summer. When I swapped the motor the first time, I left the trans there and it wasn't to bad to pull and replace the engine by myself but being on my back under the car seems much harder to just place the trans back in. With that said hopefully she'll be running by the end of the night.

Thanks again for all the tips, much appreciated

[Yeg180sx]

I think my biggest thing is to find some more car buddies haha seems as it would help the most instead of trying to 1 man everything haha cheers guys thanks again.