I don't feel it's necessary to bag and tag all the bolts - that's kind of "over the top" for as few as there are, and they're all different and only fit one thing.

• There are 6 bolts in the bellhousing, 5/8" wrench or socket.
  • 40 to 50 lb-ft to reinstall.
• There are 4 torque converter nuts, self locking, 9/16".
  • Use a 15/16" socket on the damper bolt to rotate the engine to get at the converter nuts. Best to rotate only clockwise so you don't loosen the damper bolt. Position each converter nut just below the block on the driver side to access after you remove the converter shield at the bottom of the bellhousing. You can then get an end wrench or 1/4" drive socket & an extension on them. You can get a 3/8 drive socket on them to reinstall & torque if you position the nut just right. 25 to 30 lb-ft with Loctite to reassemble.
• There are 2 starter bolts, ½".
• There is 1 starter wire bolt, 3/8".
• There are 2 converter shield bolts, 15mm or 9/16".
• There are 2 long outer trans crossmember bolts, ½" bolt head, 15mm nuts.
• There are 2 trans mount bolts, 16 mm.
• There are 4 driveshaft to rear end bolts, 12 point 12mm.
• The throttle valve cable is a clip on socket to a small ball end on the arm on the trans.
• The shifter cable is held on with a nut with an attached washer I believe it's 9/16".
• The pan takes 10mm, is 90 inch lbs or 7 to 8 ft lbs with Loctite (clean the bolts and the bolt holes with carb spray, blow dry with comp air if you have it, or air dry, to make sure the Loctite sticks. NO more leaks or seeps!)
• The filter is 8 mm, 100 inch lbs +/- 15, or about 8 ft lbs.

You need a MINIMUM of 15" clearance to get the trans out from under the car.

• The center of gravity of the trans is just forward of the center of the pan. My floor jack has a socket (like an open end of a pipe) that the head fits in. I welded a flat plate about 8" square to a short piece of pipe that fits into the socket. The trans will balance on that as long as it's reasonably well centered. If possible, somehow firmly attach a piece of plate to the top of your floor jack. That will hold the trans without tipping, or use 2 floor jacks, one under the end of the tailshaft, and another under the front of the oil pan OR use a stack of blocks under the oil pan that you can take out 1 layer at a time to lower the trans. To get the trans up off the ground when reinstalling, I use a bar over a block to lift one end at a time and put one layer of blocking under there at a time. Keep working up till you can get your jack(s) under. You do NOT want to try to hold the trans up by hand, even with 2 strong people!!! Stuff a rag tightly in around the tailshaft after you remove the driveshaft, or tightly tie a plastic baggy or sack around the outside of the tailshaft, or drain some of the fluid out by removing and temporarily replacing the pan.
• Put a jack under the end of the tailshaft and jack up just enough to get the trans mount crossmember out, then let it down some, makes it much easier to get at the two top bellhousing bolts, though it's still difficult. Just be careful and watch the hoses, etc, between the back of the engine and the firewall so you don't crush something. Once you get the trans off of the engine, the engine will balance by itself very nicely on the mounts without extra support.
• The driveshaft to rear end bolts can be VERY tight. Use a good quality end wrench, or you can usually use a 3/8" drive socket with a longer extension and a breaker. First time I had mine loose, I had to use the end wrench and hit it pretty good with a 3lb hammer to break them loose. Put the trans in park while you're loosening or tightening those bolts. Put in neutral to rotate to get at the rest of the bolts.
• To make removing and replacing the H pipe MUCH easier, go to the TECH  section and look for an article called "Easy H Pipe Removal". WELL worth it!! However you do it, take the nuts off of the collector to H pipe connection, and off of the H pipe to exhaust pipe connections, then lower the back end of the trans with the mount & hangers. The pipes will separate at the back end of the H pipe and you can slide the hangers out of their sockets on the mount. Lube the hangers, and reverse that sequence to reinstall.
• To get at the top starter bolt, put several long extensions together and run them over the top of the motor mount, with the ratchet in front of the mount. You'll have to guide the socket onto the bolt by feel by running your hand up alongside the starter. It's tight, and tough to get aligned the first time till you get the feel of the alignment and socket placement.
• The cooler line nuts on the right side are 1/2".
• To access the top 2 bellhousing bolts, use several long extensions and a swivel by the socket, or swivel socket, and run them up along each side of the trans from about the rear of the case. Use a good light, and you can usually see to guide the socket onto the bolt. If the swivel is loose, wrap it in tape so the socket stays fairly straight.
• The 2 top bellhousing bolts go thru 2 small brackets holding the tv cable and the speed sensor wires. Those bolts are the hardest to get inserted thru the brackets and then started. Be PATIENT and try different hand positions until you get it. A good light helps. The middle pass side bolt has the dipstick bracket on it. Take that one out and remove the dipstick before you work on the top bolt (stuff a rag or plug into the dipstick hole), and put the top one in before you put that one in when reinstalling.
• Unhook the speed sensor wire plug at the driver side front of the tailshaft housing.
• When reinstalling the converter into the trans, there are 3 distinct splines it has to fit over or into, you should feel each one distinctly. Rotate while gently pushing till it slips over the hollow stator support with the external splines, and over the splines on the end of the inner lockup/direct input shaft. Then the backside snout of the converter, which has 2 flat spots on the outside at the end, has to fit thru the seal and into the pump gears. This is the last step. You should feel a definite increase in resistance to turning after you get that snout into the pump gears. Make sure to push the converter far enough back into the bellhousing so the studs on the front side of the converter miss the flex plate (are "behind" it) when lifting the trans up into position.
• To reconnect the shifter cable in the correct position, place the shifter in OD, toward the rear of the detent (away from neutral). Make sure the shifter lever at the trans is also in the OD position. You can count the clicks from either reverse or first to the OD position. If you put it in this position before you unhook it, and scribe or paint a mark around the nut before you take it loose, then you can see EXACTLY the right position for reattaching the cable in the slotted hole.

VERY well worth the couple dollars to install a trans drain plug if you EVER plan on removing the pan, even just for changing trans fluid and filter.



- macx