Pretty straight forward!
You can deal with draining it, or not. Draining can make a mess and if you slip
up, you have to wallow around in tranny fluid for the next hour. At least remove
what you can from the pan.
Exhaust
This is a good time to get aftermarket midpipe
- you will be thoroughly disappointed when
faced with putting the OEM stuff back IMHO.
This is the most frustrating and time-consuming
part of the R&R.
- Disconnect from tail section.
- Remove O2 sensors (if you will be replacing
these - use a hammer and break them in
half - much easier than trying to remove
them. You can pull the guts after you remove
the midpipe.
- Remove collector nuts (pretty tough,
need extensions and small hands). The O2
sensor will be in your way.
- Hack the smog stuff out of your way;
replace it with high heat rubber.
Tranny Removal
- 12 point 12mm wrench on driveline bolts
(pull it) tape off ext housing to prevent
fluid leakage if you haven't drained it
all the way. Mark the driveline at the
pinion so when you go to re-install it,
you put it back exactly in the same holes
- this will decrease the chances of having
any driveline vibration. Technically, it
shouldn't make a bit of difference but
through experience I have found that it
does (although I couldn't tell you why).
- Starter/flywheel shield/torque converter
nuts (4).
- Reverse/park sensor/speedo gear.
- TV cable/shifter/tranny coolant lines.
- Dip stick tube (attached above with mount
bolt).
Get all that crap out of your way; get it down
to BARE tranny. There are 6 large bolts now
holding the bell to the engine, and often some
small bolts.
- Take the bottom ones out and the cross
member bolts that hold the tranny.
- Use jack to support pan, remove cross
member from car.
- Lower jack (pivot the motor/tranny down).
- Remove the top bolts.
- Jack back up to flat position. NOW the
hard part - have a strong dude hold the
tranny up while you remove the last 2 bolts
in the middle. Once they are out, just
yank - AOD is removed - but crushing your
friend. I use a forklift or at best rig
up a good mount on the top of your floor
jack to hold the tranny instead of your
friend. Weight balance is about 3" back
from the front of the pan.
Make sure and use a new torque converter or
have the old one flushed –
they can hide a lot of crud that will destroy
a new tranny. Also, clean the cooler out -
same deal here. Use gallon size carburetor
cleaner and a hand pump - pump into the TOP
line, drain out of the bottom line.
Put the TC back on the new/rebuilt AOD - make
sure there are 3 clunks - three shafts to engage.
You will know when you hit the last one (tough
one). The torque converter bolt lands will
be 1" from the outer bell for double measure.
While the tranny is out:
- Remove the flex plate and replace the rear main seal while you can
- Torque the flex plate bolts properly and use lock-tite. Try to mark how
the flex plate installs, so it will be easy to install it - it only goes
on ONE way, so don't force any bolts
Installation
To install things is a little different - but not much.
- Line it up and shove it on the flywheel. The motor may be leaning forward
or backward, it is only sitting on the mounts so it is easy for your assistant(s)
to move.
- Once the torque converter bolts are through, put the middle tranny mount
bolts in, tighten them snugly and put the cross member back in.
- NOW (or after a few more bolts) - pull and push on the TC studs and make
sure the TC is LOOSE in the flywheel - you should be able to WITH EASE clunk
the TC in and out against the flywheel. This is a must, and tells you that
the TC is installed correctly and not bound up. If it does not do this you
may not have the TC seated properly - and will destroy the front pump with
one key turn.
- The rest is just reversal.....
TV pressure setting. I recommend 5psi at 1000 RPM, that is how to set it; there
is no other way. Use any oil pressure gauge, or tranny pressure gauge. I used
a mechanical oil pressure gauge out of a Nova once to check it.
I'm sure I skipped something, but you get
the gist of it!
