HELP! How hard should it be to separate eng and tranny???

[meyek91974]

I have an I-6 and Ford-O-Matic.
I've removed the starter, four or so bolts, and even the low bolts through the dust shield and lower tranny. So, how hard should it be to pull the tranny from the engine?????

And/or how heavy is the Ford-O-Matic? Maybe I didnt pull hard enough, but I think I pulled well hard enough.....

HELP Please[S

 

[brchopper]

did you spin the flywheel and get all the bolts holding on to the converter. that ones got me before. and there should be a spot you can get a pry bar on and just give it some light encouragement. just make sure you got all those bolts out

 

[meyek91974]

spin the flywheel????

No, I didnt spin the flywheel. When pulling the 3speed from another engine, once all the bolts were out it came with minimal effort; I assumed this would be the same, only heavier.

 

[brchopper]

the automatics different

the converter, the donut looking thing is bolted to the flywheel ( I think its really called a torque plate?) three or four bolts. between engine and flywheel looking thru that flat cover you took off you will find a bolt. take it out and spin the flywheel until you find another bolt . repeat this three or 4 times and then try to seperate tranny from engine

 

[Torch]

I have pulled the tranny and left the torque converter hanging on the flywheel an just about any engine.

Only thing I can think of is if theres a block plate tween the flywheel and the block somehow sticking to the tranny??? or you missed a bolt somewhere

 

[sneakysnake]

I would say if the motor is still in the car then seperate the torque converter from the flywheel to prevent damage from getting it in a bind.Support the motor and raise up and down on the tailshaft of the tranny this should make it release, if not then you still have a bolt or two you missed run your hand all the way around the bellhousing.

 

[donsrods]

After you remove those torque convertor to flexplate bolts and make sure you have all the bellhousing bolts out, put a thin bladed regular screw driver between the block and bellhousing and tap it in slightly. Then move to the opposite side and do the same. If you start seeing separation you can progressively move up to thicker screwdrivers and then chisels to widen the gap. Sometimes those two locating dowels become stuck in the bellhousing and need a little effort to free them up. If you have trouble getting any gap to start do not force it too much as you may have missed some bolts.

Don

 

[meyek91974]

Wait - what?

I removed the starter. Then, there were four bolts holding the mid & upper eyelits of tranny to engine block. Next, I saw there are two bolts, on the bottom, holding the dust shield to the bottom of the tranny. Finally, I didnt see any other bolts from tranny to block and tried pulling apart. - which it didnt budge. So, I got a wedge and tried giving a little "persuasion" here and there around the gap/space. Still NOTHING!

Can someone break down and tell me like I'm the idiot that I feel like?

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

If I remember correctly, Ford-o-matics have CAST IRON cases, and either aluminum or cast iron bellhousings. Either way, it's gonna be heavy enough to crush you ribcage or your skull, so be careful with that monster and use a jack.

It's possible the dowel pins are rusted solid into the bellhousing. I've had to pry, wiggle, pry, wiggle, pry, wiggle and swear, sometimes pulling the pins right out of the engine block. That's fun.

 

[brchopper]

when you look into the dust shield area in the direction of the tranny did you remove the bolts holding the torque convertor to the flex plate ? you will only see one bolt at a time so turn the crank as you go to rotate the flex plate and take all the bolts out . is there a spot on the tranny where the edge sticks out a little further than the engine and you could take a pry bar and give it a little push. I had the same problem triing to get a tranny off and couldnt get it to budge until I took the bolts off the torque converter

 

[Crossfire]

convertor bolts.

Before you bust your trannie housing listen to what these guys are telling you. Inside of the dust cover you with see the ring gear that the starter engages to to turn the motor. There are bolts holding the torque converter to that plate. (TORQUE CONVERTER ) The round thing you see where you took the dust cover off at. If you don't see the bolts take a large screwdriver ,pry the ring gear around until you do and take those bolts out. Be careful turning the engine over with the screwdriver,that ring gear will eat you up if you slip. As far as the leaving the torque converter bolted to engine to take a transmission out, thats just asking for a screwed up front seal or pump. Hope this helps and as said earlier careful,that trannie is heavy.

 

[Old Iron]

Just a word of caution, if your working on that while it's still on the wagon when the tranny does turn loose the engine is goin to roll off the wagon
Don't be in the way

Jim

 

[sgtpontiac]

Is that a 3 bolt starter?

Did you take that off? I believe one or two of those bolts also go into the block and trans.... take it off if you haven't already... I have seen dowel pins stick badly, especially if they are dissimilar metals..i.e. alum to steel, or steel to cast iron etc....
if all the bolts are out, and the torque converter bolts are out...I believe there is four.... then I would set the engine and trans on the ground, spray the dowel pin areas with Aero or whatever penetrating oil you prefer and then wiggle the trans up and down until you loosen up the trans on the pins.... if it ain't moving then you are missing a bolt somewhere.... some of the fords bolt from both directions....front and back so double check....not sure if that will help but only thing I can think of that hasn't already been said.... but put them both on the ground.....much safer...

 

[LOWANDRATY]

sepration

If all the bolts are out as everyone has said, double check both sides front and back, then the dowell pins are stuck, look at the bell housing, find the 2 pins that are taking up space in the open holes, take a punch and hammer and smack those pins a few times, sometimes that will break them loose.

 

[Torch]

The only way the torque converter bolts to the flywheel would hold up the show is if the lower bellhousing cover was still on... Or if the torque converter was bolted to the transmission too...which would be a new one for me.

Normally you should always end up with a converter hanging off the back of the engine and a tranny on your foot. I always prefer that to crawling under the thing while it's hanging from the engine hoist to get the converter bolts out because I can blow into my thumb and blow my foot back up.
It doesn't work so good with your head....[P

 

[CR55]

The only way the torque converter bolts to the flywheel would hold up the show is if the lower bellhousing cover was still on... Or if the torque converter was bolted to the transmission too...which would be a new one for me.

Normally you should always end up with a converter hanging off the back of the engine and a tranny on your foot. I always prefer that to crawling under the thing while it's hanging from the engine hoist to get the converter bolts out because I can blow into my thumb and blow my foot back up.
It doesn't work so good with your head....[P

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