Replacing Transmission

[cabin]

Well, before my swap is completed, I already need to replace my transmission. I bought the ZF tranny for $150, knowing it needed the seals replaced, so prior to dropping the engine in, I did just that. Well, it turns out that the tranny had some excessive input shaft play, and it is leaking like crazy from the input seal. Rather than replacing the seal for a second time, I am going to source another tranny, that is known to not be leaking.

Now here is where my question arises. For those that have had to remove/replace their tranny what is the easiest way to go about replacing the tranny on a swapped e30? Especially a ZF tranny.

There are basically 3 ways to do it,
1.) remove tranny from under the car, leaving the engine installed

2.) pull out engine and tranny

3.) drop subframe with engine and tranny

Tell me about your experiences, I will probably be doing this in the next few weeks, depending on when I source another tranny.

[DREWHALL]

Personally I would leave the engine in and just drop the trans, but I have access to a lift and trans jack so that makes my life a little easier. I have dropped transmissions putting the car on jack stands and using a floor jack to hold it while guiding it away from the engine as well. I would prefer not to pull the engine just to put in a trans.

[89325iturbo]

Honestly I did mine a few months ago. I pulled it from under the car it was a pain. If I did it again I think I would just pull it with engine. There's not much more to do. And trying to take the tranny bolts off under the car can take hours. When out of the car it takes 10 minutes.

[matt]

Pulling the engine is silly.

Spend $100 or less on good tools (2 36" 3/8 extensions, E-torx bits, and a really nice U-joint.) and just do it from the bottom.

[FredK]

I've stared up there thinking, how would I do this clutch job if it came down to it? I haven't had to pull the transmission yet, but to gain access to the torx bolts via extensions and u-joints, does the trans tunnel soundproofing foam need to be removed?

[nrubenstein]

Honestly I did mine a few months ago. I pulled it from under the car it was a pain. If I did it again I think I would just pull it with engine. There's not much more to do. And trying to take the tranny bolts off under the car can take hours. When out of the car it takes 10 minutes.

You're doing it wrong. Disconnect the steering shaft, and swap the long subframe bolts for the short ones. You can drop the subframe about two inches this way, and that'll make it super easy to reach the bolts on top of the transmission.

[justin_l_]

Fwiw I had it down to about 3.5 hours on my back under the car. Long extension and universals make it do-able. I had no insulation on the firewall, but enough room it wouldn't worry me if there was insulation.

[erik325i]

I do it the same way I would any other BMW. Unbolt it and drop it out the bottom.

As matt said, it would be silly to pull the motor.

Erik

[99em1]

Pulling the engine is silly.

Spend $100 or less on good tools (2 36" 3/8 extensions, E-torx bits, and a really nice U-joint.) and just do it from the bottom.

Pretty much. Only thing I skimped on was the Harbor Freight trans jack (like $60 something) because the getrag isn't that heavy and its... a transmission jack.

[graphikg]

I am doing this job now, and gosh it sucks. It is my first time doing it. Get the car as high as possible and undo the motor mount bolts. This allowed me to tilt the front of the engine up which tilted the tranny down. I got to the bolts this way but took me like 3 hours just to get all the top bolts.

I also dont recommend trying to get the b*tch clip off until you get the tranny off. I just dropped the tranny with the shift carrier attached and took the b*tch clip off when the tranny was out.

Speaking of this whole thing, a tranny jacked would have surely helped. Erik - have one I can borrow for when I am ready to put it back in? :)

[gkurey]

I did mine recently, and there is definitely no need to pull the motor...too much work there. Getting the tranny bolts on top is significantly easier if you loosen the subframe and steering column, and lower it down a few inches! I took me a day to do, but definitely do-able...I had no extra hands either.

[jasapp]

Pulling the engine is silly.

Spend $100 or less on good tools (2 36" 3/8 extensions, E-torx bits, and a really nice U-joint.) and just do it from the bottom.

I agree. It's cake with the right tools. Last time I did it, it was 45 minutes not including the exhaust.

[erik325i]

Speaking of this whole thing, a tranny jacked would have surely helped. Erik - have one I can borrow for when I am ready to put it back in? :)

I don't have a tranny jack. I usually just lift it by hand. Make sure you do a good job of aligning your clutch disc so you don't have to spend too much time fighting with the tranny to get it on. My favorite clutch alignment tools are the actual input shafts that I've cut off of junk transmissions.

A regular floor jack also works to hold the tranny up in place.

I also dont recommend trying to get the b*tch clip off until you get the tranny off.

I've found that removing the bitch clip is a lot easier with a flathead screwdriver that is bent 180* into a hook shape.

[graphikg]

I don't have a tranny jack. I usually just lift it by hand. Make sure you do a good job of aligning your clutch disc so you don't have to spend too much time fighting with the tranny to get it on. My favorite clutch alignment tools are the actual input shafts that I've cut off of junk transmissions.

Damn, you must be ironman. :nice:

I've found that removing the bitch clip is a lot easier with a flathead screwdriver that is bent 180* into a hook shape.

Now that does make a lot of sense. I can see how that could work well. I think my method did just fine for me for a first timer.

[nrubenstein]

If the alignment of the clutch is good, bench pressing a ZF in is no big deal.

...that said, I dropped a ZF310 on my chest once, when my arms gave up after wrestling with it for 10-15 minutes. That was painful.