Whats the trick to removing the M5R2 tranny?

RustyUL

Registered User
I've got to replace my clutch and slave cylinder. I've got the six bell housing bolts removed, the two bolts out of the oil pan, the starter disconnected, driveshaft is out, all electrical connections are disconnected and the slave cylinder hydraulic line is disconnected.

What else is there?

The tranny doesn't want to budge. I've got a jack under it supporting it's weight. I try to wiggle the tranny from side to side, but the entire engine moves and the tranny stays seized to the engine.

Anything I'm missing? What should I do now?
 
RustyUL said:
I've got to replace my clutch and slave cylinder. I've got the six bell housing bolts removed, the two bolts out of the oil pan, the starter disconnected, driveshaft is out, all electrical connections are disconnected and the slave cylinder hydraulic line is disconnected.

What else is there?

The tranny doesn't want to budge. I've got a jack under it supporting it's weight. I try to wiggle the tranny from side to side, but the entire engine moves and the tranny stays seized to the engine.

Anything I'm missing? What should I do now?

The locating pins are likely frozen. Sometimes you have to use a chisel and hammer as a wedge to seperate the two.
 
RustyUL said:
I was always told that the BFH was a Chevy tool!
You are mistaken. The BFH is a universal tool, crossing manufacturing company lines and breaking boundries (as well as other things) :D
 
XR7DAVE,

I got the tranny out last night. You were right, the locating pins were frozen with rust. I had to pound a wedge between the block and the bellhousing on both sides and work with it for quite a while, but it did come out. Thanks for the help everyone....
 
Certainly...or even 180 grit!

The old slave cylinder doesn't look bad, but I KNOW it was leaking. The throwout bearing looks terrible and feels like it was on it's last leg. The clutch is all rusted and generally pitiful looking. I don't know about the disk yet because I don't have the pressure plate off, but I'm sure it's contaminated with hydraulic fluid.

Anybody know of special precautions to take while surfacing the flywheel? I know the cylinder throw is fixed, so as little as possible, but anything else? I'm probably going to do it myself on a large surface grinder (horizontal spindle) that we have at work. Any reason anybody can think of not to do this?
 
Erhmm..........!

You are going to change the rear main seal while you have it apart, yes!!! I'd have a good look around, down under too! as you have a good openning to see stuff, motor mounts, they're hydraulic and blow out and then the oil pan drags on the cross member and allllllll hell breaks loose! I'll let some others throw in here as I prolly forgot a few things to do while it's that far apart, good time to throw a set of headers at it, too! seeing as all that stuff is out of the way. good luck and cheers and beers, Frank
 
I had every intention of changing the rear main seal, but whe I got the flywheel off, it appears the seal can't be changed from the outside. I don't see any steel retainer or anything. Also, the seal that's in there isn't leaking a drop.

If you have any information as to how to remove and replace the seal, I'd love to hear it.


White Lightning said:
You are going to change the rear main seal while you have it apart, yes!!! I'd have a good look around, down under too! as you have a good openning to see stuff, motor mounts, they're hydraulic and blow out and then the oil pan drags on the cross member and allllllll hell breaks loose! I'll let some others throw in here as I prolly forgot a few things to do while it's that far apart, good time to throw a set of headers at it, too! seeing as all that stuff is out of the way. good luck and cheers and beers, Frank
 
RustyUL said:
I had every intention of changing the rear main seal, but whe I got the flywheel off, it appears the seal can't be changed from the outside. I don't see any steel retainer or anything. Also, the seal that's in there isn't leaking a drop.

If you have any information as to how to remove and replace the seal, I'd love to hear it.
screw in two srews into seal and pull out seal it is a push in type then just use a flat sufaced peice of wood to tap it inwork in circles take your time.
 
I just resurfaced the flywheel. Took .0025" to clean up. Not bad at all. Flatness in the are where the disc seats is .001" Very good for a 1930s era surface grinder...eh?

I couldn't get the pilot bearing out, so I borrowed a slide hammer from work. I'll see if it comes out easily tonight. If All goes well, I should be ready to reinstall everything tomorrow. It will be tough to get the tranny back into position without a hoist or something. I have a floor jack, but I'm working on the ground. I guess I'll have to make due!
 
RustyUL said:
I just resurfaced the flywheel. Took .0025" to clean up. Not bad at all. Flatness in the are where the disc seats is .001" Very good for a 1930s era surface grinder...eh?

I couldn't get the pilot bearing out, so I borrowed a slide hammer from work. I'll see if it comes out easily tonight. If All goes well, I should be ready to reinstall everything tomorrow. It will be tough to get the tranny back into position without a hoist or something. I have a floor jack, but I'm working on the ground. I guess I'll have to make due!

Pilot bearing is easy if you have the right attachment for your slide hammer. AZ has it.

As for the 1930's grinder, it's probably a lot better than anything you could buy today. LOL
 
SC back on the road after a year and a half.

Yep...when I borrowed a two-jawed slide hammer from work, the bearing came out in 4 pops! New clutch went in fine....it was a bitch putting in the tranny alone, but the guide studs I made helped a great deal. Everything else went OK on reassembly until I got to the exhaust. After an aggrivating bout with an exhaust flange nut that I dropped in the cat, I got the exhaust back on.

Got to drive it last night for the first time in 1.5 years. Man, I love my SC! But...guess what happened then. After 13 miles, the odometer broke. Now, besides getting a new part, whatever it ends up being, I have to pull out the dash trim after I just put it in. This may not seem like a big deal to those with automatic transmissions, but on a manual, the ignition lock couldn't be in a worse freaking place.

Pisses me off. If it ain't one thing it's another. I had the same problem with my 96LX.

Anyway...I love my SC! I forgot how nice they really are!
 
Back
Top