Automatic Trans needs replacing

[AlpineRaven]

My brother's VP transmission needs replacing - no reverse left on it and have spare transmission here, its a bit of gamble over the transmission as specialist said can cost him minimum of $700 versus $105 transmission that I have working in the garage so we decided to change the transmission over.

I've pulled engines out with transmission attached about 4 times in past 3 yrs (VN & VS but not VP - same thing!)

What is your opinion - take transmission out from under the car or remove engine with transmission attached - I have the hoist in the garage.
Cheers
AP

[CSL]

like yourself i had previosly taken and replaced a few engines, and when i came to put the reco, kited box in, i had this same dilema.
i decided to leave the engine in the car and have a crack at it
i ended up removing the entire exhaust from the car included extractors so i had more room to swing a spanner.
i ended up removing the entire intake, including TB and Elbow so i could access the bolts on the top of the trans,
what was probally the worst part was trying to undo the auto lines from the box, made me extremly angry.
make sure you can get the car high enough to slide the trans out on top of jack. mine wasnt high enough. i had to slide the tranny on the concrete, work out a way of jacking it up high enough to get the trolley jack underneith it (4 beers and a serverly scratched head later and all i needed were two scissor jacks and two big screwdrivers)
it's not as hard to line it up with the engine as you may think, i mean once you get one bolt on then it all locates nice

over all i'm about 50/50, cause with the engine your gunna still have to remove the driveshaft, and exahust, and you get to work in the bay and not under the car (bloody hate under car work)

and seeing as you have done a few engines before, the you can usualy have an engine out in about 6hours,
the auto probally took me 20 hours (mabye could have dropped that to 10 if i didnt drink so much)

so i cant give you an answer but you have some nfo anyway

[aries75au]

when removing the trans never pull the input shaft out of the torque converter you'll have heaps of fun trying to line up the two splines inside again. before seperating the trans from the engine undo the bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate and wire the converter to the trans with some tie wire this helps keep the two units together and also leaves you with an extra hand to guide the trans out and down

[Blown V6 Hatch]

20 hours??? LOL, a VN/VP auto is a piece of cake. Just drop it out from underneath, providing you have a good heavy duty jack and not a $20 supercheap special.....

[AlpineRaven]

when removing the trans never pull the input shaft out of the torque converter you'll have heaps of fun trying to line up the two splines inside again. before seperating the trans from the engine undo the bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate and wire the converter to the trans with some tie wire this helps keep the two units together and also leaves you with an extra hand to guide the trans out and down

Yeah? In the past I guess I have been "Lucky" as they go straight in?
Cheers
AP

[AlpineRaven]

To remove transmission is approx 40 mins
To install transmission with trolley jack with home made welded up transmission tray is approx 2 hours roughly taking easy (4WD/AWD boxes are harder!!). Exhaust does not need to be moved but tailshaft has to be removed.
Cheers
AP