Creative ideas wanted for Installing 205/Th400

[sponsoredbydad]

What creativity have you used to install this massively awkward monstrosity? The floor jack is way too small of a platform and balancing both the Trans and TC are causing me grief, not to mention laying on the driveway is killing me. Has anybody made a cradle to hold it while installing? If so lets see some pictures. I know there has to be a better way. I just bought a thing(Not going to call it a tool)that goes on a floor jack to kinda make it into a trans jack, but it raises the platform about 8" and when lowered the trans is still above the exhaust.Basically it bites the big one ,Money Wasted. So what does the brotherhood got up their sleeve.

Thanks, Chris
Owner of "The Anti Prius"

 

[nvrenuf]

I always installed mine separately, made it an easy 1 person job.

 

[mr250twostroke]

Remove trans tunnel, use cherry picker.

 

[dyeager535]

Removing the tunnel is the best way IMO, but if limited to a floor jack (my tunnel isn't removable) I take the metal "cup" off that normally holds whatever you are lifting, and put a piece of plywood, board, whatever, is thick/large enough to balance the trans. I can run a bolt through mine if needed. Also you can use bolts with the heads cut off threaded into the lower bellhousing bolt holes in the block to help you line the trans up and help hold it in place.

I would separate the two. The t-case is a bear because it doesn't sit flat when installed, but since you just need to get the splines lined up, I get it close with the jack, then lift it the rest of the way until it mates up with the trans output shaft. Once the splines engage you can slide it forward and lower the jack.

I've also combined this with a cherry picker through the t-case shifter hole with a strap around the adapter, to help provide a measure of safety so it doesn't just fall off the jack.

 

[folkenheath]

I kind of use a combination of those things. I find them very awkward seperately and completely dangerous. The last few times I did it what worked the best is to take the jack pad off, and turn it upside down and screw it to a 2x12 (about the length of the tranny pan) with 4 #8 drywall screws(you may have to drill 4 holes in the jackpad and countersink them.) Then put it back in the jack and you have a large surface to set the tranny pan onto. If you offset it to the back of the 2x12 the tranny/tcase assembly will balance pretty well on it. This allows the jack to take the full weight and keep it lined up properly, which is darn near impossible with the t-case by itself, so I think it only make sense to bolt it together on the floor, put it on your homemade jackpad, and then install it as one unit.

The next obstacle is the jack. If it doesn't have enough travel, I have had to let the air out of my tires after rolling it under the frame to get it to clear the frame on the way in/out yet still be able to reach the mounting position. Plan ahead. My new jack has more travel so that isn't an issue, or if you have another jack you could jack one side or one end up to roll it under, I only had one jack at the time.

It works very well for me, but whatever you do be careful, because you will lose if you drop that thing on yourself or any of your limbs.

 

[70jimmy]

I install them separately and use a floor jack or jack stand with a piece of 4X4 post to support the oil pan of the engine.

For the tranny I use an ATV jack and depending on height of vehicle, I use 3 pieces of 4X4 on the ATV jack, you can screw them together or use a piece of plywood and screw them together and this provides a good base under the tranny pan. I also have a few pieces of 1 by, and 2 X 4 and put the amount I need under the front of the tranny pan to get the right angle I need. I have also lowered air pressure of the front or rear tires to assist in getting the right angle. I have two long like 8 inch bolts that screw into the engine, when I get the tranny at about the right angle I put those in the bottom two holes on the tranny and then slide the tranny home, double check that the torque converter is seated, fingers cant fit, then install the other bolts, remove the long bolts and replace with the last two bell housing bolts.

On the 205 I use the same ATV Jack and use lumber to support the passenger side bottom of the case to get it to the right angle and bolt it to the tranny. I also support the tranny once it is in with either another floor jack or jack stand.

 

[blazinzuk]

I do them sepertatly too.

Flat plate on the floor jack with a 2x12 for the trans.

I built a cradle for a 205 and will build one soon for my doubler, makes it easy but takes a bit to figure out where the balance point is

 

[454Sub]

Yep, separate is much easier. That 205 is a beast of a t-case and can really lay the whooping on ya if it falls.

 

[folkenheath]

Man you guys all sure do like to spend extra time doing them seperately when its cake to do them together with solid 2x12 mounted to your jack. And personally I don't see how you get a 205 up there on its own, it's so awkward. With a cradle I could see how that could work, but mounting a 2x12 to your jack is a lot easier than building a cradle, just make sure its offset toward one end, then it balances easy.

Now, for you doubler people, I could see how that wouldn't work well as one unit, it would be all out of balance, and for the 208 and 241 t-cases, I think seperate would be easier than a 205 or 203. (although I would still do it as a combo).

But for a TH400/NP205 combo, combo unit every time man, easy decision for me.

The only time I would ever consider taking the 205 off seperately is if I was only working on the 205 and could leave the tranny installed.

 

[mr250twostroke]

I don't know why a cherry picker isn't the easy choice? Makes getting the combo over the y pipe an easy 1 man job for me. That's with a 6" lift & 38's on a sloped driveway even. Also had to make my tunnel removable though...

 

[folkenheath]

I can see how that might be easier with certain more open rigs. But my rig has carpet, bench seat, full doors, heater, etc. Its way easier to screw a board to my jack and lower it down than it is to tear the interior apart and the tunnel out and worry about having to reseal the tunnel up and put all that back together.

I don't have a Y pipe either.

 

[mr250twostroke]

I can see how that might be easier with certain more open rigs. But my rig has carpet, bench seat, full doors, heater, etc. Its way easier to screw a board to my jack and lower it down than it is to tear the interior apart and the tunnel out and worry about having to reseal the tunnel up and put all that back together.

I don't have a Y pipe either.

I see your point. My suburban isn't open by any stretch though so it wasn't exactly easy to prep. I would guess removing the seats and folding the carpet back was worth it in the end though. Using the picker made it fairly easy... and in my case I now have a trans tunnel I can take out. The op is ahead of the game with his tunnel...

 

[sponsoredbydad]

Well OK I've got the Idea. It's just gona be what it is gona be, A big heavy awkward son of a gun. I've got the pass seat & tunnel out, I've got a cherry picker, I've got 2 floor jacks, I also have ply wood(Not yet modified to fit my jack but soon). What I really wanted was a magic fairy or some cool cradle type thing. As for the single or together I prefer the together. I will have my trans back from the shop later in the week, suck it up and just deal wit it. I do think I'll try that long bolt trick into the bell housing this time tho. Believe me I know how heavy and how quick things can go wrong with that TC. This is the 3rd time since January I've had to do this job.

 

[dyeager535]

One thing I started doing when messing with auto trans, is to seat the converter first with the transmission sitting on the floor, then take a string and tie it around the bellhousing, so that the converter stays seated.

Probably not as big a deal on the TH400, but on the TCC equipped trans, making sure all the splines are lined up under the vehicle can be a real bear. I prefer knowing the converter is still seated when I cut the string.

 

[wasted wages]

man......

go to the local rental company and rent a transmission jack.....
makes it so easy......and safe.


I bought a trans jack for my shop through northern tool....

I put the T400 in...

fabbed up a bracket mounted the complete doubler assembly to it and stabbed it in...

do the whole job myself...

work smarter..... not harder.....

 

[sponsoredbydad]

I forgot about the rental yards. Work smarter is what I thought I was doing by buying that POS adapter to turn my floor jack into a trans jack. Boy was that a wrong choice.

 

[dyeager535]

That's great, if usable in your rig.

465, non-removable tunnel, trans won't go in "flat". No matter what method you use, trans has to be started at an angle to clear the shifter opening in the tunnel. In an auto trans rig, a trans jack is probably much easier.

 

[diesel4me]

I have the floor jack "adapter" thing that slides in place of the saddle,the only drawback I've had with it,is once you get the tranny unbolted and go to lower it,the tranny is still too high up to be rolled out from under the truck--and if you block or jack it up enough so it clears,then the jack wont go up high enough to align the tranny to the engine!...it works great if your macho enough to pick the tranny up under the truck and slide it onto the jack,but I no longer am capeable of doing that......................................................................................................I'd need 2 jacks,one to lift and lower the rear of the truck ,and the second one with the tranny adapter ,to put a tranny in now....I've used the cherry picker way a few times,but it sucks taking the seats and carpets out and the tunnel--you always end up busting off a seat bolt,or tearing out the welded nut in the floor--then find so much ROT you wonder WHY your bothering wasting your time ,effort and money FIXING the rusted POS!.......

 

[wasted wages]

465, non-removable tunnel, trans won't go in "flat". No matter what method you use, trans has to be started at an angle to clear the shifter opening in the tunnel.

I bet if you pull the dizzy,,, block the back of the engine with a 2x4 against the firewall, you can do it....

the jack top plate has tilt from front to back and side to side....I can pitch my doubler at a 45 degree angle mounted on the jack.

the only drawback I've had with it,is once you get the tranny unbolted and go to lower it,the tranny is still too high up to be rolled out from under the truck--

Yup....being as the adapter plate I made raises the transmission up pretty high,, my rig sits on 44's,, so in the collapsed position, it just clears the bottom of the buggy....

on other trucks I just hook the overhead hoist to the front end and lift the truck high enough to clear the trans and roll it out...