Easiest way to intall tranny and transfer case

[Yukon Jack]

I have a 70 K5 that I am preparing to run - it has set for about 7 years prior to me buying it. The transfer case is gone. I pulled the 4 speed manual last night. I will be putting in a different 4 speed manual that is hooked to an NP205. I pulled the 4 speed through the interior with my engine hoist.

When I go to install the new setup, what is easiest, install the combo bolted together with my engine hoist running through the cab and raising the combo from the ground into position or separate the combo and install the 4 speed through the cab like I pulled it then somehow lifting the NP205 into place?

The enigne is in place and I have the transfer crossmember removed at the moment. I have a cherry picker and a regular rolling floor jack.

Looking for the best way to install.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

Cherry picker through the door is the easiest way I've found. I've done it a number of ways but this was by far the easiest.

 

[55Willy]

easist way i have done it was have the body already off

 

[TorkDSR]

how high is it lifted?

im a fan of doing them seperate. motor, trans, xfer.

the xfer and t-case from the ground. i have an adapter made up for my floor jack.

 

[Yukon Jack]

I did my K20 with the body off - that was a breeze.

The K5 has a 4" lift. The tires are off and the axles are on jack stands. I could get it a little lower but I don't think my jack will go that high - I could make an adapter to get it higher but don't want to do that if the hoist through the cab works well.

 

[Lotsa_Faith]

I borrowed a trany jack and did tranny/tcase together. I thought it was pretty simple, did it with two people who didnt even really know what we were doing I had never done it before.

 

[diesel4me]

I use a floor jack with a tranny adapter plate that goes in place of the "saddle"--the only downside to this method is sometimes it wont go high enough to reach the bellhousing if the truck has a lift kit over 4 inches,or you cant get the transfer case/tranny under a stock rig without jacking it way up(hard to do when your only floor jack has the transfer/tranny sitting on it) and getting the transfer case and tranny ON the jack is very difficult alone--you have an engine hoist,so thats not an issue in your case--I have used the engine hoist thru the floor,but I found it very cumbersome with the seats installed,and I spilled gear oil on the seats and carpet when I pulled a SM465 out that way /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif--I prefer doing it from underneath,maybe its just me,but it seems easier to me that way-- /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[LKJR]

on my 71 I had to do mine seperate for some stupid reason it wouldn't go in as a unit friggin thing, and they are heavy.

 

[ugly_blazer]

[ QUOTE ]
the only downside to this method is sometimes it wont go high enough to reach the bellhousing if the truck has a lift kit over 4 inches

[/ QUOTE ]

I put mine on my jack and slide it under the truck, then lift it to almost the max. jack lift, then let air out of the front tires until it is close, then lift it the rest of the way with the jack. By letting air out of the front tires it also makes the engine level so it will match up better to the transmission that is sitting level on the jack. I have 6" lift and 38's with a 22" lift jack.

 

[diesel4me]

Yup--been there and done that!.One truck even after letting the air out of the tires wasnt enough--we ended up taking the front tires right off,and set it on some junk steel 6 lug rims I had lying around. I usually put the tranny in first on the older SM465 and 205 transfer cases,they are one heavy S O B when all bolted together,the automatics and 208's and 241's arent quite as bad,but still a handful when trying to do it alone.Even one pebble in the path of the jacks wheels can make it hell to push it in there by yourself--and how come the phone ALWAYS rings when you have a 800 lb tranny and transfer case teetering on a jack and your desparately trying to get 1 bolt started?? Its almost like the dang phone has eyes! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

 

[Yukon Jack]

Got the transmission and transfer case installed Friday - quite a job to do alone. I used my floor jack underneath the transfer case to level the setup and I used my hoist through the cab to lift the setup off the ground. Sure made me nervous when I had to be under the K5 until I had the bolts started. Glad to have that behind me - now I'm alot closer to having the K5 running - it hasn't ran in about 7 years.