ZF-5 removal

[MidnightBlade]

Well, started to tackle the tranny swap today and met up with a major problem.......The tranny is still attached to the truck . I have all the bellhousing bolts out, the T-Case removed, and the crossmember pulled. As of right now the floor jack and sme other unknown froce is holding the tranny to the engine . Do you have to pull the starter to drop the tranny or can it just stay there? Also what all else is there to be removed? I also already have the clutch cylinder pulled. Do I have to pull that metal tab that it pushes on too (I have no clue what it's called) or can that stay in there?

 

[Silver Burner]

It should just pull out. The input shaft will be hooked up through the clutch assembly through to the pilot bearing, but it should work itself out. It is a stiff sob, but I don't recall having to remove the starter.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

pilot bearing could be stuck on the shaft, or it is just stuck on the alignment pins. if they aint dead straight it will fight ya. try a prybar betweem the block and trans, see it will pop loose. i have had semi truck trans get stuck bad.

 

[MidnightBlade]

Forgot to ask in the OP, but does anyone have a trans mount from a 4x4 they could give away? Thanks for the quick replys guys, yins are great to have in a pinch.

 

[franklin2]

Don't try to support the engine. Let it and the tranny fall back at a angle. I found I had to take the exhaust loose to let the rear of the engine down enough for the top of the tranny to clear the trans tunnel. The tranny will also have to go back in this way, up and in at a angle, bolt it to the engine, and then jack the assembly back up in the rear and install the crossmember.

 

[oldblue05]

Don't pull the starter, there is nothing special or tricky to getting them out just might require some brute force. An idea that just came to mind: attach a chain or something from the output yoke to the axle, then use a floor jack in the middle to get the correct angle and to add tension... only works with multiple floor jacks, if this seems like a bad to anyone feel free to call me out.

 

[biggin92]

Just grab the tailshaft housing violently shake it , make sure it is clear of the firewall and the floorboard.

 

[ford390gashog]

Is the inspection cover removed? Or you have a bum pilot bearing hanging it up , thats what happened to me last time.

 

[hesutton]

Matt, worst case, use a come-along to pull it off the back of the engine. Hook the back of the trans with one end and hook the come-along to the frame. Pull it loose, unhook the come-along and you've got it whipped.

Heath

 

[Dieselcrawler]

Have done that on bigger fuller trans in semi trucks. Just watch, if it is really stuck it can pop loose and fall quickly

 

[MidnightBlade]

We tried a 2' long piece of pipe over top of the tailshaft and shook the hell out of it for abut 5 minutes and nothing happened.

It is clearing the tunnel and floor boards, and dust cover is removed.

I will take the jack from under the engine. We thought that would be safer because that's how we used to pull T-19's.

I thoguth about the come-along idea too. I guess that will be my last resort if none of the other ideas here work. I'll keep a floor jack under but not touching the tranny incase it does fall.

Any idea where I can find a tranny mount? Mine must have got the sudden urge to detonate because it's in 3 pieces right now

 

[Fordsandguns]

When I did the swap on my truck I had hell getting the zf out of the donor. I was looking for bolts that I missed.
It took lots of wiggling and kicking it to get it out.
A little prying between the trans and engine helped too.

 

[alienturtle]

There should be 6 bolts that hold the tranny to the plate. I have had my tranny out many many times. what i find is that the angle of the tranny in relationship to the back of the engine needs to be dead on to get her to separate from the 2 dow pins as well as the main shaft in the pilot bearing/bushing. I start with a jack under the tranny and jack it up a tiny tiny bit..wiggle wiggle. if nothing moves then i jack it up a tinny bit more.. wiggle wiggle. until it separates

 

[redmondjp]

I don't know that I've ever seen this happen, but could the splines on the ID of the clutch disc hub be rusted/frozen onto the input shaft of the transmission? That would certainly keep it held into place.

Just trying to think outside the box here, and unfortunately I don't know what one would do about this, other than to try to yank the transmission straight towards the rear, maybe with a big slide hammer and some kind of custom-made adapter onto the rear of the tranny case.

 

[MidnightBlade]

pilot bearing could be stuck on the shaft, or it is just stuck on the alignment pins. if they aint dead straight it will fight ya. try a prybar betweem the block and trans, see it will pop loose. i have had semi truck trans get stuck bad.

There isn't enough room to get a prybar betwen the tranny and block