Pulling a C6 transmission

Hey folks
I've done a few 6.9 and 7.3 motor swaps but this time I'm only going for the tranny.
It's a C6 with an overdrive bolted to the stinger.

I've got a couple of questions.
My main one is, can the brace supporting the tranny come off? It looks like it should.

Two, is there a good, online walk through for this?

Three, any tips are welcome.

Lonewolf182 said:

can the brace supporting the tranny come off?

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If you mean the crossmember that the tranny mount bolts to, then the answer is yes. I would recommend removing the overdrive unit before having the transmission completely loose. Same goes for a transfer case for 4X4. It's really nice to have a helper to help balance the transmission while you're lowering and lifting it back up. Don't forget the torque convertor nuts (hopefully you didn't need this reminder, but it happens). I try to have some 3/8" fuel line and a couple of hose clamps close by so that I can slide the hose over the cooling lines after I take them loose and then tighten the clamps down over the fuel line in order to minimize the dripping fluid. I also like to have some duct tape (or even electrical tape) with me for when I unbolt the driveshaft from the rear end. Wrapping the tape around the u-joint will help to keep the caps in place and greatly reduce the chances of playing needle bearing pick up. A couple of shots of grease into the u-joint before removal will help to keep the needle bearings inside the cap if the worst happens. I've had realtively dry needle bearings fall out of the caps when the cap just came off, but didn't hit the ground.

Thanks idibronco, some tips i haven't heard. That doesn't happen much anymore.
I also used masking tape to label some wires.
I don't have any help but i have got a tranny jack.
The fun part's going to be getting it into a worn out Durango by myself, lol

Oh, the Durango is just borrowed so i can get the tranny to a shop

Another tip. Since you're taking it to a shop, I'm assuming that something went bad in it. In the shop that I used to work in, whenever we'd replace an automatic transmission, we'd flush the cooler. Our method was this: First, blow all of the old fluid that you can out of the lines into a container such as an oil drain pan. Be careful to use very little air to do this, otherwise, fluid will go EVERYWHERE. After you've done this, we would get a gallon of clean, new solvent. Pour half of it into a clean container. Using some rubber fuel line, connect a cheap, inline electric fuel pump to one of the cooler lines. Install a filter before the pump. hook a feed line to the filter and then put the other end into the container of clean solvent. Run another line (rubber) from the other cooling line back into the solvent, making a complete circuit. Then hook the fuel pump up to a battery (we used a spare batter that was slid underneath the vehicle). Let the pump run for about 30 minutes. After that, disconnect the pump, gently blow the dirty solvent out of the cooler and lines. Dump the dirty solvent and run the other half gallon through the lines the opposite way as the first time. After another 30 minutes or so, disconnect the pump from power, blow out the lines as well as you can again, and then put everything away. The reason for doing this is to ensure that any pieces of metal that may be lodged in the cooler or lines is removed. The fresh transmission fluid is a good solvent and one piece of metal in the wrong place can mean pulling the transmission back out and taking it back to the shop again. It's not very likely, but it can happen. Just think of doing this as adding a little extra insurance to the job.

Looks like i may have a new problem.
I'm ready to unbolt the bell housing.
If i remember right, there are two bolts near the top of the housing.
I can't see them and to make things worse, I've got a stock turbocharger.
And it's got a really tight fit to the firewall.

Can anyone tell me a good way to get to those top bolts?

When I pulled mine, I dropped the back of the transmission as low as it would go and used a long extention and maybe a swivel if needed. Just make sure you have 1 or 2 of the lower bolts in so the transmission doesn't have the chance to slide off.
Edit: mine was a zf5 though. It might be different with a c6

Lonewolf182 said:

Looks like i may have a new problem.
I'm ready to unbolt the bell housing.
If i remember right, there are two bolts near the top of the housing.
I can't see them and to make things worse, I've got a stock turbocharger.
And it's got a really tight fit to the firewall.

Can anyone tell me a good way to get to those top bolts?

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You may end up having to remove the turbo. The transmission may not slide out with it in place.

Thanks Philip1. I've never seen a zf5 so i can't guess.

Hi IDIBRONCO,
I tried pulling the turbo once to get to the glow plugs under it and gave up.
I'll try searching for a tutorial again.

I think the real problem will be the exhaust pipe coming out of the turbo.

Just got a better look at them in the daylight.
The drivers side isn't bad as long as you've got the right combo of swivels and woble extensions.

But there's not enough clearance between the exhaust and the bolt to be able to use a socket or boxed end wrench, on the passenger side.
I'll try snaking my arm in with an open end wrench and hope i have enough umf to turn it.

Like Philip1, I use a 3' extension with impact swivel & short socket. I do not have turbo installed (yet)

on edit: Pull the TC with the tranny.

Lonewolf182 said:

I think the real problem will be the exhaust pipe coming out of the turbo.

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That may be all you need to remove instead of the whole turbo. Of course some are easier to remove than others.

Lonewolf182 said:

I tried pulling the turbo once to get to the glow plugs under it and gave up.

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For the glow plugs underneath the turbo, I use all 1/4" drive tools. I use a long extension (or multiple ones), a deep 3/8" socket, and a universal (swivel) plus the ratchet to loosen and tighten them again. I usually use a magnet to pull them out of the holes and put them back in again.

She's free!
I hoped just loosening the exhaust would make enough room, but i had to take it all the way off. Even with an impact driver, that one bolt was a €!€+£!

My tranny jack is about 8 inches tall and it looks like I'll have to raise the truck another foot to get the tranny out from under her.
But it progress

Thanks for the help everybody!

Lonewolf182 said:

it looks like I'll have to raise the truck another foot to get the tranny out from under her.

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That usually seems to happen without a lift. At least it does to me. The manual transmissions aren't so bad since they don't have the dipstick poking way up in the air.

Oh, I did notice something that could have helped.
Just above the bell housing there's a good sized access plate in the floor board of the cab.
You'd have to pull up the floor mat but it could make those top bolts and the turbo exhaust pipe much easier to work on.