The pump seal is leaking on my '69 (350, TH400). I called a couple shops, one said it's a major pain to remove the tranny due to the crossmember, but offered to rebuild it if I removed it. How much of a pain is it? I know the obvious- bellhousing and torque converter bolts, shifter linkage, cooling lines, driveshaft, anything else? Any tricks or pitfalls?
Thanks,
Matt

I just put my new race powerglide in and out of the car 3 times in the last month for various reasons. I was surprised out how ez it was. I did however go out and buy 4, 6 ton jack stands and put the car about a foot off the ground. I also put a tranny and scatter shield in, and the flywheel shield was really the only thing that gave me any problem at all. I used a floor jack with a piece of 1/8" thick stock on it to balance the tranny as it came out. Same on the way back in. I did it completly by myself, so if you can get help it makes it that much ez'er

|UPDATED|11/29/2004 9:05:22 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

The only real hard part was the crossmember in that the exhaust runs thru the middle of it. If your exhaust comes apart easily (which mine does as it is still practically new) then the job is pretty easy.

Even if the exhaust is now long bonded pieces of pipe you can still work thru this... you'll just have to wiggle the crossmember rearward along the exhaust pipes.

Beyond that, what you mentioned is about all there is to it.

yeah its not too bad with the bolt on crossmember with the automatics...

now the stick is another matter

One last question, can I just disconnect the shifter cable at the tranny, or do I have to remove the whole shifter?

Thanks,
Matt

I probably had an ez time with it because I forgot about the exhaust going through the cross member. It doesnt do that on mine.

I'm not stock anymore, but if you can disconect the linkage at the tranny that would definatly be the ez'est way.

what is he going to rebuild? after you get it out (don't let the converter fall out on ya) pull the converter out and there's the seal. sounds a little fishy to me.

I can't beleive a tranny shop would think that to be a hard job. not with a lift and a tranny jack. Yes the shifter stays with the car so you only have to unhook the cable from the trans.

|UPDATED|1/20/2005 7:42:54 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

It sounds like the tranny shop has no experience with C3s. It's no worse than most rear drive cars, and easier then most front drive cars.

If you go to all the trouble to take it out, pull the converter out of the trans. The seal is right there. Look at the snub of the converter that was in the trans. If the snub is smooth and even, not ridged, grooved etc. you can probably just put the seal in. Chances are good it will only be a bad seal, depending on mileage.

If there is uneven wear on the converter you should pull the front pump out of the trans and have a new bushing put in, or install a rebuilt one and a new or rebuilt converter. The pump bushing supports the converter. The converter in turn drives the pump.

Tip the bell housing end of the trans up a bit. You can stand it on end, but it's not necessary and you will lose a lot of fluid. ( You are going to lose quite a bit anyway)

The pump is held in with several bolts. It just looks like the cover inside the trans bell housing, and in fact is. With all bolts out, look in the bolt holes. Two of them will have a slightly larger threaded hole that the bolts went through. This is where you install two slide hammers into the pump assy, and then tap the pump assy out of the case. No slide hammers? Use two long bolts. 3/8 course if memory serves. Put each bolt through a length (short) of chain. The install the bolts. Wrap the chain around something heavy, like a 2 lb hammer head. Allow a bit of slack, and pull back fast jerking on the chain. The pump will pull right out. It may take a few hits.

Pay close attention to the rotation position of the pump relative to the case, and the gasket position under the case.

As long as you don't tip the the trans level or down, nothing else will come out. Have the pump reconditioned with new bushing and seal, or get a reman unit. Be sure the new gasket is correctly lined up in place, and the o-ring is in the groove surrounding the pump assy. Lube the o-ring with trans fluid. Set the pump in place, paying attention to rotation, and gently tap it back in place. Install the bolts and torque to spec.

When reinstalling the converter, place it into the trans, then rotate and wiggle it until it fully drops into place. It will click and drop two or three times. When the converter is seated down inside the housing, reinstall the trans.

When reinstalling be sure the converter does not fit tight against the flywheel. There should be a gap between them. If not, the converter is not fully seated. Rotate it and wiggle some more and get it to drop inplace all the way, and install the trans. You will then slide the converter forward a bit and bolt it to the flywheel.

It's not really that bad. I do not recommend replacing the bushing with out the special tools. That's why you have a shop do it or just get a reman pump assy.

Or just find a different tranny shop and have them handle the whole thing.