Having trouble getting motor separated from tranny...

[shawn87gta]

I'm pulling the motor out of a 88 5-speed. I have everything loose and got the motor pulled forward from the tranny about 3/4 - 1" but I can't get them to separate. I have the motor & tranny up as high as they'll go with a jack under the tranny, and I've been adjusting the motor height up & down with the lift, trying to find the "magic" angle where they'll come apart. I've rocked the motor & tugged it forward, and pried between the two but something seems to be hanging up. I'm afraid if I pry or rock the motor too hard I'll damage something so I thought I'd ask in case there's something I'm not aware of. Nothing was mentioned in the manual, but it's a chincy one anyway... Any ideas would be appreciated!!

[j3pz]

samething happened to me, theres bolts connecting the flywheel to the pressure plate.

[shawn87gta]

Those bolts are supposed to be removed before the engine can come out??

[kwnate]

Yes undo those bolts. Loosen a little at a time and turn the engine over (by turning the crankshaft bolt) to the next. It helps having a helper to turn til you see the next bolt, you want to go evenly to releive the pressure. there are 6 or so. then it will slide right off. Access them through the inspection covers on the tranny. Good luck.

[shawn87gta]

ls there another way around this? The motor might be locked up, I just broke a socket extension trying to turn it over.

[rnoswal]

Since it is a manual transmission, there are no bolts holding the two together after all the bellhousing bolts are out. The only thing holding the tow peices together now is the output shaft and the pilot bearing. When these two freeze up together they are a bitch to get apart.

If there is a way to see the input shaft and get some WD40 to drain down to the pilot bearing then maybe you can work it loose a bit at a time, but that means tilting the trans up and the front of the engine down. What you are probably going to have to do is get a couple of prybars and stick them in opposite sides between the housing and the engine block and pry hard together. I had one stuck like that on a 22R racing engine and was really cussing up a storm when it finally came apart.

You don't have to unbolt any of the clutch parts or flywheel, it is just stuck. Maybe the disc is stuck to the output shaft splines.

Let us know.

Russ

[j3pz]

well there are such bolts. not only do i say this but another person. me my pop and a bud all tried to get the two apart and spent maybe a whole day without success. next day i go to work, come home and there it is on the engine hoist. my dad said he and my lil bro undid the bolts and it came right off. i doesnt make sense to me either why there would be bolts there but obviously there are. also chiltons says this so... id also like to add i was working on a 87. i dont know if the other years would be diff or not...

[kwnate]

http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/librar.../mt/MT_05.html

This is how I did it...

[j3pz]

btw, nate beautiful car

[shawn87gta]

Well, I've tried prying but they're still stuck. I have some steel wedges and tapped them in between the motor & tranny to hold the gap I've gained so far, but I'm leary of continuing to drive them in too hard. I'm debating on it - has anyone done this or have any opinions on whether it would work or not? Is there much risk of damaging the bell housing by doing this? I'm not worried about the motor, I just don't want to tear up the tranny. I also wonder if anyone can tell me how far apart the motor & tranny need to come to completely disengage the input shaft to know if I'm close yet or is there still a ways to go?


Thanks!