Out with the old	Short Cuts
by: Ron Hollatz - 10/2000	Navigation Menu JeepWire JeepWire Tech JeepWire Reader's Rigs JeepWire Feature Rigs 4x4Wire 4x4 Parts 4x4 Tech 4x4 Trails OutdoorWire ORN Site Index Links Index Off-Road Gallery Destinations Gallery Main Expo Center

The factory flywheel, pilot busing, and dust plate. Notice how the dust plate covers the whole flywheel. Photo by author

The pilot busing was removed easily with the puller I rented from a local parts store. Photo by author

The stock exhaust pipe with the new transmission. While I did manage to get it back together, there wasn't enough clearance so it rattled. I ended up having a new pipe bent to fit. Photo by author

Here is the difference between the automatic and manual pedals. Photo by author

After all the time I spent test fitting the actual install went pretty well. The first thing you want to do before starting a project like this is find a large open area with lots of light to do the swap in. To keep things interesting I chose to do it in our very small unheated one car garage in Minnesota during February. The garage is so small I can't fit a creeper under the Jeep and I have to take the handles off my floor jacks. When I started the project we were having a warm spell with temperatures in the 40's. By the time I was putting in the new transmission the highs were below zero with 40 m.p.h. winds. Looking back it would have made a lot more sense to borrow some floor space from my local 4x4 shop to do it. Another good practice is to keep a bunch of plastic bags and a marker handy so you can mark sets of bolts as you pull things apart.

The only special tools I purchased were a flywheel turner and a transmission cradle from TCI. Neither of these was necessary, but it sure made it easier. The transmission cradle is a simple plate which mounts to a floor jack. It allowed me to move the transmission and transfer case into position. I think it worked much better than a regular transmission jack since it allowed me to move around the transmission without moving the jack. The only other tool needed was a pilot bearing puller which I rented from a local parts store. All of the work was done with regular hand tools since I didn't have a compressor at the time.

Taking it all apart

The disassembly portion of the swap is pretty straight forward. Before pulling everything apart I measured the length of the front and rear driveshafts. By comparing these measurements with the lengths after the swap I could easily tell how much my driveshafts needed to be changed. Once I had the measurements I removed the driveshafts and put them aside. A couple wraps of tape around the U-Joint caps made sure the caps didn't come off and scatter the needle bearings throughout the garage. The other measurement you will need to have is where the transfer case output yoke is in relation to the frame rails. It should be offset 1" to the passenger side, but you will want to check it anyway. You'll need this measurement to determine where the new transmission mount will be. Next came the back-up light and speedometer wiring. I removed these and wire tied them to the underside of the body to keep them out of the way. I also disconnected the transfer case vent tube and tied that up in the same spot. Inside the Jeep I removed the shifter boots and the plate covering the transmission opening. This let in some more light and made some of the bolts easier to reach.

I then found the first difference between the CJ install and my YJ. On YJ's the exhaust crosses under the bellhousing and continues under the passenger side of the vehicle. It is possible to remove the transmission and transfer case without removing the exhaust, but you will save yourself a lot of frustration if you remove the exhaust first. If you don't you will find it is impossible to get the new transmission in. Remove the exhaust pipe from the manifold and pull the whole exhaust out. This also gives you a lot more room to move around under the Jeep. I ended up having to have a new crossover pipe bent to fit the new transmission. Any good muffler shop with a bender should be able to make one up for you.

Now that I had everything out of the way I could start taking the big stuff out. I rolled my floor jack with the transmission cradle under the skid plate and raised it slightly so it wouldn't fall when I pulled the bolts. I then removed the transmission mount bolts and the torque arm nut along with bolts holding the skid plate to the frame. I placed a jack stand with a wood block under the oil pan and another under the bellhousing to support the drivetrain when the skid plate was removed. After the skid plate was out I put the floor jack under the transfer case and raised it slightly. Now I could remove the bolts connecting the transfer case to the transmission. There is fluid between the transfer case and transmission, so make sure to put a drain pan underneath to catch it. I didn't and ended up sliding around in transmission fluid for the rest of the project. After the bolts are removed it takes a couple of good tugs to separate the transfer case and transmission. Once the transfer case was loose I could roll it out of the way and tackle the transmission.

The transmission proved to be a bit more difficult to remove. I rolled the floor jack back under the transmission and raised it so I could remove the jack stand under the bellhousing. The first thing I did was remove the shifter from the transmission so I didn't have to worry about it getting caught while pulling out the transmission. I took the starter off the bellhousing along with the clutch slave cylinder. The Jeep engineers decided to make transmission removal as difficult as possible by using 3 external Torx bolts on the top of the bellhousing. By lowering the transmission a bit I was able to remove these using a 12 mm 12 point socket and several long extensions from inside the Jeep through the opening in the transmission tunnel. I could then pull the transmission backwards and remove it from under the Jeep. The clutch and pressure plate were next. After they were out of the way I could take out the flywheel and use my rented puller on the pilot bushing. The last item was to remove was the factory dowel pins from the back of the engine.

While I was doing the swap I decided I wanted to replace my manual transmission pedals with the brake pedal from an automatic. Most people end up welding the clutch and brake pedals together to make one large brake pedal. Since I am long legged, I decided the extra room to move my feet around would be a good thing. What looked to be a simple swap became a day long project. The bracket for the pedals extends up underneath the dash and to remove it the steering column needs to be removed. I'm happy with the results, but looking back I'd probably just weld the pedals together.

On to part IV - The new parts go in