I volunteered to overhaul my neighbors 1991 S-10 Blazer... it is a 4.3 liter, Automatic and so far, it has been pretty slow. My questions are as follows: 1. Will the engine and transmission come out as a unit? 2. Will it clear the a/c condenser? 3. If not, does the body have to be disconnected and jacked up, as the book (Haynes) says, or is there a trick to getting out those transmission bolts? Any help is this adventure would certainly be appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

I would remove the transmission from underneath first. You can better access the bell housing bolts by lowering the back of the transmission and using a very long extension (or combination of extensions). Just remember to pull the distributor out (marking its location of course) before dropping the transmission down. It will interfere with the firewall.

 

On vehicles that I have removed the engines on in the past, I was able to leave the transmission in the car resting on a screw jackor hydraulic jack... or remove the transmission with the engine... I was just wondering if there was enough room to do this (remove the transmission with the engine) on the Blazer.

 

It would be a very tight fit and very cumbersome, but probably do-able to remove them still assembled. You could drop the back of the transmission down to access the top most bell housing bolts, then put the cross member back in and support the front of the transmission while you remove the engine if you have no reason to remove the transmission as well.

 

YOUR IN LUCK I JUST REBUILT THE MOTOR IN MY 91 AND YES IT WAS DEARLY A BIG PAIN IN THE *** IF YOU DONT HAVE TO PULL THE TRANNY DONT! THE MOTOR ISEASY TO REINSTALL AND IT WILL GO RIGHT TOGETHER WITH A LITTLE PATIANTS.
I DONT THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO TO DO BOTH (I WOULDNT)
YOU COULD PULL THE FRONT CORE SUPPORT TO DO BOTH IF YOU HAD TODO IT REQUIRES A LILTTLE BODY WORK KNOWLEGE.
PULLING THE MOTOR BY IT SELF ? I PUT A 2" BODY LIFT AT THE SAME TIME IT WAS EASIER TO GET TO EVERYTHINGBY BY RAISING THE BOBY, IF REMOVE MOST EVERYTHING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ALL THE HARD TO GETTOO STUFF CAN BE GOT.AC POWER STERING ALT. AND THE BRACKETS SHOULD ALSO BE REMOVED FIRST

 

I hope this works.. I have lost ,like, three typed out thank you to you guys.. I keep getting this error message... anyway, I did it like swartlkk suggested and it came right out.. the transmission is sitting there on the a jack and the engine is on the stand.,..thanks a lot

 

Glad you got it apart!