I have lifted the body to get the tranny out. It was on a '87 2dr 4x4 with a 2putt8 engine. Chilton recommends removing the body bolts and lifting it up that way. I used 2x4s stacked between teh frame and body to hold it up. After that I figured out how to remove tranny cross brace and lower the tranny to gain acess to the top bolts. PITA!!!

While you have the tranny out, beat that firewall flange out of the way so you dont have this problem again.

 

Yes. Someone elso also recommended beating the firewall in well in case I every need to pull the tranny out again. He too had issues with this and had to jack his truck up as well. It's strange how so many Blazer owners have different experiences with this tranny to engine bolt issue. I wonder why that is? Does it depend on where it's made? I think mine might have been made in Canada?!?!? I'ts mostly Metric and not SAE. I guess that's gonna be a new post. Where was YOUR truck made?

 

I pulled the spare trans from a 92 jimmy 4x4 2 door. I didn't attempt to get the trans out before lifting the body. I was also taking the body mount washers for spares. So I just figured lift the body and pull the trans with ease.

 

give me a flippin' break!!!!!!!!!!!

it doesn't matter if the truk was made in Timbuktu, the manufacturer says, "use these fasteners to assemble the vehicle" and that's what they use.

besides, (as far as i know) the 1st gens were all built in these US plants, Linden, New Jersey, Moraine, Ohio, Pontiac, Michigan, and Shreveport, Louisiana. the 2nd gen's were built in Linden, New Jersey, Moraine, Ohio, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

so, i guess you can't blame Canada for the metric system (considering it's originally from France, so blame them! j/k'ing).

 

OK. So I dropped the transmission off with the GM mechanic today for the rebuild. I'm not gonna try to rebuild it myself, thats above my skill level I'm sure. He asked how it went (transmission removal). I said it was a b*tch and he started laughing pretty hard. I asked him what procedure he uses when removing trannys like this one. He said you either have to raise the body from the frame or remove the exaust. He has been a GM mechanic for almost 30 years now. He usually goes the body route. So if anyone is having an unusually hard time extracting the transmission do the body trick!!!!!

 

Ok Tom, We get it, You do it the long slow way. Maybe if you dont have the right tool's: impact swivels, long extentions, beefy air ratchet, You might need to unbolt the cab. Undoing 4 body mounts to get 2 bolts is too much work! I told you to take the exhaust off in the first post..Did you ever try what we suggested earlier??

 

Chris...I did consider the exhaust route but had too many other people say they lifted the body. That's the way my Chilton's manual says to do it also. My truck is 20 years old and the exhaust bolts would be a nightmare waiting to happen. You seem to think that lifting the body is a big deal, it's not, 15 to 20 minutes at the most and your done. I have all the tools you mentioned. Infact if you don't have an impact driver with impact sockets you would probably want to go the exhaust route. The body bolts are in there pretty good but are very easy to get to and get out with an impact driver. My mechanic also told my he usually goes the body lift method.

 

Those are your two options, lift the body or remove the exhaust. Each has its own set of headaches.

I did have to remove the tranny from the '87 again, this time I removed the exhaust. The trouble with removing the exhaust is the y-pipe bolts attached to the headers freeze/rust in place. You have to torch tehm out or break them off. You may get lucky and use a ton of PB Blaster and heat and get them out in opne piece, good luck with that. More than likely you will have to drill out the old bolt threads and replace with longer bolts and lock washers/nuts. Dont mess with the threads in the exhaust manifolds. Yes, I have removed the exhaust manifold to remove the broken bolt. Not much fun either. $50 later for a nused header I was back in business.

Removing the body isn't much eaiser when the nut welded to the body breaks free due to rust. Then you have to drill a 2" hole through the floor of the cab over the nut location, use a prybar to hold the nut from spinning then remove the bolt. You can use 2" rubber grommets to fill the hole, or just cover it with the carpet.

Installation can be fun too. Lubricate that input gasket BEFORE you put the torque converter in place. Partially fill the torque converter before you slide it in place. Do NOT let the torque converter slide out and onto the floor. Do NOT drop the tranny with the torque converter in place, you WILL shatter your pump and if your lucky it will only be a $25 part. If your unlucky and damage either face of the pump you WILL need a new one, $250-$500 in parts later. Do NOT drop your tranny or torque converter. IT gets very expensive. Yes I did that too.

Swapping a 700R4/4L60/4L60E in a fullsize truck is a piece of cake by comparision. You dont need to raise the body or remove the exhaust.

 

Those are some great TC tips Hanr3!

Ive found, If pulling the transmission on the ground you'll need to do one or the other. I personally have never lifted the body to get to bellhousing bolts, on any vehicle, ever.West Virginia sucks, lots of salt, everything rusts. Body bolts are the last thing you wanna break! I was just busting your ***** Tom. I had never heard of doing this. Ive also read that the 2wd motor mounts sit lower than 4 wheel drive mounts. The syty guys beat thier firewalls in for bellhousing bolt clearance. You are probably not in the wrong here Tom. Im just speculating!

Also,
If using a 2 post lift and transmission jack, Ive found you don't even have to unhook the exhaust, or lift the body!, on most S10s or Blazers. You can rotate and lift it over the exhaust crossover then lower it. Usually only have to unhook the exhaust on freakin Dodge 318's and 360's!

 

Also something I didn't see mentioned is remove the Dist cap if you plan on taking the exhaust off and tilting the engine.