After a lot of work I have my engine and transmission free and hanging from an engine hoist. I cannot see how to remove them as a unit now. There's not enough room for the oil pan to clear the front axle components to being the engine and trans forward.

The car is a 96 Blazer 4x4. Forgot to mention the engine is seized so I can't get to the flex plate bolts.

Do I need to drop the front axle as well to gain enough clearance?

I've got basically the whole front of the car off and I just don't see how the engine is going to come forward with the trans attached. The bell housing is on the firewall and the front of the oil pan is hitting the front axle.

Sure appreciate any advice. When this is all over I'll post my saga and hopefully help one poor sap like me.

Thanks

 

Disconnect the trans with the converter still bolted to the flex plate. Could possibly damage the front pump/converter when separated that way, but what was your plan once you got it out?

Either that or try removing the oil pan for more clearance...

 

KM346 Thanks for your help. I was thinking I'd pull the engine and trans as a unit and then pull the pan, disconnect the bottom end, allowing me to turn the crankshaft and remove the flex plate bolts.

From what I could see and read, the oil pan won't come off with the engine in the car so that's why I was pulling it as a unit. Others had said it was the best approach.

With the engine hanging I might be able to pull the pan now, not sure.

I don't really want to risk damaging the transmission components and I was afraid that separating the trans and leaving the torque converter on the engine would damage stuff.

 

Well I ended up having to separate the transmission, leaving the converter attached to the engine. There was no way the engine and trans were coming out as a unit. I tried removing the oil pan but that was not coming out either with the trans attached.

My question is can I tell whether the converter or front pump were damaged? Everything looks ok...

My next dilemma is do I try to put the new engine in with the trans attached or just drop in the engine and attach the trans from underneath? I just can't see how the engine and trans would fit in attached....

 

Would be hard to tell if you did any internal damage, but id just give them a good visual inspection, depending on mileage you may want to swap out the converter anyways.... otherwise change the front pump seal and cross your fingers lol.

I would definitely bolt the tranny back up and install just the engine when putting it back together...

 

Thanks! Did you mean install the engine and trans as a unit? Or install the engine by itself and bolt up the trans from underneath?

I just don't see how the two will fit if attached. Actually I could see how easy it would with a 2 wheel drive, but with the front axle and diff sitting in the hole on a 4x4, things are super tight. I looked at dropping the front diff, axle tube, etc but man that's a lot of steps, more seals, etc and doesn't seem worth it.

 

What i meant is install the trans in the truck, then install the engine (or engine then trans it doesnt really matter). As you said there really is no good way to do it with them as a unit.

 

Just in case anyone finds this thread in the future, I was able to separate the engine from the transmission, leaving the torque converter attached to the engine. It was a bit tight getting the engine past the firewall with the torque converter hanging off the engine but it popped out. Separating the two was quite easy actually.

From my experience with my 96 4x4, it is impossible to pull the engine and trans as a unit. Maybe if you take a few hours and drop the whole front axle assembly you might get it out, but now you're tearing into another part of the car, more seals, fluids, nuts and bolts, connectors, etc. and I didn't think it was a good approach.

 

I wouldnt think you would damage internal transmission pieces by removing the trans this way. I would think the thing you are likely to damage would be the front pump. Rebuild kits are fairly inexpensive anyways ($30). Not that you really want to damage anything.

I made the mistake of not having the converter fully seated before install once. The trans didnt make it 50 miles after that. Good thing it wasnt a Blazer though.

 

Thanks. I finally got the car running yesterday and the transmission is fine.

At first I thought it was toast I bought the car with a seized engine so I didn't even know if I the trans worked. After putting 5 quarts of ATF in it and getting the car started, the trans was not working. No hear selection did anything at all. After doing more research I figured out the trans needed about 12 quarts of fluid. No manual said anything about needing 12 quarts of fluid if the trans is pulled and torque converter drained and all that.

So it was a huge relief when the trans started working. I've driven it about 100 miles with no issues. So I think I ended up not damaging the trans after the way I had to separate it.