Automatic tranny will NOT come out

qball · Mar 12, 2019

Hello, please help. I replaced a 6-cyl tranny with success, so I'm doing the 1999 4-cylinder, but I cannot separate it from the engine. All I can imagine is after 250,000 miles the rear dowel is frozen. I got the front moving apart, and finally pried it open, just beyond the dowel length. But in the rear I've barely got daylight. It just won't come. Is this just how it goes sometimes? Any suggestions? Thank you.

BlkCurrantKord · Mar 12, 2019

Did you unbolt the tq converter from the flexplate?

T.$.Racing · Mar 12, 2019

Mine is a 5 speed, and I've never swapped an auto trans in a Honda, but are you sure its just not being stubborn?

Some cars are worse than others. The manual trans on S13 240sx's is hard to get out and down right notorious for its reputation of being a real joy to mate back with the engine. Might just have to get out a 36" pry bar and/or some wood blocks and a big mallet

qball · Mar 13, 2019

Yes, got the flex plate disconnected and I see some separation from the torque converter. I really do think I've removed the nuts and bolts, maybe even some that weren't necessary around the rear mount. That may be a problem if brute force is necessary, as T.S. seems to suggest, because I've got both the tranny and the engine flopping around. Maybe I need to reconnect the engine to the car somewhere so beating on the trans is more effective. Know what I mean?

qball · Mar 13, 2019

I appreciate the replies, sorry I didn't see them yesterday, but I won't be able to get back to the car until Friday. Just to say: big floor jack is under the trans, smaller one with a wood block under the oil pan. I've been wrangling and rocking the trans and I'm moving both engine and trans front and back. I've got a two foot crowbar wedged at the front (where the dowel is free and clear, so around half inch separation) and gently working a long screwdriver at the rear bottom near the flex plate area, so 1 mm separation along the rear edge. No way a bolt is still in a hole, I think. Thanks again.

Matt Taylor · Mar 16, 2019

When I install a manual transmission, after getting it started, I get two "guide bolts", longer than the housing bolts bolted onto the two top bolt positions near the cylinder head to guide it in. Then, I lay under the car and sort of bench press it and slide it toward the motor along the path of the aforementioned guide bolts. It might help to install some guide bolts at the top near the head and then lay under and try to bench press it and slide it out. I have to do that to properly line up the transmission shaft with the center of the clutch but if you have separated the tc from the flex plate, it should be able to come out without all of that effort. Is the transmission hitting the side of the car somewhere, preventing it from being pulled away from the motor? Maybe, if you disconnect all motor mounts and put a jack under the motor, you could lower the entire powerplant to pull the tranny out.

qball · Mar 19, 2019

Thanks you guys for the replies; Matt those are good ideas. No, turns out I failed to remove the bolt on the top, engine side, that I couldn't see and had no idea to look for. Can't remember how the V6 set up differs, but don't remember a bolt here. Now that I know, removing another 4-cyl this weekend I started with that bolt and it was quite straightforward. It requires removing the oil filter, and maybe the exhaust manifold if you want full clearance, and for me a combination of short ratchet extension and one of my longer 17-mm sockets. O/w the oil filter stud is in the way. My photo tries to show the bolt up next to the rear mount bracket, in case another debutant is trying to take out a transmission; you other guys already know. Pain in the butt, IMO. Thanks again.

qball · Mar 19, 2019

Matt, I do indeed have a second jack under the engine to support it, and I raise and lower it slightly. Probably puts a bit of strain on the mount on the driver's side