This is a totally stupid question, but I had assumed I'd be able to figure it out no problem, my dad (who's helping me with this clutch replacement) figured the same thing, but we just can't get it loose. The Haynes manual I got isn't helpful either. I've only removed one trans before, a Fluid Drive, but he's done many clutch replacements in his life and he can't even figure it out.

Originally, the plan was to get the driveshaft off, unbolt the tranny crossmember, get the tranny/bellhousing bolts off and just slide it back, thus making the bellhousing removal easier. We couldn't get the transmission mount itself loose, so it's going to have to stay stuck to the crossmember, but that's not the problem. We took out every bolt we could find last weekend and it still won't come loose from the bellhousing. I undid the bellhousing-to-engine bolts myself yesterday and I can't get that to loosen either. We yanked and hammered as much as we dared trying to get the trans loose from the bellhousing and it wouldn't budge even a little. I haven't done any yanking trying to get the bellhousing off the engine but it definitely doesn't seem loose.

Judging from the pics in the Articles section here, and past experience, we figured it'd take like an hour or two to replace the clutch. I think we spent like 4 or 5 hours last weekend (rusted crossmember bolts, and the rear u-joint being fused to its yoke didn't help) and we still don't have the damn thing off! Looking at the pics again I'm 99% sure we got all the bolts out, but maybe not...

Anyone have any idea?

Is the clutch fork and throw out bearing still intact?
Z-bar?

Also, you'll need to lift up and pull out at the same time. Instantly marvel at how heavy a 833 is...

Could be the input pilot bearing is fused to the crank and input shaft-- boy that's always fun!

More than likely the input bearing retainer is just locked up in the bell housing. Get physical with it and you should be golden. If not, just take it to dinner and talk to it real nice...

-JYH
64 Dart 318/4spd
SoCal

Have you tried dynamite?

_________________
I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Getting a screwdriver in between the tranny front and bellhousing it get it to wiggle loose a smidge is the big thing, pulling the clutch fork is nice too...If pulling the bellhousing then, loosen the Z-Bar off the housing. Sometimes putting a jack under the tranny and 'bouncing' it up and down slightly can wiggle it loose. Another thing to note is you have to pull the shifter and or shift stick depending on the model of A-body (some of them have tight tunnels!).

Good luck, when you get things out, clean the surfaces up so they'll slide back together better than they came out...

-D.Idiot

Ahh, ok, up and down... we tried getting a screwdriver, a chisel, even hammering a feeler gauge in between the tranny and bellhousing without any luck. This is on a '78 truck BTW, but we had to take the whole shifter off because the Haynes manual "trick" for just removing the shift lever didn't work.

This is probably a stupid question, but what's the z-bar? The clutch fork and throwout bearing are fine, I was driving the truck every day up until the clutch got too worn out to adjust anymore. I assume the input pilot bearing is fine then?

And just to be sure, how many bolts (specific number) actually hold the tranny onto the bellhousing?

The actual real trick is to put two .20 feeler gauges in the shifter handle (the mopar manual states like, one .011 gauge and it doesn't even move the detent in most 30 year old hurst units...)

Another question is are you sure you have an A-833 4 speed? My concern would be if you had a bottom mount starter on the bellhousing. If so you have the 11" clutch and direct granny 4 speed (NP435?), if this is the case then the bellhousing can only be removed by removing the tranny and the flywheel and getting to the 3 hidden bolts at the top of the bellhousing. I pulled one in a junkyard for another board member and the tranny was such a boat anchor (the thing must've weighed about 2 A-833OD's worth), that it didn't want to come out until we hooked a forklift to the thing and 'yanked'.... You should have 4 bolts holding the tranny to the bellhousing, if still stubborn rap the tranny with a rubber mallet a couple of times, and see if you can roll it one way or another, if so then it should come out.

Probably by the time oyu get it out, you'll swear off manuals and be looking for an A-727...


good luck,

-D.Idiot

five. three on the right side and two on the left.
Remove the cross member and give the rear a good shove upward, that should enable you to wedge a BFS between the trans and the bell and pry to your hearts content.
My guess is that you need to whack it with something substansial... think 2X4 and a 5lb sledge or an axle that's junk.
Also, you could always go the ghetto-fabulous route and just drill holes in the firewall to get at those bell housing bolts! But if you ever say i suggested such a thing, i'll deny it.
If you're still not feelin' the love get medieval on it's ass. pop the side cover, dissassemble the trans, compress the snap ring and pull the tail shaft out of it. That ought to give you a more workable piece to manuver about.
Either way, break out the 12pk of modelo, it's a tuff job!

-JYH
if you repeat that, i'll deny it

It's definitely an A833OD, heheh. I would've noticed if first gear weren't synchronized, believe me... and yeah, I think the Haynes manual said to use a .015 feeler gauge or something to get the shifter out...in any case it did nothing.

We'll be muscling it out later today one way or another, I don't care if we have to pull the whole damn engine.

some later bellhousings had the flywheel resessed into the bell housings.meaning you will have to pull the trans from the bellhousing first.leaving the bellhousing in place,till you pull the flywheel.after you get the bellhousing off alittle grinding on the inside will take care of the problem,,you will see....good luck!

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there is only one...

Uhmmm....
Minnesota + old truck + " we already had trouble with getting the trans mount / cross member and U-Joint / yoke apart"...
I think the parts are just ruster together.
Is the bellhousing cast iron or alumunium?
You may want to try soaking all the seams with penitrating oil or solvent and really get mad at the thing.

As already suggested, a wedge is a powerful tool so find a place where you can pound a wedge into the joint.
Leverage is another powerful force so jacking-up the tail of the trans then shocking it may crack it loose. (be careful not to "crack" the tailhousing )
Heat is another "tool" I apply to stuck parts but I have to say that I never had to "tourch-off" a stuck tranny before.

Here is a "think outside the box" idea... (just "food for thought")
Lets say you could tap threads into the tranny's mounting "ear" holes. (these are currently big thru holes so you would need a big bottoming tap)
You would have to put large set screws into the tapped bellhousing holes below, in order to protect the threads (7/16-14 unc)
Now screw some bolts into the threaded trans "ears" to push the trans away from the bellhousing face.
DD

This may have already been said but are you lifting the rear of the engin?. Having just done this job, keeping the rear of the engine level keeps things from binding so the trans will slide out.

Yeah, we did manage to get it off. For some reason totally unbeknownst to me, the transmission slipped right out once the bellhousing was loose. Then when we were reassembling it, we bolted the bellhousing onto the block first, and the trans did NOT want to go in (but we got it eventually after a LOT of wrestling). Ugh.

It's an aluminum case trans, and I think the bellhousing is aluminum too (too hard to tell), the tailshaft is definitely iron. Even with the trans out I couldn't quite figure out where it was leaking from, but it looked like it might be the backup light switch (I think that's what that thing is). I was afraid it was cracked...

The big lesson I learned here is that trying to remove a transmission without a transmission jack is WAY more work than it's worth