3 quistions

[krazy_texan]

can i easily drop a transmission without a transmission jack?

should i use headers or ramshorns?

where is the best place to put the glasspacks on my new exhaust system?

[jays68yak]

all in my opnion:

yes you can drop a transmission with out a tranny jack. It will prob be easier with two people. And even harder if it has a transfer case on it. But it can be done. Ive done quite a few trannys with just a floor jack.

I would say headers if you want more performance and dont care about the orginal look. Ram horns are good too, but i would think most people want these to remain some what stock and to not deal with header leaks. I have not had many issues with headers leaking. Just make sure they are tight and your fine.


Agian I think it depends on what you want. Stock/ orginal looking or performance. If your going for performance then I would say some flowmasters or some other brand of mufflers.

[Blue68]

more opinion:

Gravity is a wonderous thing....It'll get it out in a hurry once those pesky bolts are out of the way. While trannies aren't too heavy they are plenty heavy when you are laying on your back using one arm...etc, etc,. It can be done. Just use a floor jack and a piece of 2x10 to spread the load. I've only removed 3 speeds, no jack but a little easier to handle. Used floor jacks to install autos with someone else to help. Just remember they are heavy, so keep your noggin out of the way and use care where you put your hands.

I like the muffler/pack tucked under the bed. Helps some with heat by not having it under the cab (more area more heat). But this depends on where you are going to dump the exhaust pipes (back or front of tires).

Very much a preference deal. One of the other reasons you might go with headers is better options on wire-looms. Just my opinion.

[O'l Buck]

I've dropped TH-350's without a jack before, no floor jack, no nothing, just set it down on my chest and roll out from under the truck........but that was several years ago......I've learned since then that it's better to buy a $50 floor jack from harbor frieght and balance the trans on that. I wouldn't wanna drop one by hand nowdays........geez, the things we can do when we are young and now wish we wouldn't have.....lol

[72c10]

like everyone else my opinion its not a problem to drop a trans without a jack, regular floor jacks work well. I like headers, and the best place for glass packs is in the trash, I think a good set of flow masters sound better and peform better. but it realy depends on what you want. Good luck

[krazy_texan]

thanks for the input guys, on the floor jack thing my dads friend has a floor jack that has interchangable heads for transmissions, the headers i am going with for performance reasons and tha glass packs i am using the noise since i am a teenager that makes sense.

[krue]

You are way better off using the jack, trannies can put a dent in your chest! Headers and glass packs are the way to go for loud!

[70 Jimmy]

If you stack enough cardboard boxes on your creaper, you can get your chest about 2 inches (this varies depending on body style. Not recommended for women, sorry ladies) away from your tranny when you breath out. Then, as you pull the tranny of the shaft, just before it drops on your chest, breath in deeply. Timing is critical. USE A JACK! A tranny jack is nice, but not necessary.

[Longhorn Man]

You can drop the tranny w/o a jack...it just isn't any fun. I've done many like that.
Putting them back in is a real bear though.
As for your mufflers, if I read the Q right, you want the best LOCATION..not type. Right?
The further back you can place the muffler, the better (for performance aplications) The further ther exhaust travels, teh more it will cool, and the less of a restriction you will impose with the mufler. Be it a glass pack or what ever.

[Benrs86]

i did the tranny thing last week. three speed to four. taking it out sucked, my arms were tired after i got the starter out. then i put the belhousing on before the transmission so it didnt weigh so much and it actually went in pretty good. my arms were absolutely limp for the next week. good luck, Ben

[bigjimzlll]

I had a sm420 land on my hand last year...It hurt...alot...still does...I dont think I will do that again...ouch...

[Project1970]

Without a tranny jack? I swapped from THM400 to 700R4 and did a clutch in a '94 Z28 (T-56, certainly no lightweight tranny) without tranny jacks.

But I did use a good floor jack; no way I'd try to do it without it. We built a cradle for the T-56 out of 2x8's anyway that made it easier...

[GreenMystChevy]

Tranny jack makes it very nice, just used one for the first time a week ago. It can be done witihout one for sure but another pair of hands helps out a lot.

Headers give performance and sound. Exhaust would be a little cheaper too being that you wouldn't have to run the pipes up to the block. As long as you buy some quality gaskets and take a few extra minutes to torque the bolts, no leaks.

Like longhornmail said, the further back the mufflers are the better. I like pipes running all the way out the back but some turndowns before the axle will have the heads turnin before you even pull onto the cruizin' strip.

Oh, and depending on what glasspacks you get, put them on backwards. If you look inside you will understand, almost like straight pipes.

[Suicide-D]

Get the Spintech ProStreet mufflers. I have them on my 71, don't sound like flows and they are LOUD....I'm not kidding, so loud I have thought about taking them off. I have a header leaking right now and you can barely tell the difference. but being a teenager... you might also want cheap... the spintechs are about 70 apiece.

[still w.i.p '68]

borrow a jack

if you go with headers buy quality headers, and gaskets, if not you will hate them.

glass packs imho are for farm trucks, buy good mufflers ie. flows, or dynomax

good luck