Is there an easy way to change flywheel on turbo 400?

[DADS71]

Need to replace flywheel on 72 custom camper turbo 400 tranny can you disconnect driveshaft and bell housing and get to flywheel bolts to do this in place?

[fine69]

No.

Only way to remove flywheel is to totally remove transmission.

Or remove motor.

[cparman]

Remove the driveshaft
remove the bolts from the transmission mount
disconnect the transmission shift linkage
remove all of the bolts in the transmission bellhousing except the two lower ones
put a jack under the transmission pan, I usually put a piece of wood under the pan, so I do not dent the pan
get two 4" or so long bolts and put them in the next higher bolts in the bellhousing
remove the lower bolts in the bellhousing
disconnect the three torque converter bolts
slide the transmission back on the jack until you get two the end of the longer bolts
at that point you should be able to take an 11/16 or 3/4 wrench and unloosen the flywheel bolts
find torque spec and tighten the flywheel bolts in a star pattern.
put it back together and you are done
3 hours if you are crafty

[mr48chev]

Do just what cprman said to do but get 3/8 nc bolts about 10 or 12 inches long.

Slide the trans and converter back far enough to get your wrench in there to take the flexplate bolts out and go at it.

I've used this method to change flywheel/flexplates, front seals in the transmission and the rear freeze plug in the block when it leaked. It works best if you support the back of the engine so that it doesn't drop down too far. I use a chain from one frame rail to the other and a couple of wood blocks between the chain and pan to hold it up.

The 4 inch or so bolts work great when your stabbing the trans yourself using a floor jack too. That way you can get the trans somewhat lined up and in place, put the two longer bolts in the bottom holes and then with them screwed in a bit you use them as a guide to slide the trans in place.

[DADS71]

Thanks to all I will be getting dirty tomorrow night. Thanks again

[Pont406]

Check converter to make sure that it's all the way in when going back together. If it's not in you'll be replacing an oil pump next.

[mr48chev]

Good point Pont406, and be sure to take out the three converter to flywheel bolts before unbolting the trans from the engine. It's real easy then to slide the converter back in the pump without binding.

[jeffspower]

I've done dozens of them without even pulling the driveshaft or cooler lines. Just separate the engine & trans with jacks to support them. You can pry more "gap" on the drivers side, pushing the tailshaft to the passenger side (mount unbolted of course). Then you can spin the flywheel to get to all the bolts with a box end wrench. clamp a vise- grip on the flywheel to keep it from turning while wrenching.

The last one I did in less than an hour

[fine69]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Do just what cprman said to do but get 3/8 nc bolts about 10 or 12 inches long.

Slide the trans and converter back far enough to get your wrench in there to take the flexplate bolts out and go at it.

I've used this method to change flywheel/flexplates, front seals in the transmission and the rear freeze plug in the block when it leaked. It works best if you support the back of the engine so that it doesn't drop down too far. I use a chain from one frame rail to the other and a couple of wood blocks between the chain and pan to hold it up.

The 4 inch or so bolts work great when your stabbing the trans yourself using a floor jack too. That way you can get the trans somewhat lined up and in place, put the two longer bolts in the bottom holes and then with them screwed in a bit you use them as a guide to slide the trans in place.

I would love to see you take the torque converter out without taking the tranny out.

You sound like your doing more work than if you took the tranny out.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by jeffspower

I've done dozens of them without even pulling the driveshaft or cooler lines. Just separate the engine & trans with jacks to support them. You can pry more "gap" on the drivers side, pushing the tailshaft to the passenger side (mount unbolted of course). Then you can spin the flywheel to get to all the bolts with a box end wrench. clamp a vise- grip on the flywheel to keep it from turning while wrenching.

The last one I did in less than an hour

When you do the next one in an hour get it on video so we can all see it.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by fine69

I would love to see you take the torque converter out without taking the tranny out.

You sound like your doing more work than if you took the tranny out.

My students and I did it several times when I was teaching autoshop because our transmission jack wasn't the best in the west. That wasn't too hard as we had the cars up on a two post hoist.

When I have done it at home I have done it laying on a piece of plywood in the driveway with my floor jack holding the trans up. It is a lot easier for me than trying to fight the trans up on the floor jack under the truck/car and then jocky it up into place by myself. I've been pinned under one car when a trans fell off that same jack and it isn't fun.

This way I can slide the trans back on the bolts, take out the converter, replace the seal, put the converter back in place and easily slide the trans back in place. I've been at this for 45 years and I try to find the simple, easy and safe ways to do something,

[highperf4x4]

Originally Posted by fine69

I would love to see you take the torque converter out without taking the tranny out.

You sound like your doing more work than if you took the tranny out.

You don't have to take the torque converter out. You can unbolt it from the flywheel and then slide it back with the transmission. It stays on the pilot shaft.

[jeffspower]

Originally Posted by fine69

When you do the next one in an hour get it on video so we can all see it.

Let's say that the power of frustration in the fact that I needed to change the flywheel on a fresh 454 provide me with some motivation that day

There are plenty of trans shop techs that can swap out the whole trans in a hour... that's one I never could pull off.

[highperf4x4]

Since I have ratchet wrenches, I think I could beat your hour mark!!

[jeffspower]

Originally Posted by highperf4x4

Since I have ratchet wrenches, I think I could beat your hour mark!!

I'm getting old, fat and slow... I think you need to hand them to me to make the contest fair

[highperf4x4]

[Pont406]

Ok, this is how I did it a few times in my vehicles.

[mr48chev]

It takes me almost an hour to get the crossmember bolts out anymore.

I used to work next to a transmission mechanic by the name of Billy Bates in the Pontiac dealership in Waco, tx who could drop the turbo 400 out of a 73 Grand Am in less than fifteen minutes from the time he lifted the car on the hoist. These days it takes me longer than that to find the right tools for the job.

[jeffspower]

Oh, and I need a hoist- that last one was layin' on my back. Maybe I could knock off 15 minutes standing up

A shop management trainer told me once not to buy equipment to try and increase productivity of slow techs. He said all you will get is more efficient inefficiency. I should have listened- he was right. I'd even schedule two similar jobs at the same time, doing mine on my back & letting my guy have the hoist to prove I could do it faster than him. And this was after years of listening to my guy complain that he would be faster & make us both more money if he had a hoist

[Pont406]

But you'll miss all the fun of soaking in a trans fluid!

[1971 GMC SHORTY]

I have done them the same way for years very easy on a hoist or on the floor... Best time on a lift chaged flywheel 18 mins.. Its called Flat Rateing.....












;

[mrein3]

I wouldn't race anybody any more but I too have swapped fly wheels on auto trans, V8 GM products with the engine and tranny still in place.

The first time was when I put a 350 in place of my stock 307 in my 1972 Malibu. I had NO money but got a deal on a disassembled 350. When I discovered the holes were still in spec and all the rods and pistons numbered, I couldn't resist a cheap rebuild. I put everything together, bolted my stock flywheel on, a new starter, and WHINGGG!!! the starter wasn't mating with the flywheel. I dreaded taking the engine back out or the tranny down to put on a different flywheel when an older mechanic at the shop I was working at said just swap it out of there. $50 at Midway Chev and a couple hours later I was breaking in that new cam.

[fine69]

Wow,

Next time someone does this job in an hour pm me.

I want to come over and watch you do it.

I have been wrenching on stuff for darn near 30 years.

Have 2 post hoist. And more shop equipment than most guys ever will.

But still cant envision doing this job that quick.

Maybe rust has something to do with it??? LOL

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by fine69

Wow,

Next time someone does this job in an hour pm me.

I want to come over and watch you do it.

I have been wrenching on stuff for darn near 30 years.

Have 2 post hoist. And more shop equipment than most guys ever will.

But still cant envision doing this job that quick.

Maybe rust has something to do with it??? LOL

I removed my super t-10, disassembled it, put the 1st gear spacer where it should have been in the beginning, re-assembled the transmission, re-assembled back into truck, and was driving it 4 hours later. How's that?

[1971 GMC SHORTY]

Heres my cramed garage my buddies all wish they had all my tools and i have a service truck all full of tools.