TH350 removal from my '56 Nomad today

[BamaNomad]

Finally, after more than a year of being 'broken', and with help from my friend, Trifive Richard, we removed the TH350 that has a stripped 2nd gear. I would be kicking the ass of the idiot who broke it but my leg doesn't have that many joints in it! :mad:

We began a bit after 9 this morning, and by 2:30 it was out! :) I had delayed the removal for a reason .. i knew the pain it was going to cause to my old 74 yr old body and I do hurt all over tonight!~ (Richard is also 74 and a few months older than I). We even took an hour for lunch, so I suppose it wasn't so bad for two old guys! :) (Thanks to Richard or it would still be in the car and I'd be lamenting how much it was going to hurt to remove it!~).. :)

Here it is after just dragging it out from under the car... (we did this on jackstands using two floor jacks)..
12629

And here it is around 3:00 pm loaded up to go to the transmission shop for rebuild and 2nd gear replacement!
12630

[TrifiveRichard]

We’ve done the easy part, Gary. We still have to get it back up and in place, bolted up, and everything connected! Lol

[Belair-o]

Progress! Congrats, guys!

[WagonCrazy]

Bama...with all that cash you're so flush with...why don't you have a 2 post lift by now? You can stop laying on your back for another $4k outlay. Best addition Ive ever done in my garage.

[BamaNomad]

Bama...with all that cash you're so flush with...why don't you have a 2 post lift by now? You can stop laying on your back for another $4k outlay. Best addition Ive ever done in my garage.

Paul, you need better sources of information! *L* Since the last election and the 'falling stock market', my 'flush cash' (if I ever had any) has disappeared!

PS. I have a 2 post lift in my backyard garage, and it was a great help during my earlier work on the '57 Nomad lifting/lowering the body onto the chassis, but I was limited by the 10'4" ceiling height, so I had to go with one with the cables across the floor (under a plate), but unfortunately that plate is right where we'd need to work with the transmission (and I don't have enough height to stand up under the lift, and rolling around on the floor is greatly hampered by the floor plate... so I elected to go with my 'old standby' (the way I've always done transmission work on jack stands and using floor jacks!

[busterwivell]

Well, I'm 75 and I can remember changing transmissions laying on my back on concrete and dirt back in the day. I used to be able to pick up a transmission in my arms and walk it from my truck to a bench. Those are just memories now. If I have to do it today, it would be moved around with my engine hoist, and installed with a trans jack and my 4 post lift...........and I hope I don't have to even do that.

[BamaNomad]

I'm with you Buster! :) After rolling the trans off my floor jack, and sliding the trans from under the car, Dick and I lifted it onto an old 'Honeys' creeper and rolled it out to the back of my truck, then we lifted it once more into the back of the truck. I did carry the 'full' converter out to my truck without much difficulty.. :)

If I'd had more height in my shop I'd have installed a 2-post lift with 'overhead' connections, but one needs 12' or higher ceilings for that, so I had to opt for the cable cover on the floor between the posts, and that would have been a pain removing the transmission.

Richard and I got it done and my body pain from the 50 or so ups, downs, and unders had greatly alleviated by the next day! :)

[WagonCrazy]

When there's a will, there's a way.
Good to hear you got it in.
11 foot 4 inches ceiling height for a bendpak 10K lift.
Cut a hole in your garage brutha!. :p

[BamaNomad]

I'm still waiting on a call from the transmission shop (they told me a week?), but we're working on two weeks now... I even had trouble finding the 'transmission flush' AT200 (finally received it yesterday along with 2 gallons of Dexron III/Mercon flluid). And had to order the exhaust flange gaskets needed to replace the 'bolt in crossover'... hopefully today or tomorrow I'll get a call that it's ready to pick up the trans and if so, maybe Wednesday it will go back in...

[LEE T]

(Thanks to Richard or it would still be in the car and I'd be lamenting how much it was going to hurt to remove it!~).. :)


12629

The Air Force is always ready when there's a call.

[BamaNomad]

Richard and I are both USAF veterans... but we do try to help one another react to the call... :)

PS. We put the rebuilt trans back in on Saturday, but the torque converter still isn't bolted to the flexplate. The new torque converter did NOT have the captive/weldnuts... just HOLES. I've been trying since then to find appropriate high strength flanged bolts and nuts for retention. I just ordered bolts/nuts and will probably (maybe?) get them in a week ?

[markm]

I bought an assortment of converter bolts at an auction a few years back, I think I know where it is at.

[nomad]

I'm with you Buster! :) After rolling the trans off my floor jack, and sliding the trans from under the car, Dick and I lifted it onto an old 'Honeys' creeper and rolled it out to the back of my truck, then we lifted it once more into the back of the truck. I did carry the 'full' converter out to my truck without much difficulty.. :)

If I'd had more height in my shop I'd have installed a 2-post lift with 'overhead' connections, but one needs 12' or higher ceilings for that, so I had to opt for the cable cover on the floor between the posts, and that would have been a pain removing the transmission.

Richard and I got it done and my body pain from the 50 or so ups, downs, and unders had greatly alleviated by the next day! :)
Both you guys are an inspiration . I remember with my 57 Hardtop with the original two speed power guild , there were different bolts between it and the ones the 57 turbo guild used . Also they added a vent to the tail in 1958 which prevents the car from dumping all the fluid out after sitting . Your modern turbo 350 trans . must go pretty good , and not rob any power like the old power guilds . Some one added a vent to my 57 power guild and it didn't leak for the short year or so the car was together .

[BamaNomad]

Thanks for the compliment, Dom.... but I could do a LOT MORE as recently as 2 yrs ago... My body seems to be deteriorating rapidly at post-72 ... :)

Gary

[busterwivell]

Gary, we need to follow Clint Eastwood's theory.............."Keep the old man out".

[BamaNomad]

Eastwood and Keith were playing golf and Toby asked Clint, “How do you remain so young and active?” It was the eve of Eastwood's 88th birthday. Clint replied, “I don't let the old man in.” Toby went home and wrote the now famous song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N87Jbgj-IT0


I've been trying, but he's wearing me down! :)

[BamaNomad]

Lawnwork the last two days.. mowing, edging, weedeating, and blowing off the concrete.. but this afternoon I received the flanged bolts and nuts I ordered last week, so tonight installed them securing the torque converter to the flexplate and installed the dust shield. Tomorrow I'll try to add some fluid thru that #&$T*#T*T& lokar fill tube!

[busterwivell]

Progress! I won't be doing any mowing until we get some rain around here.

[Belair-o]

Hi Gary,
I found a small diameter funnel and have had good success in filling fluid thru the Lokar trany filler tube. Can't go real fast, but can load up the funnel, let it leak down, and repeat. Just a thought.
Regards, Doug

[markm]

Why do they make those tubes so small, I will not use one, my Th350 in my 56 had a 79 Z28 stick and my 700R4 has a 85 Caprice wagoon stick.

[markm]

duplicate

[BamaNomad]

Why do they make those tubes so small, I will not use one, my Th350 in my 56 had a 79 Z28 stick and my 700R4 has a 85 Caprice wagoon stick.

I agree with you Mark... I'd never buy one (I don't think).. but my '56 Nomad had one in it when purchased...

BelAir-o

Using a small (tiny) funnel is the only way I've found to do it also, but the idea of adding 8-10 qts thru that thing is frustrating!

[Belair-o]

Gary,
I don't use the adaptor - I use a decent sized funnel that has an opening that just fits in the Lokar tube. Every millimeter helps get the fluid in, which is why I skipped the adaptor.
Regards, Doug

[BamaNomad]

It wasn't as bad as I feared, using the funnel with tube, jammed into the Lokar adapter with the funnel zip-tied to the battery box so I didn't have to hold it... The fluid Valvoline Dexron III / Mercon I had difficulty finding in local FLAPS so I ordered it in gallons. I poured about a quart at a time into the 'juice bottle' to make it easier to pour... took me less than 30 min, and in my garage with the AC on, it wasn't so bad... :)

12648 [ATTACH]12649[/ATTACH

I was told by the trans shop to add 8 qts minimum before starting the engine, so I got it all in (although that last quart or so was very slow to seep down).. but then the engine wouldn't start...?? checked the battery .. it was good... scratched my head.. figured the transmission selector must need adjusting so I can get it into Park (or Neutral) ... so gotta adjust the transmission selector now! I hope that's all it is.

How much fluid should it take? It has a small remote cooler, and a deeper Derale cooling pan...
Will it be OK to add the remaining using Dexron VI (synthetic)???

[markm]

I not only don't like the slow fill the billet look does not fit well with the 3x2s Vette valve covers etc.