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Well my transmission went out on me just before this whole virus thing got crazy so I cleared off workbench of all reloading equipment. Lined the bench with 1" partial board and several layers of cardboard and started rebuilding my first transmission ever.
Well I finally got the transmission finished yesterday and Im itching to reload. But the transmission is 500+ lbs. Lol. They actually say it's one of the heaviest auto trans out there and I believe it. One gear set had to be well over 80#s. Been tempted to muscle it off the bench myself and I'm sure I can do it at least once but I probably won't be moving well enough afterwards to reload

Anyways my kids are coming back tomorrow and my oldest is helping put the transmission back into the car and hopefully by this weekend I will be able to spend my time reloading and shooting instead of working on cars, sleeping and TV. The week before all this I rebuilt the motor in my son's Subaru Forester.

Lesson learned from all this. Need to build another workbench for car work lol.

James
 
Well my transmission went out on me just before this whole virus thing got crazy so I cleared off workbench of all reloading equipment. Lined the bench with 1" partial board and several layers of cardboard and started rebuilding my first transmission ever.
Well I finally got the transmission finished yesterday and Im itching to reload. But the transmission is 500+ lbs. Lol. They actually say it's one of the heaviest auto trans out there and I believe it. One gear set had to be well over 80#s. Been tempted to muscle it off the bench myself and I'm sure I can do it at least once but I probably won't be moving well enough afterwards to reload

Anyways my kids are coming back tomorrow and my oldest is helping put the transmission back into the car and hopefully by this weekend I will be able to spend my time reloading and shooting instead of working on cars, sleeping and TV. The week before all this I rebuilt the motor in my son's Subaru Forester.

Lesson learned from all this. Need to build another workbench for car work lol.

James
Please don't try to lift or move that by yourself.
 
Please don't try to lift or move that by yourself.
Ohh don't worry. I'm not going to. As bad as I want to I'd have my neighbor come help me if I got really desperate.

Here's a couple pics of my poor work bench the last week that I reload on.

James

20200318_194050.jpg 20200323_131508.jpg 20200321_174901.jpg 20200321_174835.jpg
 
That rebuilding trannys is way out of my league. Two thumbs up for you there.
You are way ahead of the game by doing that yourself. It would of taken a couple of paychecks if you hired it out.
Once put back in the car or truck reloading will be enjoyable.
 
Rent a portable crane from a rental center if they are still open or build an a-frame with a pulley system to lower it on a dolly. Set the a-frame up around the car to install. Please don't hurt yourself.

How did you get it on the bench?

I used to be able to get under my 1967 Impala on jacks, and drop the M-21 tranny, change the clutch and have it back in - less that two hours. I held the tranny on my knee to lower it to the floor. I had this uncanny ability to blow clutches about every 6 months. I finally found a clutch and pressure plate combination that lasted until I finally blew up the motor.:(
 
That looks like a Honda transmission, can't be as heavy as some of the older US auto. transmissions. I haven't done serious automotive work for years, but have done a lot in the past. I once R&R'd the transmission in a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, that was a heavy front WD job. But most of my tranny experience is with rear WD. Ford C4's, C6, FMX, large case cast iron cruise-o-matic (Lincoln 58-67), couple of AOD. I've done some GM 350's and 400's, a couple of T-35 Borg Warner in American Motors, etc.

Doing tranny R&R at home, of course I didn't have a hoist. So the vehicle was always on jack stands. I used a floor jack to balance the tranny on in and out. My friend Mark did this using his chest.

My benches, long ago I went to having two benches. I call them my "Clean Bench" and my "Dirty Bench." The Dirty Bench was where most automotive work was done. Rebuilding starter motors, alternators, generators, etc. Most tranny work. The Clean Bench is where reloading is done. Also carburetor work. I know, what's a carburetor. The last one I did was a lawnmower. But I still have one vehicle with a Ford 2100 carb on it.

My friend John (who is no longer with us) used to overhaul automatic transmissions on his kitchen table. Figured it was the cleanest place in the house. One place I worked for a while after the Carter Admin. eliminated my federal job had a "transmission laboratory." A very clean space with plexiglass walls around it to keep out dust. No shop towels allowed, only compressed air and solvent.

I guess I shouldn't use the reference, "tranny" anymore, has new meaning.
 
Ohh it was me and my son that got it out and just now bolted it back in. Have to use a hoist. It's the only transmission I've ever seen with hoist mounts on it. Well over 500# per the manual. I've replaced several transmission including my 3/4 ton E40D trans in my old truck. This one by far tops that in weight. It's a Honda 5sp performance trans from a V6.

Thanks
James
 
I just hope it works. If it doesn't work I think about 5lb of tanerite should do the trick.. Just got it bolted in. Getting it lined up was the hardest part in doing the entire thing.. Tomorrow will be the true test if things work
 
I was thinking it was a cast iron truck tranny. At 500 lb The old t350 and power glides I would carry myself.
Hand lifting it off the bench will get you when you get old if it doesnt now.
Trust Me :eek:
A cheap picker or come along or.
a 6 pack to a burly freind ? is cheaper than the doctor.
 
I actually have been spending more time working on my old car than I have reloading. Whenever I reach a point on my '39 Chev coupe project that I need to order and wait for parts, I go back to reloading. It breaks up both hobbies so I don't tire of either. Waiting on a new trans cooler for the 700R4 OD trans in my '39 Chev now, so back to reloading.
Fortunately I've got more powder, primers, and lead than I can use up in my lifetime, so I wont worry about running out of reloading supplies! But my gun club is closed, so not sure where I'll shoot it up now?

Am2QQJql.jpg
 
Well my transmission went out on me just before this whole virus thing got crazy so I cleared off workbench of all reloading equipment. Lined the bench with 1" partial board and several layers of cardboard and started rebuilding my first transmission ever.
Well I finally got the transmission finished yesterday and Im itching to reload. But the transmission is 500+ lbs. Lol. They actually say it's one of the heaviest auto trans out there and I believe it. One gear set had to be well over 80#s. Been tempted to muscle it off the bench myself and I'm sure I can do it at least once but I probably won't be moving well enough afterwards to reload

Anyways my kids are coming back tomorrow and my oldest is helping put the transmission back into the car and hopefully by this weekend I will be able to spend my time reloading and shooting instead of working on cars, sleeping and TV. The week before all this I rebuilt the motor in my son's Subaru Forester.

Lesson learned from all this. Need to build another workbench for car work lol.

James
Probably need a transmission jack.
 
Transmission jack wouldn't work. Tried that last time. I got it all in. Works perfectly and just like driving a new car. Thankfully everything worked perfect. That transmission is a complete bubblegum trying to put in. But I'm glad it should be good to go for another 200k miles. I know the motor is. Tike to start reloading and shooting again tomorrow.

James
 
I got it all in. Works perfectly and just like driving a new car.

I like to hear a good ending to a story. We don't get enough of that.

Getting it lined up was the hardest part in doing the entire thing..

This is the case more often than I used to like. Particularly if you're doing it from underneath without a hoist. And doing it by yourself when you can't have eyes top and bottom at the same time. Or you're doing an interchange and the flex plate turns out to not interchange. Etc., etc.
 
Ohh I had a hoist. Didn't work all that well. Had to use a jack, the hoist, my son and his friend. Hoist didnt get it close enough as the engine wires, hoses etc got in the way. So with a combo we were able to get it in.

Now time to set back up the reloading bench and start reloading and shooting. My range just went from like 8 rifle benches down to like 3 from this virus. Uggg. Anyways will be reloading by tomorrow. I have 1000x 308 RDFs, 3000x 223 mixed between 77gr custom comps and SS109s and plenty of powder. Not to mention I finally picked up a bench rest. So I'm ready to rock n roll.

Btw. Been thinking.. Son and I are probably gonna open our own auto shop soon. Still gotta look into things more. Gonna start out mobile then expand into an actual shop.

Have a good night ya all, happy reloading and stay healthy and safe,
James
 
Ohh I had a hoist. Didn't work all that well. Had to use a jack, the hoist, my son and his friend. Hoist didnt get it close enough as the engine wires, hoses etc got in the way. So with a combo we were able to get it in.

Now time to set back up the reloading bench and start reloading and shooting. My range just went from like 8 rifle benches down to like 3 from this virus. Uggg. Anyways will be reloading by tomorrow. I have 1000x 308 RDFs, 3000x 223 mixed between 77gr custom comps and SS109s and plenty of powder. Not to mention I finally picked up a bench rest. So I'm ready to rock n roll.

Btw. Been thinking.. Son and I are probably gonna open our own auto shop soon. Still gotta look into things more. Gonna start out mobile then expand into an actual shop.

Have a good night ya all, happy reloading and stay healthy and safe,
James

Its hard to find a good affordible shop now days
 
Its hard to find a good affordible shop now days
Won't be hard if I actually go thru with the plan I'm kicking around. Shops wanted between 1800$ and 2600$ to rebuild my transmission. That was if I pulled transmission and brought it to them. I would probably charge 1800$ for the entire job.

I used to do stuff for coworkers/friends and gave them 90 day labor warranty and charged 1/2 what the dealer charged for the job. Parts were almost always lifetime and cost plus 10%.

James
 
James,

I just saw this post. I would have offered an extra hoist or tranny jack. If you do open up repair let me know. I own an Offroad 4x4 manufacturing and retail company in Newberg. (less than 5% of our customers are in OR) We get requests for work and we stopped doing any custom work in 13' and all install work in 16'. Right now we refer people over to a shop in Beaverton for install (lifts and bumpers) work.

BTW congrats on the trany build they can be a bugger.

I was bummed to see CVSC close down half the rifle benches but happy they did not close the whole thing down! I have some 300blk loads I need to test. Thinking I just need to plan an early AM mid-week trip out there.
 

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