Can One Guy and 4 Jackstands Replace a Transmission and Clutch?

I did a tko600 no problem.

Ive done 3 t-5's and i think 6 tremecs. All by myself, on 4 jackstands. the key is to get the car high.


and then balance the tranny onto a jack n jack it up then slide it in and done

You should use SUV stands. Thats the only stands I use Cause they are much bigger and give you height. The car stands are just too small and are not stable when you extend them up all the way

LISTEN HERE! It is somewhat dangerous to use 4 jack stands! Once you get the car on 2 stands, and you jack up the other end, the car can slide back. I recommend going to Home Depot and buying 4 cinder blocks. They are like $2 each. Then get a few pieces of wood about the same length and width as the cinder block and stack them on top. Jack the car up, and place these under the a-arms, and under where the rear end and the rear lower control arm assemble. The car will be about 2 feet off the ground, and there is more surface area holding the car up than the little feet of the jack stands. I did this when I swapped my exhaust and when i rebuilt my tranny and installed a new clutch. It can be done with one person, but goes twice as fast, and is safer with 2.

ShortThrow50 said:

You should use SUV stands. Thats the only stands I use Cause they are much bigger and give you height. The car stands are just too small and are not stable when you extend them up all the way

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Good point. You need about 24" of clearance if you use a transmisssion jack of any kind.

stprorolla49: I would not use concrete blocks or cinder blocks as you call them. They are too likely to crumble or crack if you bump them while they are bearing the weight of the car. The SUV jackstands are the best tool for the job.

Some practical help...

Labor time: by yourself, first time - 4-6 hours from the time the car gets up on jackstands until the trans sits on the ground & the bellhousing is off. You'll have about the same amount of time to get it reassembled & back in service.
Before you get started, buy a Chilton or Haynes shop manual. You will need it for the bolt torques and patterns.

1.) Jack up the car front and rear, use jack stands to be safe.
2.) Put a 2x4 wood block under the engine oil pan to support the engine. Jack it up slightly. This prevents damage to the motor mounts when the transmission mount is removed. The oil pan is plenty strong for this purpose. Disconnect the negative battery cable. You will need a couple of extensions and a ½” swivel socket to remove the top starter mount bolt, which is accessed from the front and under the headers. Leave the starter wiring connected unless you plan to change the starter at this time.
3.) Label all the wiring for the transmission before disconnecting it. Disconnect the O2 sensor cables at their connectors. Disconnect the speedo cable by pulling it straight out of the VSS sensor, or by removing the bolt that holds the VSS sensor in place. If you remove the VSS sensor, zip bag & tag it along with the bolt that secures in place.
4.) Remove the drive shaft, the rear bolts are 12 MM. You will need a high quality 12 point wrench for this: do not skimp or you risk rounding off the bolt heads. A helper to step on the brake to keep the drive shaft from turning will be helpful. Use your foot to apply pressure to the wrench to loosen the bolts. Note the yellow markings in the drive shaft and write down their alignment.
5.) Put a catch pan under the rear of the transmission to catch the fluid when you slide the yoke out of the transmission. I recommend that you drain the transmission at this time. There is a pair of pipe plug filler ports on the side of the transmission. Use the lower plug to drain the fluid.
6.) Inside the car, remove the shifter boot and then remove the shifter handle
7.) Remove the H pipe & rear trans cross member. The chassis to cross member bolts are metric, you need a 15 MM & 17 MM socket or wrench. Note the direction and size of the humps on the cross member and write it down. Inspect the rear transmission mount and replace if damaged.
8.) Remove the transmission. You will need a long extension & a universal joint with a ¾” socket. A transmission jack or a helper is almost a must have unless you can bench press 75-100 pounds with ease.
8.) Remove the clutch cable cover and pry the throwout bearing arm forward enough to slide the cable off.
9.) Remove the bell housing using the long extension & a universal joint socket. Note how the throwout bearing rides it the throwout bearing arm, and which end faces the clutch pressure plate. Write it down or make a drawing if necessary.
10.) Remove the bolts securing the pressure plate to flywheel. Be sure to label & zip bag them separately from the rest of the parts. Work in a star pattern to reduce stress on the pressure plate mounting tabs.
11.) Remove the flywheel mount bolts, as you will need to either replace or re-surface the flywheel. Be sure to label & zip bag them separately from the rest of the parts. Tap the locator dowels out of the flywheel with a 1/4" pin punch. Zip bag them together with the flywheel bolts.
12.) Inspect the transmission input shaft where the throwout bearing rides. Replace it if worn or damaged.
13.) Inspect the throwout bearing, throwout bearing arm and ball pivot stud for wear or damage.
14.) Inspect the rear oil seal for leakage and replace if required.
15.) Remove & replace the pilot bearing. A puller borrowed or rented is helpful here. A wood block will be used to drive it home.
16.) Install the flywheel, noting that the bolts are an odd pattern, and it only lines up one way so that all the bolts go in easily. Torque to specs according to the shop manual. Install the locator dowels at this time.
17.) Install the clutch disk with the hub springs facing the rear of the car. Use a pilot tool available for $3-$4 from the auto parts store to line it up.
18. Install the pressure plate, be sure to use the pilot tool prior to tightening the pressure plate bolts. Torque to specs according to the shop manual. Remove the pilot tool when you are finished torquing the bolts.
19.) Install the throwout bearing on the throwout bearing arm, noting the direction of the bearing and it mounting in the arm.
20.) Install the bell housing. Torque to specs according to the shop manual.
21. Install the transmission, have the transmission jack or helper at hand to lift it into place. Watch out that the stub of the shifter does not tear the shifter boot. Some 7/16 bolts with the heads cut off can be used to help support the transmission as you slide it home. It may be necessary to press the clutch pedal to get the transmission to slide the last ½” or so. Remove the guide studs if you used them & torque to specs according to the shop manual.
22.) Reinstall the clutch cable by prying on the throwout bearing arm. Replacement of the stock cable or quadrant is recommended if you haven’t already done so. With adjustable cables, both nuts go on the back side of the throwout bearing arm.
23.) Reinstall the rear crossmember & transmission mount. Torque to specs according to the shop manual.
24.) Reinstall the wiring and speedo cable or VSS sensor if you removed it.
25.) Reinstall the drive shaft, slide the yoke in place. Align the rear yellow markings and install the bolts. A helper to step on the brake to keep the drive shaft from turning will be helpful. Use your foot to apply pressure to the wrench to tighten the bolts.
26.) Remove the jack from under the engine oil pan.
27.) Refill the transmission with the proper fluid. T5’s use Dextron ATF, Tremec 3550’s use GM Synchromesh. There is a pair of pipe plug filler ports on the side of the transmission. Use the top plug as the filler port.
28.) Adjust the clutch cable according the manufacturer’s instructions if you have an adjustable cable & quadrant. Set the emergency brake and use the drag it provides in order to determine where the clutch starts to engage. You should have 1 -1 ½” free play from the top. The cable will not have any slack and will have some preload on it when properly adjusted.
29.) Re-install the H pipe and remaining items.
30.) When you have visually checked all the bolts, fittings and other parts are present and not interfering with each other, then take the car down off the jack stands.
31.) Be prepared to put the car back up on the jack stands to adjust the clutch and tighten up any loose items found after the test drive…

If you have a T5, you may be able to remove the trans & re-install it if you can bench press the 75 lbs that it weighs. If 75 lbs is too heavy, don't hurt yourself, get a trans jack. If your car has a Tremec 3550 or TKO, you will need a helper or trans jack because it weighs 100 + lbs. I built a trans jack from 2x2 angle iron, some swivel casters, 2x4's, 2x6's and a cheap floor jack. PM me if you are interested & I will send you the photos (8 MB) with the write up.

While you are at it, replace the stock cable & quadrant if it is still present. When you buy the cable & quadrant and maybe a firewall adjuster, make sure they are all the same make. That way you have some assurance that they work together. I have a FMS quadrant & cable, & have had no problems with it. The FMS adjustable cable doesn't stretch and operates smoothly. The only thing is that you have to get under the car to make any adjustments. A firewall adjuster would help here to make the fine adjustment.

stprorolla49 said:

LISTEN HERE! It is somewhat dangerous to use 4 jack stands! Once you get the car on 2 stands, and you jack up the other end, the car can slide back. I recommend going to Home Depot and buying 4 cinder blocks. They are like $2 each. Then get a few pieces of wood about the same length and width as the cinder block and stack them on top. Jack the car up, and place these under the a-arms, and under where the rear end and the rear lower control arm assemble. The car will be about 2 feet off the ground, and there is more surface area holding the car up than the little feet of the jack stands. I did this when I swapped my exhaust and when i rebuilt my tranny and installed a new clutch. It can be done with one person, but goes twice as fast, and is safer with 2.

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:Zip2: a local stock car racer swore up and down about using cinder blocks that they are better and that they are what his dad used since he was a little kid and all that... then one day he was working on his late model in his garage by himself (what this whole thread is about "working by your self") and one of the blocks cracked and broke.... car fell down on his chest and he was stuck ...1/2 hour later his wife comes out to the garage to bring him a sandwhich and finds her dead husband under his car........i HIGHLY discourage the use of cinder blocks as means of supporting your car....as you say some jackstands may be unsafe but i would use any jack stand over a brick any day!

Ive done it a few times now all by myself, it's fairly heavy so dont drop it on your head like me, get a firm grip on that sucker! I would also leave the bellhousing and clutch ataached to the motor, only if you dont need a new clutch. Remove the 4 bolts that connect the bellhousing to the tranny and thats it, leave the starter, flywheel, clutch, etc.. on the car

and X2 million on the cinder blocks, they are weak and break EASY! if you dont believe me, grab on and throw it at the ground, it will break..big wood blocks are a better alternative if you cant get jackstands or ramps

Yes, I would not use concrete or cinder blocks. Even with 4 jackstands, I would put a couple wood blocks or anything to back-up an accidental fall.

You really cannot have to much safety

concrete or cinder blocks=
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Ok folks... the cinder block issue has been covered. Let's move on.

i just replaced my clutch this pas friday all by myself. i had 4 jackstands and it took along longer than with 2 people but i did do it. not too bad at all. just got a little lonely.

Jrichker is correct for the first timer. Plan on taking twice the time to get the correct wrenches, then longer when u realize the wrench u need is on the other damn side of the car out of reach, then even longer when you stab the tranny 10 times and keep on knocking the tob off the fork.

Easiest tool I found to keep the tob on the fork..... IF you have an adjustable cable, u can hook it to the quadrant and fork BEFORE u stab the tranny, simply position it with ur clutch tool and then u can stab ur tranny nice and easy (pending u don't slip while getting it in there and repostion everything) Makes a 1 man job easy. I had a spell back a few years ago when I pulled my tranny like 5 times in 2 months.... (damn centerforce clutches and missed shifts)

good lord what a mess. i wouldnt do it. how much does a T5 weigh?

bout 75lbs dry..it's not that hard just time consuming..whenever my buddy comes over we end up blowing chit up instead of working, so i try to get the hard stuff done before he shows up