Technical degree of difficulty?

X

xplo89gt

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Dec 21, 2004

#1

• Dec 21, 2004

• #1

In general, which is a more difficult install?
I guess since everyone will probably pick an option, the guys who have done both, please post comments. Thanks.

 

5.0 Nostalgia

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Feb 28, 2003

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#2

• Dec 21, 2004

• #2

I would have to say heads cam and intake is more work. I honestly have never done it, but you pulling the motor down to the shortblock while it's in the car to do it. I have pulled the t5 in my car twice in the past couple months because the guy that rebuilt it missed something. With the right tools and no problems like broken bolts you can have it out in an hour. With regular hand tools, it will take a little longer. The clutch will take a little longer once the t5 is out. The only thing that sucks is you will be on your back for the whole job unless you have a lift.

 

X

xplo89gt

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#3

• Dec 21, 2004

• #3

I have done an H/C/I, and well the first time it took me quite awhile. The car was down for about a month, but I had a full time job, ran into a few snags (valve covers wouldnt fit, had to order new ones), only did work on weekends, yadda yadda yadda.

Now I think I could do that whole job in a weekend if I had the right parts.

I guess the one thing that I see really hard about the transmission is working on my back.

I will however try to get all the right tools for the job if it makes it much easier. Im not swapping now, but I'm trying to budget it in and definately dont want to spend money on labor.

 

C

crunchie12268

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Dec 21, 2004

#4

• Dec 21, 2004

• #4

switch out a tranny and clutch is what I am assuming you are asking... not rebuilding it right?

I would have to say that they are both pretty easy, but the H/C/I swap would take more time and require more work... like tuning and replacing all the old crap whlie your down that far.... stuff like that.

 

Michael Yount

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Apr 10, 2002

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Dec 21, 2004

#5

• Dec 21, 2004

• #5

H/C/I - no doubt. Cleanliness required, liquids to be sealed, careful torque specs, etc. It's a always a chore working under one (lift makes it nice) but tranny/clutch is easier in my op.

 

FastGT94

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Dec 21, 2004

#6

• Dec 21, 2004

• #6

Gears!!!!


But of the two I'd have to say H/C/I way too many more things to screw up there if you're not careful and measure everything twice.

 

8

89331SC

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#7

• Dec 23, 2004

• #7

from a ford tech point of veiw changing a clutch in a t5 car would prob pay around 4 hours where as a h/c/i swap would prob be close to 10hours

 

5.0 Nostalgia

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Dec 23, 2004

#8

• Dec 23, 2004

• #8

Checked out the results. Who voted for the clutch?

 

M

matm347

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#9

• Dec 23, 2004

• #9

My vote went for H/C/I, just allot more work invloved even though working on your back really sux!(crap in your eye..DOH!)

 

90mustangGT

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#10

• Dec 23, 2004

• #10

If you are going from stock to aftermarket it's going to be more difficult than from stock to stock. HCI is definatly more labor than T and C.

 

cardudeusa

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#11

• Dec 23, 2004

• #11

I voted tranny and clutch being harder. I thought doing the H/C/I was easy. I guess the hardest part of the tranny install was lifting the tranny, how many people have picked up a t-56, damn thing weighs a ton. I also am not a fan of working under the car a lot, thats another reason.

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#12

• Dec 23, 2004

• #12

HCI without a doubt....IMO the cam alone is more of a PITA because you've gotta pull off the water pump and timing chain cover and all that BS....then there's the heads and intake and a million gaskets and all that crap, not to mention the fact that you've gotta do headers while you're at it. Tranny and clutch is a piece of cake. I've changed them with nothing more than jack stands and hand tools and on a gravel driveway. Sure, it sucks and it's still not an easy job, but much easier than an HCI swap.

 

5.0Droptop

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#13

• Dec 23, 2004

• #13

I have done both.
The HCI is more technical and time consuming.

 

Mustang5L5

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#14

• Dec 23, 2004

• #14

Well, to me they both seem pretty easy to accomplish.

The H/C/I is obviously the longer job.

But i hate lying on my back under a car. I can do a clutch in 3-4 hours, but i just hate crawling around.

I ENJOY doing H/C/I. I actually get off on the technical aspect of it. Plus you work under the hood.

So i'm voting tranny...more stressful in my opinion due to working conditions

 

90mustangGT

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#15

• Dec 23, 2004

• #15

Mustang5L5 said:

Well, to me they both seem pretty easy to accomplish.

The H/C/I is obviously the longer job.

But i hate lying on my back under a car. I can do a clutch in 3-4 hours, but i just hate crawling around.

I ENJOY doing H/C/I. I actually get off on the technical aspect of it. Plus you work under the hood.

So i'm voting tranny...more stressful in my opinion due to working conditions

Click to expand...

Your taking the conditions into account, but I think it is pretty clear that the H/C/I as a job itself is more difficult. I pulled the engine and transmission on my car earlier this week. On my back, in freezing temps, hand tools, with only the front of the car jacked up, the trans was the hardest part.

 

Mustang5L5

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#16

• Dec 23, 2004

• #16

90mustangGT said:

Your taking the conditions into account, but I think it is pretty clear that the H/C/I as a job itself is more difficult. I pulled the engine and transmission on my car earlier this week. On my back, in freezing temps, hand tools, with only the front of the car jacked up, the trans was the hardest part.

Click to expand...

Well, if you came to me right now and said i had to perform one of those two jobs on a car right now, i would rather take the HCI job. It's a little more intense, but something about wrestling on the ground with a tranny on your chest that turns me off right now

 

M

manpowermustang

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Dec 23, 2004

#17

• Dec 23, 2004

• #17

H/C/I this I voted for, but I hate!! pulling my tranny its a real pain in the #@$!! I have long tubes which just make it all the harder.

 

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1990LXDropTop

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#18

• Dec 23, 2004

• #18

I voted for tranny/clutch even though I haven't done a swap like that yet. I'm currently doing my H/I/C swap and so far everything has gone smoothly. I'm taking my time on it and ordering parts as I move along, because I want to keep busy during my time off from school and make it last as long as possible. So far, all I've done was removed the intake/heads, cooling system. I still have to remove the water pump, balancer, timing cover, chain, cam, etc., which I'm going to do on Sunday... Then I will install my cam (after I get some pre-lube and a new timing cover gasket set). But so far... It has been A LOT easier than I thought it would have been. H/I/C IMO is simple as long as you take your time and know what your doing. Tranny/clutch doesn't sound too bad either, but I prefer working under the hood rather than lieing on my back wrestling a heavy tranny.

 

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Darkhorse845

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Dec 24, 2004

#19

• Dec 24, 2004

• #19

I voted H/C/I .

 

TC93

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Dec 24, 2004

#20

• Dec 24, 2004

• #20

I say it depends on the trans also. A 5-speed is easy to do and one person can do it, if you take the trans off the bellhousing. But if you have an AOD then it can be a pain, especially laying on your back. Not to mention if you have long tubes or not. Then for the H/C/I swap, depends if the car has working AC. That is somehting to be in your way if you don't have the correct system to recover it. There are allot of varibles that could make one job harder than the other,, IMO.


It really depends on what the situation is to start with. But I would have to say the H/C/I is the more tech swap. And tranny is more of the mechanical swap. But for people who have done both many times, they are both about the same work. Or that's the way I see them, about even, it depends on the car set-up you are working on.