Remove 1981 Eldo trans: How hard?

[76eldo]

I have a 1981 Eldorado with a trans leak.  I have not gotten under the car yet but if the trans has to come out, how difficult is it?

I have a lift and a trans jack at my disposal.  Does it unbolt from the back of the engine and drop down like a regular RWD trans like in a DeVille?

Thanks,

Brian

[Dave Shepherd]

Basically yes, a shop manual would have more specific instructions, if you pull it out with the final drive attached, the axles have to come out of course.  You must support the engine while do this also.

[TJ Hopland]

I did it that way one time.   I remember it being a pain because of the way the rear mount was.  I don't remember the details but it seems like there was not enough room to lift it high enough to be able to remove the rear cross member.   The rear member is in the way of being able to slide it back and drop it.   Also if its got the insulation on the chain cover that takes up valuable space needed to slide it back.   The motor mounts are all the way up front so you need a very strong support to hold it up when the trans out.   CV axles don't have to come out, just unbolted from the flanges.  Shaft extension has to come off.    I only did it that way one time.   It seemed like it was a lot harder than the earlier ones.   Maybe there is a trick that I did not figure out.   Another pain is the transmission won't balance very well on the jack especially when its up high.   

I would suggest pulling the engine and trans together.  Except for being a little tight between the right exhaust manifold and AC box it pretty much lifts straight up.   I discovered you don't want to try and leave the down / y pipe on.   I would guess that chances are good that the engine could benefit from a little freshening up at the same time.   Oil pan gasket, timing chain, rear main stuff like that you can't do with the transmission in the way.   I think the front mount brackets even get in the way of dropping the pan in the car.

Maybe Bruce Roe has done this more recently and knows the tricks or can confirm that its a pain.     

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Brian,
AFTER you get underneath and verify that the leak is not on something you can fix in place like the pan, the dip stick tube, the modulator or ?, Get the shop manual and follow it letter by letter.  There is a lot going on there and it all has to be done in order to come out and go back in.
Greg

[bcroe]

I wonder where that leak is?  That TH325 can be removed from the bottom, if
you have a system to support the engine, which needs to slide forward most of
an inch to clear the bell housing.  Then there is the final drive to complicate
things.  Leave it in place, more stuff to try and line up.  Take the final drive out
with the trans (I usually do) and now the half shafts need to be disconnected. 

On the 66-78 trans an Olds engine can be slid forward enough for the oil pan
to clear the crossover shaft.  But on the Cad the cross over shaft must come
out so the engine can clear the bell housing.  I don't know if this carries over
to the 79-85 engine/trans, check it out. 

Taking the trans & final drive out from the bottom starts to be a lot of weight,
need a pretty good (and safe) trans jack.  I haven't gotten the stuff together
to do it yet.  Out the top means the hood & the engine come out too.  I don't
take the engine & trans out together, because its just too easy to break
something around the edges. 

So here the slow, safe way is hang the hood from the ceiling (in another stall),
pull the engine (while supporting the front of the final drive with a chain), then
hoist out the trans & final drive.  My 79 came with the Olds engine, no oil pan
to crossover shaft clearance issues.  good luck, Bruce Roe

[76eldo]

Hopefully the leak is coming from something that can be corrected with the trans in place.

The car is in a shop now getting a new convertible top.  When I get it home I will be able to evaluate what's going on.

Thanks for the tips and suggestions.

Brian