prado trans removal

[Brendon]

I am trying to remove the transmission from under my 97 prado 3 lt diesel.I have disconected the pipes ,taken off the starter motor.The manual says to undo 2 bolts from the front of the pressure plate to release the torque converter.Looking at the front of the bell housing I cannot locate these bolts.There appears to be a foam rubber protector thingy sandwhiched under a plastic sump shaped fairing that covers where I think these bolts should be.Can I just undo all the bolts around the bell housing and slide the trans backwards? The manual also says you need another person to put something in the ring gear through the starter moter hole to stop the engine rotating??Why would it rotate?

[Big]

you could possibly undo the BH bolts.. but you'd possibly risk damage to the TQr.. take the cover plate off then undo the flexi plate bolts to TQr then lift all together.. It'll mean less mess and damage.. Im not a mech but I have played with autos now for about 3 months and they're reasonably easy..Someone else may chime in too..

[kbushnz]

OK the foam rubber thing needs to be removed, You will have to remove the support brackets (thick cast arms) from each side they go to the bell housing and the engine block...then behind that you will find a plate, remove it and then you will see the front side of the torque converter.
There are six bolts from memory which locate it, undo each one. You will need to turn the engine over to get to each blot. Just put a spanner on the crankshaft pulley bolt and turn away.
I have done it on my own, no issues. You may need to jam the ring gear but I did it from under the truck...You jam as when you start to undo each bolt it may want to turn the engine over

Once they are all undone push the converter back, should move about 15mm or so... Then you can continue your trans removal.

When you install it again, put on the trans first and do up the bolts and slide the converter back in place last...

[Brendon]

Thanks for your input guys,ok got the foam rubber out and removed a plastic cover (trashing it in the process)that was glued with foam to the upper engine sump , removed a metal dust cover and now can see the tq converter bolts but cant bloody get a socket on them cause the steering gear is in the way,as well as the sump and also a central bar (not the stabaliser bar) that attaches to the lower suspension control arms on either side of the car.I think I need to remove this bar to give me access to the tq c bolts....either that or take out the steering gear!Wonder whats easier...about to find out...watch this space im gonna attack the bar thingy...

[Brendon]

Daa 5 minutes later ha ha the bar thingy is actually part of the chassis and dont come off so its gonna have to be the steering gear/rack.manual says to take of hubs and steering knuckle but I cant be stuffed undoind the bloody hubs...what a fuckin mission to drop a bloody transmission...!...

[kbushnz]

I used a ring spanner.... But mine was in the earlier Beam axle model plenty of room !
If its too tight then put a tube over the end of the ring spanner and extend its length. Or get a ratchet ring spanner...

[Brendon]

Thanks mate, in regards to the steering rack that I have now removed , is there any one who will exchange these or reco for a reasonable price ? The reason I ask is because the car took a serious front end knock and I am not sure if its worth keeping , re building , etc . If I purchase 2nd hand it also might be bent and I dont really know how to test my unit as a component removed from the vehicle ?

[Brendon]

OK... every thing went sweet as far as me finally getting at the t/q bolts , but could not get t/q to shift backwards into the housing No worries... on to the trans bolts... F#n / Heck Ramsey the upper through bolts on the trans housing were unaccessible...ie you couldn't swing a bloody cat on the 17mm socket , so took an extreme step and cut through the inside fire wall and got to them that way!! Dont worry purists , the vehicle that the trans/motor assembley is being removed from is going to the scrap yard any way ha ha.
This leads me to wonder how the pro's get out the trans whilst leaving the engine in place...special tools mees tinks but any way onto releasing the rear trans support cross member and ...somehow drawing the trans backwards at the same time as lowering and cracking it , the dowels...with out damaging any oil seals ,splines etc ,whilst balancing on a trolley jack!?

[Brendon]

So any way this leads me to believe that this whole assembley ,being the trans , engine , etc is placed into the vehicle pre assembled and with out the suspension or running gear in place ?
Any way , one must move on ,and my next step is to jack and slide the trans housing rearwards , and hopefully lever the t/q converter , rear wards at the same time.The Haines manual is loose on these points...hope I dont damage any thing !!

[Brendon]

Yee Haa got the bugger of , should have dropped the cross member first and that would have allowed more room to get at the bell housing top bolts as the engine tilts downwads at the rear.There was also some electricks and speedo bolt clips on top of the trans !