Pulling the transaxle need advise.

You'll probably have to temporarily jack the car a bit to pull the starter (and probably a couple bolts going through the flywheel cover plate into the bellhousing, and maybe unclip or unbolt e-brake cables underneath). I jack the rear crossmember but use a wood block to distribute the load. I put jack stands under the longitudinal frame rails, just line up so as not to bend the welds/crimps etc.

After you've disconnected those, you should be able to let it back down. You'll pull the transaxle out the top.

I don't think I have ever supported the engine--should be pretty well balanced on its motor mounts. But certainly wouldn't hurt to put a block of wood under somewhere safe.

You'll of course still need to disconnect the half-shaft bolts, the shifter rod coming into the ZF (I just push out a roll pin there), the side mounts from the ZF I think if a -2 model or the rear mount if a -1 model, and the large nut encircling the speedo cable connecting it onto the ZF. You'll also need to unbolt the AC condensor assembly from the car frame (don't disconnect any AC lines) and set it over to the quarter panel etc. onto a blanket. I have had to also remove the condensor grill but that's just 4 bolts, to get rearward clearance to pull it free, but you may not need to. And you'll unbolt the clutch slave somehow, can probably remove a couple circlips to slide out the slave cylinder once you've disconnected the linkage arm from the splines on the throwout shaft. And of course the bellhousing-to-block bolts but read below just in case you can pull without the bellhousing.

Once it's free I've used slings and a hoist to help pull it out, straight over the rear of the car, just be careful to not hit the decklid, the latch stuff and so on. Could be done with just human effort but weighs over 150 pounds so may be dicey, though with slings and boards and 2 or more people can be done. Most I think pull it complete with bellhousing. Assuming it's a -2 model, there are a couple internal bolts that IF a former owner left out, could be pulled without the bellhousing and save some of the above removal time (starter, slave, the couple flywheel plate bolts).

I don't think you need to grease the throwout bearing but probably not a bad idea to replace the pilot bushing or pilot bearing, that you would grease somewhat. Which to use is a whole other debate I won't address. If you go with a bushing, nonferrous is recommended, that Marlin Jack on here machines & sells if you need one. I'm not aware of any bushing option if it's a -1 (see tag on lower driver's side of transaxle's shifter box, which # it ends in). Assuming it's a -2 you now have choices apparently.

Some others may have a correction or two, but it's not that hard a project.

Hope this helps,

Lee

Great response. I don't think I have AC. There is no condenser in the back, so unless it is connected to the upgraded radiator in the front, I can ignore the AC stuff. The car was my dad's, and after he rebuilt the engine it revved to high for the stock AC compressor, so I suspect he removed the AC.

Yeah, no AC issue other than maybe the grill removal. A couple other things I thought of, you'll definitely have to also remove the spreader bar if you pull with bellhousing, probably not if can pull without bellhousing. And I'd be inclined to not remove the throwout arm from the shaft splines if you can avoid it. You'll have to disconnect the slave rod end from that bracket anyway to get the slave out the top of the slave bracket as I recall. Leaving the lever arm on the throwout cross-shaft will make for easier slave adjustment when you reinstall, IF the new throwout bearing doesn't change the throw any internally. If you do have to remove it, mark it somehow. Some/most Panteras are challenged on getting good clutch adjustment (so once you get it, try to avoid having to readjust it unnecessarily).

Thanks. I have determined that mine is dash 2. I would love to pull it without the bell housing, but from what you wrote it sounds like that is only possible if it were not put together correctly the last time it was out. Is that correct?

I wouldn't say leaving out the 2 bottom bolts is necessarily incorrect. They aren't essential and makes things easier down the road when you're in the situation you're in now.

I use a 1x6 about a foot long at the back of the oil pan, on the rear flange. The board is about 2 inches longer that the space between the floor and the rear of pan. I remove the side trans mounts and axle flanges. I jack the car up by the rear x member and insert the 1x6, As I lower the car it pushes up on the rear of the motor and holds it there while I slip off the zf, bellhouse and all. I have gotten pretty good at it too! Bill 1362

One more thing.... the bolts that hold the bell to the block are safer to remove that the ones in the aluminum zf. I removed the bell house from my dash 1 and it stripped the aluminum that surrounds the bolts from the zf. I still don't know what I'm gonna have to do, I guess take it to a shop that can weld aluminum....

Good advise, and that is too bad. Aluminum is hard to weld. Good luck. I hope that you can get it fixed.

Icole, the two bolts referred to are large metric allen bolts inside the bellhousing, added by Ford/DeTomaso/ZF to stiffen up the joint between bellhousing and transaxle. Leave them out at your risk. Pushbutton Panteras with the transitional dash-1-1/2 ZF & sand-cast 2-hole bellhousing did not have these.
And there are two MORE little 10mm bolts down on the bottom/outside of the bellhousing that hold the block-protection plate to the bellhousing so as to prevent vibration noise. These are routinely forgotten until the ZF won't come out even with all the visible-from-the-top bolts removed.
Note that pulling the ZF or engine is thoroughly documented/illustrated on Mike Daily's gigantic www.panteraplace.com website.

...I Believe there are 3 Bolts holding the Lower Cover Plate to the Bellhousing!!...

I had a few hours today, and removed the brace above the trans, disconnected the half shafts, hood and shift linkage. WHen I remove the slave cylinder it looks like I can take two bolts out to free it from the bell housing, and one more to free it from the throwout mechanism. It appears that I can put it back without changing how it is adjusted. here is a picture. Am I wrong?

Also my instructions say that I must remove the starter motor. Is that true?

My point on that was mainly to remove that shiny (probably stainless) bolt below your slave boot, which will free the slave from the lever arm that bolt connects the slave's rod end to. You can then do whatever seems easiest above that point to free the slave from the bellhousing, assuming you're also pulling the bellhousing along with the ZF. It's not really critical which way you choose to do that, whether to remove the slave from its bracket or the bracket from the bellhousing. Don't forget about the other things then (starter, 2 or maybe 3 bolts under bottom of bellhousing, speedo cable, etc.). Pull the ground clamp off battery before pulling starter, just in case you didn't know.

Lee

icole, the pic looks pretty detail corroded. the slave slips in a collar that bolts to the bell. It looks like your slave has become "one" .there are clips that keep the outer dia of the slave in the bolted holder. Am I wrong? You should spray it with rust solvent and scratch it with a brush first..Your aluminum may break like mine did! You need to take everything apart, without damage..SOAK it with a mix of tranny fluid and acetone.. Bill 1362

Thank you Lee

If I didn't have a 1 and 3 year old I probably would have finished removing it today.

I don't mean to be critical here, but that slave cyl looks pretty bad, and it doesn't look anything like any Pantera slave cyl that I have ever seen. The steel line has been silver soldered into the two fittings, and the bleeder screw is at the lowest point, instead of the highest point. The slave cyl would need to be removed and tilted so that the bleeder screw is at the highest point in order to completely purge the air.

Given the appearance of the outside of the slave cyl, I would be concerned about the slave's inside, although the pealed-back boot seems to be dry (for now).

And Marlin is correct, there are 3 bolts attaching the lower (portion) of the flywheel cover plate (aka spacer plate).

Yes, remove the starter.

John

Last push. Is the bell housing aluminum too. The bolts I want to remove hold the bracket too the bell housing.

quote:

Is the bell housing aluminum too.

Yes, it is aluminum.

John

icole, You got some great listers here that only want to help. JB and I both have swapped from dash 1 to 2 trannys. Lee is on his second P car. What is the vin of your car? Can you supply a pic of the trans bay area? so as to give us an idea. what is the condition? can you drive it? JB, made a great obsevation about the slave bleed being down, rather than up. That can make NOTHING with the trans or clutch work! Tell us more.. Bill