Removing transaxle from motor

You MUST remove the bellhousing (clutch housing) and ZF as one unit from the block in order to be able to separate the transaxle from the bellhousing.

There are two allen head cap screws that enter the ZF from the inside of the bellhousing. Can't access them with the bellhousing still bolted to the block.

Some owners leave those two bolts out when reinstalling the ZF, and have done so for years without any known problems.

Don't forget the three small bolts at the bottom of the bellhousing shield plate.

The two internal bolts are number 31-A in this drawing

Thanks

I know this line of questions my sould dumb. but with my recent bad luck I need to ask with out trusting my memory.

so I remove the bolts between the bell housing and motor, the 3 small shiled bolts (need to find them), doesn't the starter need to come off also?

If I remove all the fasteners, is the bell housing still "held on" with any type of tongue/groove fit around its OD or dowel pins?

to disengage from the motor, do I support the transaxle on a dolly/floor jack and carefully seperate from the motor to disengage a splinded shaft of some sort? about how far apart before off this shaft?

Disconnect the battery.
I do believe you should remove the starter.
There are 2 dowel pins that keep it in place.
Support the motor and zf on the floor. Once supported, then 2 guys can simply wiggle the zf backwards and off. Make sure the zf doesn't fall down when it separates from the dowel pins as you don't want to bend input shaft.
Make sure you have/get the alignment tool for reinstallation.

Yes, remove the starter or it won't come apart and don't forget the long bolt that holds the slave cylinder mount that's the fourth bolt.

quote:

Originally posted by JFB #05177:
Thanks

I know this line of questions my sould dumb. but with my recent bad luck I need to ask with out trusting my memory.

so I remove the bolts between the bell housing and motor, the 3 small shiled bolts (need to find them), doesn't the starter need to come off also?

If I remove all the fasteners, is the bell housing still "held on" with any type of tongue/groove fit around its OD or dowel pins?

to disengage from the motor, do I support the transaxle on a dolly/floor jack and carefully seperate from the motor to disengage a splinded shaft of some sort? about how far apart before off this shaft?

I though that I read that some owners install studs in the two 31A bolt locations, merely to serve as alignment pins (no nuts on them).

Is this recommended procedure? Does it add any value?

Thanks -

Rocky

JF - Glad to see you are starting on your project!

I have been constanly working returning 5177 to the road, just that I am proceeding VEEEEERY SLOW. (not because I want to mind you) I think the two hours yesterday was the first I had been in the shed for a couple of months or more.

my logistics are, I needed to get the car off the rotisserie so I can roll it out just to get access the the motor/transaxle. I'm hoping to get the transaxle to Ron first thing to see how the 30 plus years of sitting has faired.

Oh, getting the car off the roterrerie did not go as planned, but the car and I both survived. I hope the dislocated thumb was the worse (oh yea, forgot about having to pop nitro pills under the tongue since)

quote:

to serve as alignment pins

I think because the 31-A studs would need to be pretty short to prevent them contacting the rotating clutch assembly, they wouldn't be of value.

That is because the ZF input shaft would be trying to mesh with the clutch disk splines long before the 31-A studs could enter the bellhousing holes to provide alignment.

When installing the bellhousing and ZF as one unit, I have heard of using studs on the upper two bellhousing-to-engine block bolts as alignment pins.

These studs can be made from bolts long enough to allow them to engage the bellhousing holes prior to the ZF input shaft hitting the clutch disc splines. Remove studs and replace with bolts after installation.

I've found the hardest alignment issue is the clutch disk. Plastic alignment tools, or an old input shaft from another Ford tranny solve that problem. The later dash-2 ZF can use a standard Ford V-8 alignment tool (sometimes included with clutch assemblies or cheaply purchased), however the dash-1 is a different spline size.

Thanks for the guidance and the support. the seperation was a lot easier than I expected.
Hope the clutch and flywheel come off as easy

Then to work on boxing up the transaxle and motor to be sent out for refurb
Joe

Pressure plate and flywheel are 10 minutes. Just remember to loosen the press plate bolts evenly in a criss-cross pattern. Makes it easier