Okay, just removed. Turns out someone was under there already, trying to start the job. Unfortunately, they started with the tranny mounts and driveshaft, by way of the rear diff (??). It helped a little a couple hours later, but not starting out. So we jacked the car as high up as my jack would allow, and a little higher. We used spare wheels, a wheel platform, and some of my wood. It was crooked, but secure, high enough for me to flip over underneath; I figured that was enough room for a dropped tranny. Pulled the exhaust, all six bolts gave minimal fuss. All other hangers were absent, save the rear muffler hangers, which I promptly snapped off by mental will alone. (Okay, I was just starting to crank on the nuts...man, they were RUSTY!) So after nearly being crushed by falling exhaust, I was able to basically pull the driveshaft out of the way. Then I started on the tranny. I had an E36 bentley manual, which was pretty helpful, but not EXACTLY right for the E34. Everything was going so well that I expected a hurdle eventually...
... and I got it. There are two transmission oil cooler lines that had 19 mm fittings on them. Okaaaayyyy... I don't have a 19 mm flare nut wrench, but plenty of regular 19mm wrenches. I pick the most awkward one to do first. Lefty loosey... nothing. get some extra leverage? Nothing. In fact, it's starting to deform a bit. Okay, let's go to the other one. It's finger tight. Hm. I go to the trunk and try the two on the new tranny. Easily loosened. So I mess with it for another half hour or so, then spray it with PB blaster and let it sit while I work on the bolts that connect the tranny to the engine. I had to get pretty creative with the extensions and wobblies, but they all came pretty well. Even the one that was E12 size that I loosened with an E14. Chewed it up some, but still loosened. So now that I have my confidence back, I go back to the cooler line. Still no dice. I don't really feel like mangling this thing beyond repair, so I look for another solution. The lines are too long and curvy to just pull with the tranny, but hey, there's this really big nut that connects the line to the tranny. My biggest wrench is 22mm. Too small. I get Roge's adjustable wrench, but it's too awkward, and won't fit right. So Roge' offers to go to autozone. I tell him 23mm, or a 19mm flare wrench. He finds a 23mm. I try it on the tranny in the trunk. Too small. oops. So he goes BACK, returns it, and gets a 24mm. Perfect fit. I get it nice and square on the nut and it budges. Sweet!
We move the jack that's been holding the tranny up, and the tranny separates from the engine like butter. Awesome. We have removed the tranny!
Oh wait, Roge' got called in early to work. He says I can stay, but I decline.
It would be a REAL PAIN to get the tranny lined up by myself, plus there are some other issues. We have to change the pans, because the junkyard drilled the pans on the "new" tranny. We use this as an opportunity to check out the innards of the box. The "new" tranny is oh so clean. Delicious, if you will. Pretty good indication of a well cared for tranny. We take the pans off the "bad" tranny. Goodness. Gracious. (Oh, I forgot to mention that the fluid I drained was BLACK. Okay, it had a reddish tinge to it. Like cooling lava. Wowza.) Well there was black sludge all over the pans. I asked Roge' to clean them, and he was gone for quite a while. He destroyed his brother's bathroom, but couldn't get all the sludge off. He says he'll take them to a shop and get them cleaned. Plus, we need basically ALL of the rubber tranny mounts. Oh, and some UNsnapped rear exhaust mounts. So I told him that we should hold off and wait till we have ALL the parts that way it can be driven as soon as we have it together. Sounds like a plan. Not a bad day!
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