Transmission Jack Placement?

Before I remove the transmission from my '91 Explorer I'd like to have a
good idea of how to use a transmission jack. Where exactly does the jack
contact the transmission? The oil pan does not look like it would support
the weight. Does the jack support the edge of the pan? How does one
determine the balance point of the transmssion? It seems to me things could
get ugly if it is off-balance.

Anyone know of a link that explains this? I searched for a couple of hours
and didn't find anything.

Thanks.

Ulysses wrote:
> Before I remove the transmission from my '91 Explorer I'd like to have a
> good idea of how to use a transmission jack. Where exactly does the jack
> contact the transmission? The oil pan does not look like it would support
> the weight. Does the jack support the edge of the pan? How does one
> determine the balance point of the transmssion? It seems to me things could
> get ugly if it is off-balance.
>
> Anyone know of a link that explains this? I searched for a couple of hours
> and didn't find anything.
>
> Thanks.

Usually the trans is supported by the pan, sort of.
Get some pieces of 2x4 in case you need a wedge to level it.
What ever works, works. If the trans falls off the jack then you have
not found the balance point. Use common sense and you
will do just fine.

Its not easy to determine the transmission CG. One hint might be the
location of a lifting lug on the top.

What I did when removing my Landcruiser tranny (solves the flimsy oil
pan issue as well) was to take a length of 2x8 and drill a hole for a
bolt* that fits my floor jack with the standard support plate removed.

By strapping the tranny to the board, small errors in positioning the
jack under the CG were eliminated, as the transmission would not easily
tip off the board.

*with recesses for the bold head and a nut on the bottom side.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
The ark was skippered by amateurs, the Titanic was skippered by
professionals.

"Paul Hovnanian P.E." > wrote in message
...
> Its not easy to determine the transmission CG. One hint might be the
> location of a lifting lug on the top.
>
> What I did when removing my Landcruiser tranny (solves the flimsy oil
> pan issue as well) was to take a length of 2x8 and drill a hole for a
> bolt* that fits my floor jack with the standard support plate removed.
>
> By strapping the tranny to the board, small errors in positioning the
> jack under the CG were eliminated, as the transmission would not easily
> tip off the board.
>
> *with recesses for the bold head and a nut on the bottom side.

So far I determined that I need something a little bigger than a 2 X 8 but I
have a 1/2" bolt and spent a lot of time cutting the nut in half so I could
get it under the standard support plate hole. And of course I was going to
recess the bolt. Sounds like I'm on the right track.

Getting the transmission secured to the board/jack doesn't seem
insurmountable but my main concern was the front-to-back balance--I can make
some extensions for the front wheels so it can't tip over sideways but if it
turned out to be front-heavy then the whole bloody mess could tip forward.
Of course I would have the leverage of the jack handle to help manage that.
In my mind I'm not quite sure how you shift the balance once you start to
remove it but that must be one of those things that you find out when you do
it.

The only trans I've ever pulled was a manual on a Datsun 510 and it didn't
weigh all that much and just took two guys and a floor jack.

Thanks for the tips.

>
> --
> Paul Hovnanian
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> The ark was skippered by amateurs, the Titanic was skippered by
> professionals.