Transmission jack for 3spd overdrive

[Young Ed]

On my to do list for summer is to seal up my overdrive in my P15. It leaks pretty bad after a drive. From what I saw last time I drove it's coming from up front some where. The drips form on the raised area where the drain is and are coming from in front of that (not from the side like the drain is lose or something). So to prep looking for ideas on making something to safely lift it in and out with a floor jack. 

[Booger]

I hate to think you are crawlin this job.

[plyroadking]

I don't think they'd fit nicely on a standard tranny jack. I just jack the car up fairly high and then slide them out or in while laying on my back.

[Young Ed]

51 minutes ago, plyroadking said:

I don't think they'd fit nicely on a standard tranny jack. I just jack the car up fairly high and then slide them out or in while laying on my back.

That's why I'm trying to make something. I believe last time I put it in with a 2x6 and a ratchet strap but I'd like to make something a little more stable. 

[greg g]

I found it helpful to jack up both ends of the car to the same height.  Do you have the tunnel sheet metal section out of the floor?  Have you assured the OD  input shaft has the same number of splines as the original trans?  Are you planning to utilize guide bolts?

 

Guide bolts a 3 0r 4 inch long bolts from the hardware store with the heads cut off.  Screwing two or three into the bell housing that will assist to slide the trans in place along their length.  After you cut the heads off, cut a slot 8n the outer end 5o accommodate a screwdriver to aid in removal.  I used Allen head cap screws to replace the stock bolts as it was more accurate to get the threads started into the bel housing.  The fdrivers side upper can be a pain in the butterfly to get aligned even with a six point socket.  The Allen head is just that much more precise which gets it started much easier.

[Young Ed]

7 minutes ago, greg g said:

I found it helpful to jack up both ends of the car to the same height.  Do you have the tunnel sheet metal section out of the floor?  Have you assured the OD  input shaft has the same number of splines as the original trans?  Are you planning to utilize guide bolts?

 

Guide bolts a 3 0r 4 inch long bolts from the hardware store with the heads cut off.  Screwing two or three into the bell housing that will assist to slide the trans in place along their length.  After you cut the heads off, cut a slot 8n the outer end 5o accommodate a screwdriver to aid in removal.  I used Allen head cap screws to replace the stock bolts as it was more accurate to get the threads started into the bel housing.  The fdrivers side upper can be a pain in the butterfly to get aligned even with a six point socket.  The Allen head is just that much more precise which gets it started much easier.

Overdrive is already in the car. Been running it for years. Just tired of jacking the car up every month or so to refill the trans and don't want to ruin it if I get too low. Not to mention the constant oil spots all over. Yes I should still have the guide bolts from last time and I will pull the floor even though it's a pain. 

[Merle Coggins]

Most floor jacks have a removeable saddle. You can get an adapter, like in the following link, to convert it to a transmission jack. 

https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Tek-Transmission-Adapter-Passenger-Light/dp/B00BJ9X7OW/ref=asc_df_B00BJ9X7OW?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80608001419900&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584207578840646&psc=1

 

[Sam Buchanan]

While the tranny jacks and adapters are great tools it is possible to scratch build a cradle that will make it easier to manage the tranny. Below is the really crude and ugly cradle I use for jacking the non-OD trans in my P-15. Prior to removing the transmission I moved the floor jack under the trans and used whatever scraps of lumber was necessary to fit the contours of the housing so it would balance on the jack. 

 

Yep...it looks dreadful but actually works quite well. 

 

 

And of course the guide pins, in this case flats were ground so a small wrench could be used.

 

[48ply1stcar]

Here's a way to spend your money. https://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-60234.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiMjE0ODk4OTQiLCJza3UiOiI2MDIzNCIsImlzIjoiMTY2LjQ5MSJ9&cid=paid_google|||60234&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1B8AHdZNmj56dSlHzX1G9ZTh6ZJrHKeDOiJA0HobTYFELYx6ozcUkkaAj9_EALw_wcB

 

[Los_Control]

A little hokey but works. I would lay plywood down in a gravel driveway. Then pipe and plywood to roll it with. set the transmission on the rolling plywood.

Then play jenga and start adding blocks under the trans to get the height you need, Be safe!  then set the correct angle to match the motor. Takes time. When you finally get exactly what you want, just roll it into place.

You would not want to get it close then try to manhandle it in the rest of the way .... you might lose it all and drop it.

You really need to be patient and get it spot on and then just roll it in.

Did the C6 in my Ford 1 ton a few years ago like this, many years ago the 4 spd in my 1960 Dodge 1 ton.

Pretty sure I might cry if I try to remember how I did the trans/transfer case in the CJ5  ? ? ?

 

[Young Ed]

46 minutes ago, 48ply1stcar said:

Here's a way to spend your money. https://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-60234.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiMjE0ODk4OTQiLCJza3UiOiI2MDIzNCIsImlzIjoiMTY2LjQ5MSJ9&cid=paid_google|||60234&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1B8AHdZNmj56dSlHzX1G9ZTh6ZJrHKeDOiJA0HobTYFELYx6ozcUkkaAj9_EALw_wcB

 

The problem with those is they are geared towards an automatic with a nice flat bottom. The 3 speed either with or without overdrive is anything but flat

[Sniper]

1 hour ago, Young Ed said:

The problem with those is they are geared towards an automatic with a nice flat bottom. The 3 speed either with or without overdrive is anything but flat

 

Years ago I was stationed on a floating drydock.  Whenever a ship would come in they would rest on pillars, the pillars where just concrete blocks that were topped with a wooden cradle cut to fit the keel.  With that in mind consider this

 

A trans jack, or adapter, has a tilt function built in.  Maybe you can make some wooden cradles, some 2x6's cut to fit the trans for example, to bolt to the adapter and use ratchet straps to hold the trans to the adapter.  Best of both worlds, custom fit to the trans but more flexible to install?

 

[DonaldSmith]

Harbor Freight transmission jack at an M5 transmission, several years ago.   The strap held the transmission from rolling off.   I think the angle of the white top

plate was adjustable.  The transmission handled better with the solenoid and governor removed (and their openings taped shut).

 

 

[Merle Coggins]

When I pulled my trans, many years ago, I used my motorcycle jack with some strategically placed 2x4s all screwed together. It worked pretty good. 

[John Reddie]

Ed, just curious, is it this the same overdrive unit you are now using? I saved this photo you posted of the removal at French Lake. Good luck on your jack application.

John R

[Young Ed]

5 hours ago, John Reddie said:

Ed, just curious, is it this the same overdrive unit you are now using? I saved this photo you posted of the removal at French Lake. Good luck on your jack application.

John R

That was Sunny's auto formerly of Delano MN. The one in my coupe came out of a different yard in eau Claire WI but also was removed from a p23 sitting on a barrel. 

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by Young Ed

[John Reddie]

Thanks Ed for your response. Yards like that are pretty much history here in MA. I sure miss them. Many a Saturday I spent salvaging parts for my cars.

John R

[rallyace]

I used a Harbor Fright trans jack that I borrowed from Greg G. We had to use some wedges and wood blocks to square it up but it worked fine. To do it again I would take the time to build a better and stronger wood cradle to hold the trans level on the jack.

[Young Ed]

Leak has gotten worse. Ready to pull this and dig in. From what I can it's leaking down the front and the drips form where the drain is for the front section. I do have the gasket between trans and bellhousing. Beyond that and the gasket for the input shaft what else can leak? 

[Merle Coggins]

If you continue to ignore it the oil leak will eventually stop (when it runs out of oil) ??

[Young Ed]

Well Merle not much oil came out when we drained it. Trans is pulled and it appears the gasket behind the input shaft retainer failed at the bottom. Also the 3 bolts weren't very tight. Looks like new gasket and a new bellhousing to trans gasket and I'll be good. 

[Sam Buchanan]

3 hours ago, Young Ed said:

Well Merle not much oil came out when we drained it. Trans is pulled and it appears the gasket behind the input shaft retainer failed at the bottom. Also the 3 bolts weren't very tight. Looks like new gasket and a new bellhousing to trans gasket and I'll be good. 

 

Check the manual to see if those three retainer bolts have o-rings or seals of some sort, thinking I recall they do. If those seals failed and disappeared that could explain why the bolts were loose.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Sam Buchanan

[Young Ed]

4 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

Check the manual to see if those three retainer bolts have o-rings or seals of some sort, thinking I recall they do. If those seals failed and disappeared that could explain why the bolts were loose.

They do have seals and those were still present. Unless I can find a readily available replacement planning to reuse them 

[Young Ed]

For better or worse the dead is done. Replaced the input retainer gasket and trans to bell gasket. Happened to have bought a trans gasket set off eBay way back and it turned out to have the proper thickness gasket for the input. Luckily I read the manual before just grabbing one and jamming it back together. Per the manual I also filed a slight high spot off the inside the input that leads down to the drain. The homemade trans cradle was working great until I lowered the jack too far and the pressure of the hook of a ratchet strap against the jack popped a weld. 

 

Not the easiest too see but the bottom has a clear trail of oil. 

 

Trans on the cradle. 

 

And the only casualty - my helper misunderstood my directions and shortened my OD cable by what was on the bolt. Hopefully I can remove a little bit of the outer cable and make it still work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Young Ed]

Overdrive is back in, filled with new 90w GL1 from TSC and I just finished my first test drive. We'll soon know how good I did .......