Hi I am still trying to get the passenger side drive shafts off. The one that goes from the hub up to the green box is off but how do I get the one that goes from the clutch housing to off? The gregory's manual says to remove the manifold support bracket but of course there is no picture and although I see a black bracket that it goes into I can't see where it is bolted on.
Please help asap as I have no fingernails left, only small clumps of hair here and there and the valium has run out.
Not to mention that this is the third time I have hired an engine hoist for the weekend and although closer still haven't got the damm thing off and look like doing my money once again.

The intermediate shaft has a bearing support with 2 bolts through it. The support bracket is held on by the top bolt. If you undo both bolts on the support bracket the shaft will just slide out of the gearbox, no force needed.

The manifold support bracket goes up from the bearing support to the manifold and can be left in place. When you unbolt the starter motor just move it back onto that support and leave its wires connected up. When the gearbox goes back on slide the starter motor back in place. Watch out you don't trap the wiring between the engine and gearbox when the gearbox goes back on.

My sympathies on the finger nails, hair and Valium. It's a PITA job. I'm assuming you are still working on getting the gearbox off the 2.6 to do the clutch?
Let me know when you do the clutch as there are some tricky bits.

well not right at this minute I am taking time out but night is falling fast and there are rumbles in the air which may be thunder. I have no cover.
I can't see any bolts from under the car else I really would take them off. All I see is a black ring.
I can't see a thing from the top of the car.

Torch!!!!

Torch!!!!

well duh!
Am I looking for them from ontop or underneath

Over the top is no good. It's dead centre of the car behind the engine. Car up on jack stands, and crawl under it, no other way.

yep car has been on stands since the beginning of October. I hate crawling under it but have done. Wasn't looking in the right place though.
If I am not back in an hour I have either found it or slashed my wrists in desperation.
Thanks.

Bah! You are not even up to the hard bit yet! lol

Whereabouts in NSW are you? May be able to goad some Campbelltown Crew to give you a hand?

Right I found them but there is no way I can shift them as I can't get the car high enough to get a breaker under there.
I thought if I take the transmission unit off it should detach anyway and then I can get to the bolts to undo them ready for when I put it back.
However now the very last bolt that sits just above the shaft I cant get out either. It is a 12mm and no room for a socket wrench. I put the ring spanner on and using my foot pressed it away as hard as I could but it still wouldn't budge. It isn't something silly like a reverse thread is it?

I am in Glebe near the city, a bit far but thanks anyway

Right I found them but there is no way I can shift them as I can't get the car high enough to get a breaker under there.
I thought if I take the transmission unit off it should detach anyway and then I can get to the bolts to undo them ready for when I put it back.
However now the very last bolt that sits just above the shaft I cant get out either. It is a 12mm and no room for a socket wrench. I put the ring spanner on and using my foot pressed it away as hard as I could but it still wouldn't budge. It isn't something silly like a reverse thread is it?

No reverse threads anywhere in this job, AFAIK. Foot on ring spanner is not as good as belting the spanner end with a hammer. lol
The gearbox will slide off with the intermediate shaft in place (that's how I did it), but it still needs to come off before the gearbox goes back on.

well I managed to get the car higher but still not enough to get a good swing so it was back to the foot and this time I got it.
Can't slide the unit off. I raised the unit a little using the engine hoist and it cracked at the bottom because the transmission fluid is draining out.
I had never been able to get the drain plug out so I have left it draining for the night. Can you recommend anything to get it apart, I don't want to damage anything now I have gotten this far after all this time.

Cheers

The only place the trans oil should be coming out from is the holes created when you take the drive shafts out.

Have you taken out all the bolts? All of them go in one direction, trans -> engine , but there is one that goes in the other way underneath the engine, at the front low down (? might be the rear).

Trans unit should just slide off, if you are not pulling it up too much. Wedge a screwdriver in the gap and ease them apart. (If you are sure the bolts are all out). Once it moves check that it doesn't hit the body rail, you might need to lower the jack a bit to tilt the gearbox down to miss it(Assuming the gearbox to body mount is already off). Also worth while to remove (unscrew) the reverse light switch so it doesn't hit the body rail and shatter like mine did. lol

yep got the reverse bolt out at front, however I am not going to say I am sure I got all the bolts out there is so much stuff in such a little space. I will let it drain and then check the bolt holes in the pic in the manual and count the bolts I have.
Thanks again for all your help.

While I was in the shower I had a thought. I think you (someone did) told me that the starter motor can stay in place. It looked like it the bolts go through the front into the starter motor. Now tell me that the starter motor is bolted from behind?

There's just the two bolts holding on the starter motor. They need to come off. The starter motor can be pushed back a bit and rest on the manifold support bracket, don't take it out when the gearbox is out.

ok I got the box out without taking off the exhaust manifold but it's got to come off now to get the box back in. There ain't much room to operate a spanner on a very tight bolt so what did you use please?

I didn't need to touch the exhaust manifold when I did mine. If you must, use a 12 mm socket and extension bar, but soak the threads in penetration oil first as the studs are prone to snap off level with the head, which means a head off job to get fixed.

Did you take the transfer shaft off and use the washers under the fulcrum bolt?

I didn't need to touch the exhaust manifold when I did mine. If you must, use a 12 mm socket and extension bar, but soak the threads in penetration oil first as the studs are prone to snap off level with the head, which means a head off job to get fixed.
I thought you said you had to.
Ok looking at the clutch head on. To the left there is a shaft sticking out of the engine with grooves in. How do I remove that so I can get the box back on?
The manual says "remove the relay shaft bearing mounting bolts and separate the relay shaft bearing from the engine block.
On EFI models (which mine is) it will be necessary to loosen the top bolt on the manifold support bracket and rotate the bracket clear of the relay shaft.

Sorry I shouldn't have said exhaust. But it is the only word on my mind as I am exhausted. I have given up and left the box on the ground under the car and taken the hoist back.
Still need to get it done though and will have another go in a few days.





Did you take the transfer shaft off and use the washers under the fulcrum bolt?
Yes I said in my pm to you that I put on 3 washers = 4.5 mm

I thought you said you had to.

Not me!

Ok looking at the clutch head on. To the left there is a shaft sticking out of the engine with grooves in. How do I remove that so I can get the box back on?

That's the intermediate drive shaft. You need to unbolt the bearing carrier, you know, the one that the manifold support bracket is bolted to? Once the gearbox is on, this shaft just slides into the gearbox, then you can put the two bolts back in. Check though that the oil seal in that side of the gearbox hasn't been damaged.

Yes I said in my pm to you that I put on 3 washers = 4.5 mm

I used 2 at 2 mm each thick so this should be good. Once the box is on put in the two top bolts, and check that the clutch lever sits about in the middle (or a bit to the left of middle) of the opening when you push the lever to the right to take up slack.



Getting there!

Have you got the clutch plate centred, the pressure plate torqued up correctly, the bell housing cleaned internally and all points in the picture greased?
Pivot fulcrum ball tightened nice and snug? Thrust bearing installed correctly?

(lol Sounds like I'm nagging you! lol)

Nah you ain't nagging me... much lol. It's good to have someone to converse with who has been through it before and done a proper job.

"That's the intermediate drive shaft. You need to unbolt the bearing carrier, you know, the one that the manifold support bracket is bolted to? Once the gearbox is on, this shaft just slides into the gearbox, then you can put the two bolts back in. Check though that the oil seal in that side of the gearbox hasn't been damaged."

No that seal isn't damaged because I have only been able to get the box up to about half inch away from the shaft.
I am not looking forward to trying to get that bracket off and that's why I wondered what tool you used to undo the bolt because there is so little room I can't get the breaker bar up there.

Yes I did all those things though the bell housing still has a coating of grey/black cause I couldn't get it all off. That's why I have been trying to put it all back together. I gave up though as I wasn't paying for the hoist another day.
I will take a break for a week or so and then get to it again.

regards

Sarah