Originally Posted by
expy37at
Thank you!
I'll take pix and may USPO mail the memory card to you to put onto your site.
Transmission should be here middle of next week.
A question re the torsion bars... In the transfer case removal procedure it says to remove them, but in the transmission part they aren't mentioned. Is it just understood they have to be removed?
The tools shown for removing them, am I going to have to locate them, and it isn't clear how they are used...
I'm pretty sure from reading your PDF's that the transfer case has to be removed in any event.
I'm thinking of removing it first to lighten the weight or would that be a bad idea?
You have to remove the torsion bars - you need a special tool to push them in so as to remove the pressure off the bolt assembly which you then unscrew. The tool has a long bolt in the center and 2 "hooks" - one on each side of it. I bought mine several years ago and it was around $40 or so. Here's a tip: spray the front sockets where the torsion bars sit in with WD-40 or some other penetrating lubricant - overnight if possible. Be prepared with a sledge hammer and a piece of pipe to knock them out from the front end if they're rusted. And yes, you have to remove the transfer case first - it weighs around 150 lbs.
I have the Ford tech manuals and followed the process step-by-step. Very easy - just a bear to get to some tight places. Alot of extensions and different size ratchets. It's frustrating, but you learn alot.
No, I didn't use a tranny jack - I used a wheeled floor jack to remove the tranny which I modified by cutting a 2'x3' sheet of 3/4" plywood with 2x4s screwed in place to form a "cradle" to hold the tranny and mounted it to the jack through the center hole. I held it in place with a carriage bolt, nut, and a big washer. (Poor man's alternative to a tranny jack.) I changed the tranny in my driveway using 3-ton jack stands.
Let us know how you do or whether you need help. Good luck!