HELP! Separating 4A-FE block and all-trac Tranny???

[frand004]

I've got the my 4A-FE on a cherry picker hoisted and I can't get the transmission off. I have separation between the transmission and block.....up to 1-1/2 maybe. All my grunting and tugging stopped working. I'm not sure what to do at this point.

[frand004]

I'll beat this thing to death. Finally got it. LIfted it a bit into the air then rotated the tranny so the right half shaft axle housing would clear. I think my back is toasted from jacking around with this thing.

[Flashmn]

[Hawk Thor]

Thats nothing, have fun getting the bellhousing back on the block.

I´ve changed the clutch in my AE95 wagon twice and both times sucked. First time i pulled the motor and tranny up out of the engine bay, which was a PITA. The next time I dropped the subframe and lowered the motor and tranny down. Both times were a hassle in disassembly and re-assembly.

I´m used to working on Toyota pick-ups and Land Cruisers, so those small hoods and large drivetrains in the All-Tracs are not what I call fun.

Do as much work as you can on that motor while you have it out.

[RogueMoog]

For removing the engine from above... would it be easier to pull the hood off? I noticed the Corolla's hood can't be lifted all the way up, well I mean straight up in the air like my Honda does. But, the 4A-FE engine does have hooks for lifting it, making at least one part easier.

I do not look forward to the day I have to pull out my engine/tranny for replacing the clutch or whatever else. Does the transfer case stay with the tranny when you pull it out?

[Hawk Thor]

I definitely recommend taking the engine/tranny combo out from below. It snagged on every thing when I hoisted it up from the hood.

It would probably be impossible to lift the engine out with the hood in place. Its just four 12mm bolts and one washer hose to remove the hood.

The tranny, t-case and engine all come out together. You then remove a lot of bolts and brackets to get the bellhousing from the engine block.

I got quoted 12 hours from my Toyota dealership for a clutch job, if nothing goes wrong.

It took me days to get the engine out the first time, lifting it up with a forklift and two extra hands, and a long time to get it back down again.

The second time I rented a bay with a lift. You´ll have to disassemble the front suspension, remove the subframe and then lower the engine/tranny/t-case package down.

It took me 15 hours with handtools to change the clutch, replace all oils and filters, replenish coolant, grease everything I could think of greasing, replace a panhard bushing, get everything put back together and out of the bay. And thats with anti-seize and a few new bolts from the last time I tore the thing apart. If the bolts had rusted heads or if they had been seized it would have taken forever.

You can expect to spend a long time the first time you need to get to the clutch, a pair of helping hands is very good to have when you start rotating and pulling the tranny from the engine.