Sorry this update is a little behind, there's not enough hours in the day! Sadly, I don't have any pics of the completed install but I'll be sure to post some soon. I think you're all familiar with what R&R-ing a transmission is like but have you ever tried doing it one handed? Me neither, until now. While help was offered, I elected to fly this mission solo for multiple reasons and I learned a few things about what I can and cannot do anymore. So the task might've taken a bit longer than it should have but I got 'er done before I had to go back to work today, and even had time to drive for groceries before hanging it up last night.
Removing the th350 from Karma began with getting her up in the air and level. That required adding a few blocks of wood, stands, and utilizing multiple jacks, and the end result was essentially an El Camino with a 20" lift. Following that was the typical struggle to remove the headers, etc. before finally separating the desired gearbox from the engine that once made its world go 'round. But wait... I could take all the spark plugs out to make it possible to turn the engine by hand or I could use the starter to make it easier: too bad it was stuck engaged with the flex plate and I couldn't get it free with a screwdriver or pry bar to save my life. So I borrowed Gina's battery, rerouted a previously poorly executed ground strap on Karma, and bumped the key to place the TC bolts where I could get to them after I loosened and reattached the starter to free the drive gear. There were many trips to the tool box and I always seemed to be on the opposite side of the car compared to the tool I needed, but the underside of this car is clean save for some rust so things went fairly smooth as I pillaged. Access to the top bellhousing bolts was difficult from below due to the poly trans mount adding a bit of height but I got what I wanted, cleaned up, and that concluded Monday evening.
Tuesday was absolutely non productive. It started with P.T. and that combined with the prior day's activities relegated me to a recliner all day and I was NOT happy about it. On Wednesday I swung by Harbor Freight after more P.T. and commenced putting another G Body up in the air now that I had a way to keep it there. I really should have taken a picture but it'll be in the same place again soon.
You'd think doing the same job on another G would be a nearly identical task, however, with one being 100% bone stock and the other being a modified setup things were quite different. Mostly the fasteners, how badly they wished to stay attached, and how much sand, dirt, and rust fell into my eyes as I worked. Luckily, I bought some power tools last year as well as a myriad of extensions, wobbles, and other nifty things to aid in the removal process. I also had to call on Coleman for a little thermal persuasion to get the darn TC bolts out. The propane torch loosened things quickly but I had a mild panic attack as an errant flame singed the carpet peeking out at me through the floor pan. One quick huff 'n' puff extinguished the tiny ember immediately and we were back on track. I struggled with 1 of the bellhousing bolts (top left) and it took everything I had to not mess up the fittings for the cooler lines but again I managed to accomplish my goal without breaking anything or making a gigantic mess. I did shout every expletive in the book and came up with a few new ones though. This time all the tools stayed on the floor instead of being put away, but I did drag the 350 under the Cutlass on a piece of carpet before resting it atop my transmission jack so I could hit the ground creepin' on Thursday.
When I removed this metric guy:
these things fell out:
Putting things back together was a bit less frustrating because while I had the access I took the opportunity to spray some oven cleaner on the trans tunnel before wiping and rinsing it with a spray bottle of water. It didn't come close to getting rid of everything but it did make a major improvement on the overall cleanliness under the car and therefore meant less debris in my eyes. I blew out the cooler lines, flushed the converter I intended to use, and set about marrying the th350 to the stock 305. You might not have noticed in the picture I posted before but the 350 is wearing a Summit deep cast aluminum pan with a drain plug that's oh-so-handy, and a shift kit resides inside. Any other mods are unknown to me.
I also took these from the El Camino, and them already being clean sped up the installation process:
The crossmember was modified by the previous owner by cutting it with a torch and adding rebar for support- it was about as stable as an old diving board. When I swapped engines I widened the opening and added bar stock inside and out before demanding more clearance on the passenger side as well, and I achieved that by making some cuts and using a mini sledge before welding it back solid. Looking back I should have modified it "in car" by using a bottle jack, but I've had nearly 20 years to think about it now. Since Gina's engine is still rocking rubber mounts I bought a new one for the trans.
The chrome inspection cover needed trimmed to stop making contact with the crank as it spun so it was installed numerous times while I inched my way to clearance. After checking everything off my list I reinstalled the driveshaft, complete with the factory u-joints. Don't judge me, it's on the other list. Ya know, the long list.
Wouldn't ya know it? I overfilled the trans a little so I loosened the plug to drain some out and I saw a bit of glitter. That shiny sh*t had to have come from the cooler not being flushed but merely blown out, as that transmission had just relieved itself of pristine fluid. So I drained out 3 more quarts since that's how much fresh AC Delco Full Synthetic I had left after filling it the first time. I thought about it and I still wasn't happy so I secured 2 more gallons of conventional Valvoline D/M and did it again. I also changed the motor oil since I was on a roll and used a Mobile 1 filter this time just for fun.
Finally, I got to test drive my work to see if it was roadworthy and everything went perfectly which made me nervous. I mean it was perfect- the governor weights, the speedo gear, even the fluid level. I quadruple checked the whole car from top to bottom and all was well. The situation has remained the same since, and I'm loving the new gear spread compared to before.
