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Okay gang, for the last few months I have been trying to remove the trans from a 48 engine. This thing is already removed from the car. I am down to the housing and I think the flywheel. Bolts all are loose and it still won't drop down. Keeping me from getting it to an engine shop. Any ideas?
Tom, I'm not sure I understand just what you are doing. If the transmission is unbolted from the bell housing it should pull straight back and out of the clutch and bell housing.
I am trying to remove the round housing that is immediately behind the main engine block. Looks like it covers the flywheel which is froze. All the bolts that I can find have been removed and it still won't come off. This is getting very frustrating. I hope that explains it a little better. I expect it to be hard to get off, but this is just getting unreal.
Fluid drive or standard stick shift?
If you are talking about the bell housing, it may be stuck on the dowel pins, that line it up, with the bolt holes.
Pry carefully where it meets the block to break it loose.
Mark Waite
On a lot of the engines from back in that era (including the mid-50's hemis) the flywheel has to come off the end of the crank before the flywheel housing can come off the back of the engine......
After working my fingertips up into the newly installed housing after a rebuild to install the flywheel on several engines , I became convinced that the flywheel MUST have been on the end of the crank when the crank was installed into the engine assembly. It simply takes too long to do it otherwise.
I finally saw what I suspected confirmed when I watched a promotional video from back in the day that spent a great deal of time highlighting the manufacturing and assembly line processes for MOPAR. I think it was a '55 Plymouth assembly line. Sure enough, one of the scenes showed the cranks being lowered down into the engine, and the torque converter (in this case...) was already installed on the crank.
Here, at about 12:45 or so....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6L0ykX9lPU
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
It's been awhile since I put mine on but with a straight 6 I believe there are 2 bolts hidden behind the flywheel near the dowels that hold the housing to the block.. Drop the flywheel, it has to come off a before the bell housing anyway, and if they are there you will see them.
Tim Mabry
The Lost Cause Garage
47 Suburban
57 Sportsman 4dr HT
It has been a few years since I had my '52 apart and it seemed like I remember a couple of bolts that held the bell housing on that were hidden. But I wasn't sure about that so I didn't post it. When Tim said he thinks there are two hidden bolts that are behind the flywheel it seems like I remember something like that. I agree that you need to take the flywheel off and see if there are some hidden bolts.
If it is a fluid drive, the crankshaft, clutch, and fluid coupling were balanced and installed as a unit. The service manual manual calls for removing and installing the crankshaft and coupling as a unit.
BTW, this is also true for later Powerflite cars. The tc is supposed to stay on the crank. It is possible to remove the tc, but it is a real pain. One thing for sure, on a Powerflite car is that the tc needs to be on the crank and the tc housing installed before you attempt to install the transmission.
Good Luck
Steve
