By Gregory Craig

Probably the most difficult and back breaking part of any job that requires removing the transmission from your car is when you get to the part where you have to put it back in. Being the resourceful kind of a guy that I am, I came up with an idea that would make the worst part of the job much easier. It occurred to me that I have a perfectly good floor jack that was built to lift heavy things and much more up to the task than my back. Knowing that I was getting ready to remove the 5-speed from my 98 Cobra here's what I came up with.

The cradle was constructed from a piece of schedule 80, 10" round steel pipe about 8" long. The pipe was then cut in was then cut into 3rds. I then welded a piece of 3/4" X 1-5/8" long steel pipe that was centered on the bottom of the cradle. After having used the cradle I would also suggest adding a small piece of flat plate that measures about 4" X 4" centered on the bottom then weld 3/4" X 1-5/8 nipple onto the flat plate. This would add more stability to the cradle. The jack I used is a Sears Craftsman floor jack rated at 3 tons with metal casters so it can be easily rolled around. The shipping weight of the Tremec TKO transmission was 118 lbs. so the jack can easily handle the weight with no problem.

To use it simply remove the round contact plate from the jack and set the cradle in it's place. Then set the transmission into the cradle with the input shaft facing toward the jack handle. Wrap a cargo strap around the transmission and jack several times and cinch it up tight. The cargo strap will secure the transmission and prevent it from rolling off while being moved into posiposition beneath the car. Once in position the jack handle should be facing toward the front of the car (this is to allow sufficient clearance to operate the jack). The jack came with a two piece pump handle. I removed one section of the handle which made it shorter and easier to operate while laying under the car. At this point the cargo strap can be removed. Use caution once the cargo strap has been removed because the transmission can roll off the cradle if not careful. Begin to jack the transmission up while keeping one hand on it to steady the load. If you have extra help available now would be a good time to employee them to help steady the load. Once at the correct height, line up the input shaft with the hole in the bellhousing, throw out bearing and clutch disk. Ease the transmission into place by carefully rolling it forward. It may require some adjustments to get it to slide in but should go in fairly easily. I did the whole installation by myself with no assistance from anyone and had the transmission bolted to the bellhousing in about 30 minutes.