So, my clutch gave out. Best way to pull a transmission on a 4wd?

[Viror]

I've done a bit of research trying to find what someone else has done when pulling the transmission on a four wheel drive and the results have come up rather inconclusive. I've found plenty of pictures for yanking out a transmission from a two wheel drive and that also seems to be a mixed bag. I'm a visual person and pictures make the difference. A lot of the threads I found included the word "wiggle" in several places. Not quite descriptive as to which way, either. I do have access to a two post car lift if that makes any difference. My truck is a 1980 720 4x4 with the L20B and standard cab if that makes a difference.

[Ranman72]

get a haynes  book or jump in both feet the removal is one bolt at a time and install is the oposite of removal so just remember what you did to take it out 

[MicroMachinery]

Like was stated before, get some wrenches and get after it. If you're mechanically minded at all, once you get under your truck, you'll see just what needs to be done.

[flatcat19]

You can do it in plenty of tricky ways.

I have lots of cheats removing Nissan trannies w/ torsion bars.

 

Do you have access to a tranny jack and a couple screw jacks?

Even just a cherry picker.

 

You can remove transfer and pull motor/trans.

You can remove torsion bars and pull trans/TC.

 

With the bars in the way-you will not have a lot of room.

You can disconnect the bars from the front or back-changes your approach.

My favorite-Set LCAs on jack stands. Remove crossmember holding torsion bar's adjusters. Slide trans/TC back and down.

 

How tricky you willing to get?

 

EDIT: Is yours a divorced transfer case? Might change attack.

[MicroMachinery]

My 80 720 4x4 has a divorced transfer case.

[izzo]

Mine had a 3" body lift, i just slid the trans back since there was room :lol: 

[datzenmike]

Remove rad and use a cherry picker to lift motor up off the motor mounts and forward a few inches. Separate trans and it will have more room to move back and down. It will come out the other way but is a pain to do so.

[Viror]

It does have a divorced transfer case and the four speed. The biggest issue for me is speed and efficiency since the lift I will be using it at the Toyota dealership I work at and I will only have the lift for one day.

 

Remove rad and use a cherry picker to lift motor up off the motor mounts and forward a few inches. Separate trans and it will have more room to move back and down. It will come out the other way but is a pain to do so.

 

This is what I was looking for, essentially. Whether one way was a bigger pain in the ass than the other. The part of the transmission that extends over a frame crossmember was what worried me about going in from the bottom.

[datzenmike]

It will come out but with difficulty. Slide to the rear and drop the front down and out. If the motor was a head 2 inches it would be easier.

[dreadsiren]

just went trough this myself, lol... hubby almost lost his finger tring to get trans out without removing motor... got trans slid back far enough to swap clutch, sent wrong clutch, had to swap fly wheel, hubby stripped out flywheel to crank bolts... gave up and borrowed a cherry picker, should have pulled the darm motor in the first place, much easier to replace clutch with motor out, esp if you have to tap the threads like i did... ok, well mine was a worst case scenario, lol

[Viror]

I've got about a half inch layer of crud when you reach inside the torn clutch boot. It isn't inspiring.