there are a few of these in NE PA. They specify at the gate NO JACKS. So someone please tell me how I'm supposed to remove a THM350 from a Chevy van? Silly question, but I need to drive to Allentown (2 hrs) to get one over the weekend. The manual says you also need to support the engine (w/a jack). But I guess that part I could fore go as far as pulling the used one (as if I had a choice!). Has anyone done this job? I could use some pointers.
Tip it on it's side.
Buy it from a yard that will pull/all ready has it pulled. They're not that expensive.
Bring your support truck with plasma cutter and rapidly remove everything that's in the way of lifting out the tranny with an engine hoist?
Presumably their insurance co. doesn't want the risk of people working under the vehicles where the risk of injury is presumably greatest.
Flip it on its side.
Last time I did it, it was at Gary's in Binghamton NY. $40 to the yard guy for hire, and it was popped out in about 10 minutes. No crawling, no messing around under there, etc. Still was cheaper than a pre pulled place...
ask at the front.
The local wrecker's here has the same no jack rule, but they have a front end loader that you can use to lift/move/support the vehicle.
I suspect they'll want you to pull the engine and trans together using the loader and then separate it on the ground.
FWIW, if the vehicle is high enough, you can bench press a TH350 out if you're big enough.
I've used ratcheting straps with my engine hoist along with a chain to install a motor by myself, so you might be able to use them to hold and lower the trans out.
lastly, if they're no help, it is a junk yard. Bring a cordless sawzall and cut the floor out and remove it from inside the vehicle. ;)
Ray
Cool, where is this U-Pull-It yard that provides you with heavy equipment? Sounds like my kind of place.
ok, I wrote that wrong. They have a guy with a front end loader who will lift/move cars/engines for you. To get around people stacking cars on tires, they've built "jigs" out of what looks like pieces of railroad that they put the cars on so you can crawl underneath and they don't have to worry about you getting crushed.
sorry, no self serve front end loaders. :(
Ray
I like Wiley Keen's auto junk yard on South McRaven Road the best.Just take some tools with you and pull whatever you want.Or, they will do it for you, if you prefer. cuhulin
All of the U-pull type places I've ever ventured into have had stands welded up out of a couple of rims - one laid flat, the other welded onto it standing upright. In about half of them I've been in, the cars that still have useful parts underneath are sitting up on a set of four of those stands, while those cars that have had their undersides fully stripped (making it a moot point anyway) are sitting flat on the ground In the other half, the cars were actually welded onto the stands.
Either way, nothing short of a deliberate effort to knock it off, or a medium earthquake, is likely to bring the car down.
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