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Old 07-14-2018, 12:58 PM   #1
ArtD
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Default Transmission removal problem

First off, this is a 2005 STI with the 6 speed. The clutch has never been out, the Transmission is being pulled for the first time. I have a 2" gap between the bell-housing and the back of the engine on top. You can see just about the entire pressure plate. Almost, but not quite the same on the bottom. The transmission is completely free from the dowel pins, and EVERYTHING, I mean everything has is removed . Yes the clutch fork has been disconnected. The back of the engine is being supported with a chain attached to the case running to a 2x4 across the fenders.

I cannot get this to budge beyond where it is now. No matter where a jack is placed under the trans i can't get the gap to be the same top and bottom. It seems like something is holding it in. The ONLY possible thing I see that could be holding it back is that there is a metal dustcover that is on the bottom and is attached to the engine and is extremely close to the transmission.

In the factory manual for transmission removal it says that the steering column needs to be removed from the rack. Anyone know why? Does the cross-member then need to be loosened?

I have done search after search on this, everything seems to be for the 5 speed, which does not relate. And of course all of the youtube nonsense videos are for 5 speeds as well. Or the point is completely glossed over, someone babbles 10 min about removing the battery cables and then by magic the transmission is shown laying on the ground! There has to be SOMEONE here who has pulled a 6 speed transmission out of a 2005 STI who knows what is going on here. Please help!! Thanks guys!
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Old 07-14-2018, 01:27 PM   #2
viper_crazy
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To state the obvious, the angle between the mating surface of the trans and engine is not parallel. Try lifting, or pushing, the front of the engine up, or lower the trans a little. Raise and lower either as needed. In order for it to slide apart, it needs to be as parallel as possible. There's wriggle room but the 2" gap at the top is too much.

Have you removed the two bottom nuts? These are not bolts like the others, they are nuts on studs that are threaded into the engine.

Aside from the fact that the trans has six gears and a pull style clutch system, mounting and removal is the same between 5mt and 6mt.
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Old 07-14-2018, 02:20 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viper_crazy View Post
To state the obvious, the angle between the mating surface of the trans and engine is not parallel. Try lifting, or pushing, the front of the engine up, or lower the trans a little. Raise and lower either as needed. In order for it to slide apart, it needs to be as parallel as possible. There's wriggle room but the 2" gap at the top is too much.

Have you removed the two bottom nuts? These are not bolts like the others, they are nuts on studs that are threaded into the engine.

Aside from the fact that the trans has six gears and a pull style clutch system, mounting and removal is the same between 5mt and 6mt.
Its a good 1/2" past the threaded end of the studs on the bottom that had the nuts on you are talking about. So, what you are saying is that the steering does not need to be disconnected and the crossmember does not need to be messed with at all, that metal dustcover is not what is holding it back from coming out? Its just a matter of getting the engine and the trans parallel to each other at this point?
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Old 07-14-2018, 02:43 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viper_crazy View Post
To state the obvious, the angle between the mating surface of the trans and engine is not parallel. Try lifting, or pushing, the front of the engine up, or lower the trans a little. Raise and lower either as needed. In order for it to slide apart, it needs to be as parallel as possible. There's wriggle room but the 2" gap at the top is too much.

Have you removed the two bottom nuts? These are not bolts like the others, they are nuts on studs that are threaded into the engine.

Aside from the fact that the trans has six gears and a pull style clutch system, mounting and removal is the same between 5mt and 6mt.
Agreed.
You NEED the trans/engine gap about perfect top to bottom and side to side until the input shaft is out of the clutch.
Is the shifter and other parts near it disconnected?
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Old 07-14-2018, 02:48 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Charlie-III View Post
Agreed.
You NEED the trans/engine gap about perfect top to bottom and side to side until the input shaft is out of the clutch.
Is the shifter and other parts near it disconnected?
Everything you can think of has been disconnected and/or removed from the car, that includes the shifter. As I have said the only thing that seems the least bit suspect is the crossmember and the rack assy.
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:04 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by ArtD View Post
So, what you are saying is that the steering does not need to be disconnected and the crossmember does not need to be messed with at all, that metal dustcover is not what is holding it back from coming out? Its just a matter of getting the engine and the trans parallel to each other at this point?
That is correct. (Sorry, I forgot to address this on my response).

I've pulled my engine and have had the transmission partially unmounted and neither the steering rack, column, or cross member are an issue.

The dust cover, iirc, is held on with like two bolts, both of which are on the engine side, and simply acts as a cover for the gap at the bottom of the trans. It isn't bolted to the trans at all.
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:21 PM   #7
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It'll take some fiddling. You may need to try to use a strap or rope to gently pull and tilt the engine rearward towards the firewall, essentially pointing the rear of the engine down, and tying the engine to the firewall. I've seen guys use the firewall pitch mount and rear engine lift point as holding points. Jack the trans back up a little to get it straighten out and just try to figure out how to get it loose again.

A buddy uses just hand power to push against the front of the engine and places a length of 2x4 lumber cut to size and wedges it between the rad support and front of the engine in a safe spot. (I've never liked this method personally, but he hasn't ever broken anything....yet).

If you feel safe enough to do this, I've used a jack and a piece of wood under the front part of the engine block (somewhere solid to the engine and not headers or timing cover) to push up slightly like that.

Once you've done it and figured it out, you'll be a pro for next time. Haha, ask any of us who can do it in less than an hour how we know.
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:26 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viper_crazy View Post
That is correct. (Sorry, I forgot to address this on my response).

I've pulled my engine and have had the transmission partially unmounted and neither the steering rack, column, or cross member are an issue.

The dust cover, iirc, is held on with like two bolts, both of which are on the engine side, and simply acts as a cover for the gap at the bottom of the trans. It isn't bolted to the trans at all.
The steering and crossmember would not be an issue when pulling the engine. Which, in 20/20 hindsight I think is the best way to do a clutch job on one of these cars! The bolts on that dustcover are right up on the steering, they are impossible to get to unless the engine is moved a bit, either forward or up. While I know factory manuals are anal at times, this one does talk about disconnecting the steering early on in the transmission removal process for whatever reason(s).
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:32 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArtD View Post
While I know factory manuals are anal at times, this one does talk about disconnecting the steering early on in the transmission removal process for whatever reason(s).
A lot of times, I think it's simply for space sake. If for whatever reason you think it's hanging up on the steering column, by all means, you can remove it. No harm in doing so.

Of course without being there to see any of it in person (pictures may help, but I find a lot of the time they lack a certain in-person 3D perspective), my gut is saying too much angle between trans and engine may be your biggest problem.
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Old 07-14-2018, 03:35 PM   #10
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[quote=viper_crazy;45714208]It'll take some fiddling. You may need to try to use a strap or rope to gently pull and tilt the engine rearward towards the firewall, essentially pointing the rear of the engine down, and tying the engine to the firewall.

If you do that, then the transmission totally catches on the crossmember and digs in. Maybe it's the hot tip for 5 speeds or some other years, but that is exactly what won't work for what I am working on.

I am going to tackle it again tomorrow. What I think needs to happen is that the engine needs to be kept almost perfectly straight. The transmission needs to be evenly lifted just a bit to get the weight off of the clutch assy and the two long studs on the block. There is a lot of weight right in the nose of that tranny with the diff being there. I think two jacks should be able to do it, one at the front of the trans and the other one about in the middle; then a quick pry and out it should come.
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Old 07-14-2018, 04:31 PM   #11
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For sure. Give that a try. I'll throw a modified suggestion out there in that try to stabilize the engine with a rope or strap or other kind of support so it sits level in that case, and won't move around or tilt needlessly or unexpectedly.
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Old 07-14-2018, 05:05 PM   #12
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I am usually in the paved driveway, big jacks, jackstands and a hoist.
For NA Subaru doing a clutch, I just pull the engine. I only need a little help mating things up on install.
For turbo Subaru, I have pulled the engine as well as pulled the trans.
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Old 07-15-2018, 12:08 AM   #13
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The dust cover does not prevent removal - don't touch it.

99% your issue is the upper part of the transmission, near the transmission pitch stop bracket, contacting the firewall pitch stop bracket area.

As mentioned above, you need to strap alternator bracket or front intake runner to the pitch stop mount with a ratchet strap and tilt the entire engine + transmission down in the rear. The above poster said you 'may' need - scratch that... you need this.

Beyond this, be sure you remove the actual pitch stop bracket from the transmission before you attempt to the 6MT. It can be done with this installed, but it will snag on EVERYTHING and scratch up the firewill like crazy.

Properly supported and in the right orientation, the 6MT can be disconnected and removed with literal fingertips.

If you need any tips, see my 6MT rebuild thread - I pulled the transmission in my garage on jack stands 3 times in 6 months so I got pretty efficient at it...
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Old 07-15-2018, 01:10 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsaturn7085 View Post
If you need any tips, see my 6MT rebuild thread - I pulled the transmission in my garage on jack stands 3 times in 6 months so I got pretty efficient at it...
This guy knows how to party!
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Old 07-16-2018, 06:44 PM   #15
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Ok, the eagle has landed...or I should say the eagle is on the shop floor

I used two jacks to keep the trans as level as possible with the weight off of the two lower studs, and with a fairly easy pry or two it slid out.

Hopefully it will go back in with much less drama!
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Old 07-16-2018, 07:44 PM   #16
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i usually throw a floor jack and a block of wood right under the front diff, lift the engine with hoist to clear engine mounts, apply a bit of pressure with the jack to hold the trans, and it will slide right apart. it gets easier after the 6 or 7th time
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Old 07-17-2018, 01:28 AM   #17
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When you're working solo, you get creative. In my case, the transmission jack was too tall and my jack stands were too short. I had to walk the transmission up/down a staircase made of scrap wood underneath the car every. single. time.
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Old 07-17-2018, 12:25 PM   #18
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next time you can use the jack for the car in the trunk. it will lift the transmission no problem.
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