1995 1/2 ton Transmission Replacement

[ccole]

Hello all... My 1995 K1500 4x4 non-turbo 6.5 truck is having real transmission trouble. I have been running on borrowed for awhile and its about to finally give up. The torque converter has been "shuddering" for several months and the transmission is now starting to slip while driving. My question is..... is a transmission swap capable by a shade tree guy? I am no pro by any means. The depth of my repairs have been fuel injectors, injection pump, water pumps and assisting a friend in a 2-wheel drive transmission swap. I have all the general hand tools, air tools and a shop, but not sure about jumping into this without guidance. Also, the whole 4x4 transfer case kinda scares me. Any suggestions out there or steps involved in a 4L60E transmssion swap? Any input it greatly appreciated in advance !!!!!

[Robyn]

A tranny swap is not the end of the world but can be a formidable task if you dont have the necessary tools (tranny jack)

Getting the trans/Tcase out of one of these can be a tussle without havingn the truck up on a lift but it is doable if you can get the rig up on a set of good jack stands all the way around.

The torsion bar suspension makes the job a litle tougher still as either the cross member and torsion bars have to come out or the T case has to come off the back and then the tranny slid back and then down and out in front of the X member.

The electrical plugs are pretty much a no brainer and will only go back one way.

The 4L60E tranny is not a hard box to overhaul but there are several special tools needed to reassemble it.

I would recommend if you decide to do a swap to either install a known good box or a rebuilt.

Stay away from the ebay sellers and online stuff unless you know their reputation.

I am in a similar situation right now with my dually. It has a gremlin or two in the trans and I simply dont have the time and the energy to wrestle the box out and rebuild it.

I am not scared of any auto tranny but it helps 100% if you have had some experience with a particular trans and its little quirks before diving in.

The 4L60 you haave is a nice little box but again there are some tools other than just wrenches needed to do a rebuild and have it go right.

In fact the seal installers are a must have in order to even get the clutch drums back together.
These are spendy to buy as a kit so I made my own in the shop on the lathe.

I would sum up that you should be able to do the R&R with minimal bother.
Take your time and be safe with good jack stands and if in doubt ask ???? and if your not sure of how something goes back, mark it or make notes in a notebook.

I have been wrenching on rigs since I was 15 and am 56 now. I have held down jobs in shops and I still carry a notebook around when doing this sort of stuff and usually have the shop manual close.

Also, never be afraid to ask a "DUMB" question. These are far easier to fix than dumb mistakes. Been there done that.

As long as you go slow, make notes and be safe you can do this swap.

You will need basic metric tools (wrenches, sockets, extensions ect) a good tranny jack and a floor jack that can lift at least one corner at a time. 4 good heavy duty jack stands so you can get the truck up a coulpe feet off the ground.

You need to be able to drop the gear boxes down and then get them from under the truck.

I can tell you some interesting stories of worrying trannies out from under rigs when I had little to work with.

My first auto tranny was a C4 in a 67 Fairlane wagon.

Blocked the rig up and got the tranny loose and then cribbed it up and worked it back on the blocks and then slid it off on a tire and drug it out with the garden tractor.

Getting it back in was a chore with one piece of cribbing at time until I could slide it back on the engine.

It went well and the rebuild was good. (my very first)




Good luck and if you need help or moral support just ask

Best

Robyn

[ccole]

Robyn....thanks for the reply. You should of never told me to not be afraid to ask any "dumb" questions. I will have plenty of them! LOL.

So, I got a tranny ordered from Certified Transmission. We have previously always had good luck and hope it holds true again. I have some help lined up for this weekend, so I wanna kind of get my ducks in a row. I am curious what other parts you can think of that I might need to complete the job. What I am thinking (and please correct me if I am wrong)

-Exhaust Donuts between manifold and crossover pipe (assuming the 6.5 used donuts??)
-New nuts/springs on manifold flange
-Tranny fluid
-Trans flush/cleaner to remove junk from cooler/lines
- Possible rear main engine seal, as mine does leak a little (your thoughts on this Robyn)
- Anything else?