To those of you who don't have access to a lift or floor trans jack, how did you get the trans in and out of the car? I've done it before with a block of wood and a regular floor jack, but its a PITA. Does anyone have any tricks they'd like to share?

 

getting it out i got two buddys and we all got under it and lifted it down...its about 125lbs...its not too bad...getting it back in i used a regular jack and a block of wood

 

I don't know how anyone could get that thing back in by themselves without a floor jack. Lifting 125 lbs while laying on your back with the car only up in the air two feet at best is pretty tough. I've had my M6 out several times now and the first time I did it I made up a support out of a roughly 12"x 12" block of 1" thick plywood and 2x4's screwed to it that fit the shape of the trans. I bolted that to my regular floor jack by removing the swivel support piece and bolting it through there. It's worked great each time, I can't imagine man handling that thing into place.

 

That's a good idea, Gregg 97Z. I was thinking about rigging up some kind of cradle for the trans to go on one of my floor jacks. I have dropped the trans twice since I've owned the car, and I just used a floor jack and a block of wood. I needed another person to man the jack taking it down, and two others to help me put it back in. I was just thinking if I could make something to hold the trans, it would go a lot faster, with a lot less swearing

 

With that setup I've done it by myself each time now without any problems at all. You have to get it centered right under the trans so it balances itself and have the 2x4 braces set up right on the stand but once you get that right it makes it pretty easy to remove and install by yourself.

 

I did it with a square of wood and a floor jack and it went easier than I thougt it would.
I would not hesitate to do it again like that.
I had help as well.
was no way to do it by myself.

 

I jacked up the car verrrry slowly and had it all blocked up, me my brother and my friend took it out, by just pulling it out and me and my brother pulling it off my friends chest. In.... we tried jacking it up and all this bs, finally I got frustrated, lied down under the car, put it up on my chest, and benched it into position, as soon as my brother saw this he flipped out and said I was gunna kill myself, but the trannys in now

 

Harbor Freight sells some inexpensive trans jacks - cheap enough to justify using only once (and odds are you'll use it more than one ).