# reinstalling S13 transmission
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522
**Category:** SON240sx Automotive
**Created:** [August 6, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522 "2008-08-06T19:07:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@john\_gto](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/john_gto)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/1 "2008-08-06T19:07:02Z")
Looking for any info. to help reinstall an S13 5 speed transmission - we have jacked up the front of the engine (to lower the back) and are still having a difficult time reinstalling the tranny -any helpful tips would be appreciated.
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### Author:  [@sidewayz240](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/sidewayz240)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/2 "2008-08-06T19:43:27Z")
is it on a hoist?? I’ve done this a couple times and its always a pain. My advise is to (if you have more then one person) get the splines in to the point where it gets held up on the pilot bushing, which is im sure the point your at. Then relieve any supporting devices (tranny jack ect…) having one person holding up the tranny and the other wiggling and pushing on it til it slides in.
I spent probably hours trying to get them in using a combination of jacks to no unveil. When I did it this way it went it in a couple trys, probably less then 10 minutes.
Good luck
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### Author:  [@john\_gto](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/john_gto)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/3 "2008-08-06T19:51:14Z")
We have the car lifted about 1 foot off the shop floor -high enough to remove the tranny easily . It seems as if we can not get the front of the tranny high enough to line up the shaft to go back in and are jamming the bell housing against the tunnel.
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### Author:  [@simplemind7](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/simplemind7)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/4 "2008-08-06T22:21:34Z")
here’s how i do it, jack up the front of the engine to the point where it almost lifts the car off the jackstands, then tilt the tranny in on as much of an angle as you can (back down, front up) and get the input shaft as far as you can into the clutch.
then slowly bring the back of the tranny up as you push the input shaft further into the clutch.
it should then just slide right on, if the clutch isn’t 100% perfectly aligned it may stop about 3/4" away from the engine. in this case just use the starter bolts with a bunch of the tranny bolt washers on each starter bolt, then put them on opposite sides of the bell housing and alternate tightening each one. keep doing that until you can get the proper bolts to thread into their spots.
good luck.
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### Author:  [@KA24Power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KA24Power)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/5 "2008-08-06T23:24:30Z")
^ this method definitely works, Brendan is the man.
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### Author:  [@Osad](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Osad)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/6 "2008-08-07T03:41:36Z")
If your hitting the firewall on the bellhousing then flip the tranny around so the starter arc is facing down.
I’ve done this twice and it isn’t easy. Just keep trying and you’ll get it.
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### Author:  [@john\_gto](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/john_gto)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/7 "2008-08-07T03:45:33Z")
Thanks for all the input -will let you know what worked.
John
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### Author:  [@S13GG](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/S13GG)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/8 "2008-08-07T05:29:24Z")
also, loosen the engine mounts a bit for more play,
and/or have someone inside the car (I use a butchered seatbelt) and have them support the weight of the rear half through the shifter hole…
good luck…
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### Author:  [@Pants](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pants)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/9 "2008-08-07T06:32:46Z")
save yous self some time
remove the exhaust (catback)
the motor will tilt so much more
and the tranny will go in like a breeze
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### Author:  [@simplemind7](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/simplemind7)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/10 "2008-08-07T07:16:37Z")
oh yeah, i forgot to mention that. i always unbolt the exhaust at the cat, the motor will barely tip back at all if you don’t.
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### Author:  [@87s15lt1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/87s15lt1)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 9:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/11 "2008-08-07T09:03:11Z")
loosen the sub frame…don’t forget to put a stand under the sub. drop it about an inch. takes 3 seconds to put tranny back in. just make sure you didn’t bend the forks on your pressure plate fighting with it before. i made that mistake already
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### Author:  [@Osad](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Osad)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 9:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/12 "2008-08-07T09:29:12Z")
S13GG has another great idea.
I also did this after discovering how hard it was to hold it from the back. I wrapped a strap around a bar and had a friend hold it through the shifter hole. You can do this for hours with no rest, it’s easy.
Best of luck.
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### Author:  [@S13GG](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/S13GG)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/13 "2008-08-07T15:22:24Z")
> [@fs:1991 talon tsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fs-1991-talon-tsi/17878/11):
>
> loosen the sub frame…
won’t this^ cause alignment issues?
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### Author:  [@john\_gto](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/john_gto)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/14 "2008-08-07T18:55:14Z")
Hey
Thanks guys for all your input - now completed -for us the most help came from disconnecting the exhaust (which we did not want to do originally) that enabled us to raise the front of the engine higher -using a bottle jack under the alternator bracket -lifted tranny using a floor jack -tranny slid straight on -no rotation needed.-took 10 minutes from starting to lift to installing the bolts
thanks again for all your input -much appreciated
John
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### Author:  [@87s15lt1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/87s15lt1)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2008, 12:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/15 "2008-08-08T12:02:44Z")
> [@2007 Ford Mondeo](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/2007-ford-mondeo/17928/15):
>
> won’t this^ cause alignment issues?
nope. subframe will only tighten up one way. no alignment issues
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### Author:  [@sil8t](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/sil8t)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/16 "2008-08-08T12:28:40Z")
loosen the subframe??? how will this help ???
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### Author:  [@87s15lt1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/87s15lt1)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/17 "2008-08-08T13:50:10Z")
your dropping the motor… therefore makin it insanely easy to put the tranny back in.
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### Author:  [@Pants](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Pants)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/reinstalling-s13-transmission/117522/18 "2008-08-08T13:58:02Z")
or u can un bolt the cat back
and its even easier