Inliners International Forums General Discussion Tech Tips SM-465 Granny Low 4 spd removal

If you ever have to remove a SM-465 transmission, aka the Granny Low 4 speed from a Chevy Pick up: Try to jack the truck up about two feet.
The transmission is a Top Loader and it is hard to clear the stick shift handle. I had to turn the transmission on its side to get it out.
Most transmissions you can leave the bell-housing on, but I had to disconnect it because the Inlet spline is too long and the hole in the floor don't go back far enough for the spline to clear the bell-housing.
Oh yeah, that rascal is heavier than any automatic I ever pulled so try and get a decent jack or cart to move it on. Mine got stuck in the dirt cause it was so heavy.

You remove the shift lever and it comes right out.

big bill is right. I use a pair of channel locks spread so that the teeth will spread around the metal below the slot for the lever that holds the shifter in. Sometimes you can turn it without the channel locks. Turn about an 1/8 or a quarter turn and it should pop out.

I have a 3/4 ton and there is a cover over the sm465. The cover goes about 6 inches each side of the hump. To get at it you have to remove the door sills(?) and remove the rubber mat or carpet.

It is heavy. The last time I pulled mine I used an engine hoist. I found that the hoist got in too close to the heater ducting. The next time I have to pull it I'm going to try a little ratchet chain hoist and a 4x4 between the windows.

Larry

sm420 comes apart the same way. someone told me how to do it, but it still took me a while to figure it out - I had to push really hard on the channel locks.

sm420 is a beast at 135 lbs... the sm465 weighs 40 lbs more I think.

I replaced a 3 speed with one of those. My brother helped. He was the 'Big Brother" so he got under the pickup and I got inside. I sure miss him!

I found one article in "4wheel and off road" that said the 465 weighs 175 pounds.
I am definitely gonna get a short transmission jack. The alignment during installation, to get the intake shaft into the flywheel causes lots of cussing.

http://www.novak-adapt.com

Thanks for the tips on Removing the Shifter handle. I told my nephew about using Channel Locks, and he went out there and removed it his bare hands. Arrrg

Got the 465 back in and drove it around the block today.

Tech Tip 1: It takes Exactly 4 quarts of gear oil to fill the SM-465 till the oil is at the side filler plug.

Tech Tip 2: Since I learned how to remove the shifter handle, I just removed the plug on the side and filled it through the shifter hole.

use 2 large screwdrivers, push down & rotate

Here are several more options for removing an SM420 or SM465 from a truck. Remove the shifter and tunnel hump. Remove a couple of bolts from the tranny cover and replace with longer bolts(?) and a short length of chain. Now you can run an engine hoist in thru the door and lift the tranny out. I found a problem with the lifting arm on the hoist being right up against the heater vent above the hump. I used two bolts that were diagonal from to back. You could use two back cover bolts, but this would leave the front heavy on the chain. To get around the tranny not being balanced on the chain and help with installation, make up a couple of guide pins by cutting the heads off some long bolts. Then thread the guide pins into the top two tranny mounting bolt holes.

Another method is to use a piece of wood(s) shoved thru the windows and a short come-along, or a ratchet hoist. I haven't done this yet, I intend to the next time. For the wood I'd use either two lengths of 2x4 'T' together with screws, or a piece of 4x6. I'm not sure 2x4 by itself would hold the tranny.

LG

I use all-thread for those long, headless bolts.