How to Remove the Transmission on a Silverado

by John Stevens J.D.

Chevrolet manufactured the Silverado line of pickup trucks for almost 40 years. The Silverado was Chevrolet's best-selling truck, and was renowned for its reliability and durability. However, even the Silverado is not immune from the eventual wear and tear of its drive train components. Given enough miles, the engine and transmission will need to be rebuilt, although it is rarely necessary to rebuilt both components at the same time. Although the engine and transmission can be removed from the Silverado simultaneously, only the transmission must be removed for an overhaul.

Step 1

Jack up the front of the Silverado with a floor jack and place jack stands underneath the frame to support the Silverado's weight, then jack up the rear and place one jack stand under each side of the differential.

Step 2

Use a wrench to remove the two U-bolts which hold the driveshaft to the differential. Pull the driveshaft away from the differential, then pull the driveshaft towards the back of the Silverado until the driveshaft slides out of the transmission.

Step 3

Open the hood and disconnect the transmission's dipstick tube from the side of the engine. The dipstick tube is located on the passenger's side of the engine, and is secured to the engine with a single bolt that must be removed with a wrench. Once the bolt has been removed, pull the dipstick tube straight up to remove it from the transmission.

Step 4

Remove the speedometer cable and the shift linkage from the driver's side of the transmission. The speedometer cable attaches to the transmission with a single nut located at the end of the cable. Turn this nut with a wrench, then pull the cable out of the transmission. The shift linkage attaches to the transmission with a single bolt and nut. Attach one wrench to the bolt's head and a second wrench to the nut, twist either the bolt or the nut in a counterclockwise direction until both can be removed, then pull the linkage away from the transmission.

Step 5

Remove the single vacuum line from the vacuum diaphragm. The vacuum diaphragm is located on the driver's side of the transmission, next to the transmission's pan. The line can simply be pulled off of the vacuum diaphragm.

Step 6

Position a transmission jack underneath the transmission, then raise the jack until the jack fits securely under the transmission.

Step 7

Using a wrench, remove the bolts that attach the transmission to the engine and the torque converter to the flywheel. There are several bolts which slide through the transmission's bell housing into the back of the engine. The four bolts that attach the torque converter to the flywheel are accessible from underneath the Silverado where the engine meets the transmission. The crankshaft pulley must be periodically turned with a deep socket wrench to access all four bolts.

Step 8

Lift the transmission with the jack until it lifts slightly, then slowly pull the transmission with the jack towards the rear of the Silverado until the transmission disengages from the engine.

References

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