Moparts,

I am trying to remove the transmission on this 87 horizon to change the clutch on it. There is a bolt-on the back of the transmission I can find no way to remove it. I gave up last fall and ready to pull it out and finish it in April.

If I remember right the exhaust is in the way. Any advice for me?

Thanks,

Craig

Have you looked online for a how to on that job. Sometimes they have ways of making it easier.

I don't know about a Horizon but I've pulled a 2.2 turbo out of an '85 Daytona with the five speed and a 2.2 out of a '93 Shadow with the automatic and left the transaxle in the car both times. I can't recall a bolt not being accessible.

Probably the same as my '83 Shelby Charger. That means it's a giant PITA. Personally, if I had to do one again, I would drop the engine and transmission out the bottom, swap the clutch on a sheet of wood, reattach the trans, then hoist them both back in. You can get an engine support with a screw jack pretty cheaply. I used one of those to drop the engine and trans out of a Shadow. Last time I had an L-body clutch, I gave up on it and took it to the dealership. It took them at least three times book time to do it. Afterward, the mechanic asked me to never bring the car back. Dropping everything out the bottom, in my mind, would be easier in the long run for the home game. It's tight under there with the 5-speed.

I am doing a memory search but can not think of what bolt you are talking about. I have removed the A-525, A-520, A-523 and A555's out of so many 1981-1994 2.2/2.5 cars.

I wish I bought a Clintons manual.

Those just tell you to make people who know too much disappear, and make it look like an accident.

If I remember right the exhaust is in the way. Any advice for me?

Urrrr.... Remove the obstruction you stated, the exhaust.

But I second the out the bottom deal, far easier.

Dont let a 2.2 combo get the best of you, them cars are very simplistic. If you can wrench on any older mopar your up to the challenge.

I looked on you tube briefly and thats a bit old it seems to find a vid, but I forget the trans #

Never one of those manuals. Get these best money you can spend. Manual

After removing the shift linkage, the half shafts, the speedo cable and the wiring plug for the backup lights the rest is bolts. Besides the bellhousing bolts, there are the left trans mount bracket (3), the rear bobble strut bolt and bracket. That should be it. So please shoot a picture of the bolt.

As I recall one of the starter bolts comes in from the engine side. Long extension is how I got to it. I can tell you that it is easier to get the trans out and back in if you remove the crossmember under the steering rack. That's also a good time to clean it up with some degreaser.

What year did they put the 3rd bolt on the starter you had to go in above the starter with a short socket and a long extension? If I remember it correctly, a 18" long extension (a couple shorter extensions will work, but not as well as a single long one) will get you past the exhaust pipe so you can use a ratchet. Without the long extension, the ratchet ends up right at the exhaust pipe and there isn't enough room to swing the ratchet.
That starter bolt uses the same socket as the two on the front. I suggest you put at least one of the front bolts back in the starter to hold it in place until you have the back bolt out, or the starter may fall and hit you on the head. Once all the bolts are out, the starters tend to fall right out, but you need to turn it just right to get the wires off the starter, then you need to twist it just right to get it out of the hole. I was always amazed the starter would fall out, but once you removed the wires, you have to flip it a dozen different way to get it out of the hole its in.
Good luck. Gene

Same here.
I cant think of any bolt issue . Although its been a while since Ive had one of them apart , like quite a while
But I do seem to remember something about the starter having a bolt on the back side

Out of the 10 or so of these trans I have R&R more than half were missing that starter bolt.

There is also a steel brace that goes from the belhousing to the rear of the block. It has two bolts in both ends and an aluminum adapter that a starter bolt goes into.

This may be "Refer to TurboMopar or MiniMopar" forums. If the weather was good or if I had room in the garage I'd pull the 84 Rampage around and put it up on stands and take a peek at its a525. The 1984's are not much different than the 1994's, few things but basically the same.

When I did a few of these I also did a refresh of the Rack&Pinion, new inner tie rod grease and boots. So like said above I would remove the exhaust, drop the lower balljoints, remove the Steering shaft bolt and drop the K frame out. Soooo much more room.

Sometimes I'd pull the trans and drop the oil pan too. A oil pump is easy to replace as most of these cars had 150+K miles and a $15 oil pump was cheap insurance. My 2.5's got the balance shaft removed.

I have to fix the shifter linkage as well. I am converting from the stock plastic to a Heim joint while it is apart.

I am going to get it out this weekend and snap a photo.

Craig

Those factory plastic shift linkage ends just degrade from proximity to all that exhaust heat, ozone, and just age. Converting mine to heim joints was one of the best mods I ever did. I was tired of having to open the hood and reach down into the hot engine compartment and pop the shift rod back on. Then again, I drove mine quite hard. I went through three transmissions in the 34 years I owned it. Two in the first 5 years.