Hi all. I broke of the little spindel that controls the shifting (on the side of the trans) when trying to remove the nut. You can still shift it by clamping a vice grip on the end. This is a 1989 trans, by the way. My question is, can it be removed and replaced by taking off the oil pan, or does the entire trans have to be ddisassembled. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.

the valve body has to come down, then the shift rod can come out. good luck, chuck.

thanks chuck. how hard is it to take down the valve body? jim d.

i think the trans has to come out so there's enough room the pull the shaft all the way out. didn't think about that part, sorry. maybe pull the exhaust and the rear crossmember and let the trans hang will give you enough room. look at it real close, i don't have 1 in front of me to look at.

pull the kickdown cable at the intake. pull the pan and the cable from the trans. pry out the 2 tubes, very easy, they will bend. pull the filter and the plate. loosen all the 10mm screws around the perimeter and the 3 inside the filter housing, so the valve body comes loose. if it doesn't loosen, tap it with a plastic hammer and make sure all the screws are loose. they are different lengths, so make a map or something. do not remove the 1 right behind the spring plate that holds tension on the shift rod. there are 3 pistons above that part of the valve body that'll come out. you need a plate about 6x3 inches with a hole in it to attach on the trans where the pan bolts up. once the plate is tight enough to hold the pistons up, then the valve body can come down. there's a pin holding the selector gate to the shift rod, drive it out, slide it apart, then you can pull the shift rod. you might need a valve body gasket, sometimes they tear, sometimes they don't. you'll need about 6 qts atf to fill it. good luck, chuck.

Thanks!!! I have the trans out already so it will be easier.

if you can make it level with the pan facing up, then the pistons will stay put and not fall out. they will push up, though, so go slow. and you will need to compress them back into the bores when it all goes together. a friend with a wide drywall knife might do it. good luck, chuck.