Stuck with only 3 bolts left - Auto Transmission Removal (2002 Pathfinder)

[mhost2]

My Car: 2002 Pathfinder Chilkoot Edition (with a 4" subframe drop)

The car has a really bad oil leak. It is coming out of the little hole between the upper oil pan and the transmission. So my goal is to replace the rear main seal and the upper oil pan gasket.

I have the service manual. I am following along with EM-37, AT-276, and EM-15 (and all the other linked sections).

Almost everything has been removed with the exception of three of the transmission to engine bolts (the picture shows which three).
(link: https://ibb.co/e6UpJc)

We can see the rightmost bolt in that picture, but there is no way to get a socket on it. If I remove the cat in bank 1, I might be able to get to that bolt. However, the top two bolts are in such a small space we can't even reach them with our fingers.

I read in another forum (for a nissan truck) that you can lower the transmission and transfer which will tilt the engine and give you almost 6 inches. However, when I tried this, the engine pretty quickly leans against the firewall and it only gave us maybe an in and a half. After this was done, with quite a bit of squeezing, I was able to at least touch the bolts with a finger. I can't imagine how I would even dream of getting a socket or wrench on it.

Our current though is to remove everything on top of the engine (down to the valve covers) and try to get those three bolts from above. But we don't know if that will be possible.

How are those bolts normally removed?


Not sure if I should post these other two question in a separate post, so I'll try here.

AT-276 step 11 (before we remove the transmission to engine bolts) says "Remove bolts securing torque converter to drive plate. Remove the bolts by turning crankshaft." Am I really expected to do this while the transmission is still bolted to the engine??

AT-276 step 14 (the step to remove the transmission bolts to engine) also says "Secure torque converter to prevent it from dropping." How? Would it really drop? Do I have to worry about it changing its alignment?

Thank so much for reading this far. And please any help would be very much appreciated.

[macgiver]

mac , you may have to "release" the eng. motor mounts in the front of the whole deal and sort of "Float the eng./trans - on a jack - in order to shift fwd's and whatever direction you need to go? Why don't you look into the feasibility of this , for I had to remove my motor mts. and trans x-mount JUST TO INSTALL a Br. BOOSTER !!!!!! Is what I'm talking - worked for me , but I COMPLETELY checked it out first .

[EdBwoy]

I'm with Mac on getting creative. We've had to:
2002-pathfinder-engine-removal-t596022. ... %20Outside

That subframe drop should work to your advantage, I'd say. However, don't just tilt the rear end of the assembly, I'd find ways to lower the front as well. The VQ35 is very shoehorned into that engine bay, so a motor mount drop will work very well with the extra 4 inches.

The 4 bolts holding the torque converter to the flywheel/ drive plate/ ring gear:
Yes, it's possible, and is the ideal way to do it. At the bottom where the engine mates with the trans, there should be an access hole and cover in the oil pan. . CORRECTION: I was thinking V8 when I wrote this. From the links, it seems the access to these bolts is through the starter hole for the pathy 3.5 engine.
Remove it and look inside as you turn the crankshaft. You should see 4 14mm bolts facing backwards, that is head on the engine side, threads into the trans side.

If you don't remove these bolts, the torque converter will separate from the bellhousing and trans, and be removed with the engine. This is not ideal because you will spill a lot of trans fluid, and again, give yourself even less fore-aft clearance. Every inch matters.
Otherwise, no, the torque converter shouldn't fall. I take it as just a word of caution and as you separate the engine and trans you can poke your head back there and use a flathead etc to push the torque converter backwards onto the input shaft, deeper into the bellhousing.
It will be very intuitive once you see things sliding.

[mhost2]

Thanks that link and the links on that forum give me hope and I think I know what to do next.

[macgiver]

mac, keep in mind the top two "Imposible bolts" may need a MANEUVER that (which I've used often), I'm sorry I didn't put in my first paragraph , comes to mind now Top bolts - impossible - SO when
you try to maneuver ALL AROUND , WHEREVER WHATEVER , make sure you have put at least TWO EASY LOWER bolts BACK in !( R. + L. sides) NOW , when you gain enough room to remove top difficult ones ,the motor and trans are still together - allowing you to set back & secure front MOTORS mounts or basically to STABILIZE whatever EXTREME MANEUVER you did. THEN your at "back to square one" BUT w/ no problem bolts at the top! NOW you remove those "EASY LOWER BOLTS" Because the top ones=GONE- you've done the "MANEUVER " on them.

[mhost2]

In order to remove the 4 bolts that hold the drive plate to the torque converter, I read that I have to turn the crankshaft clockwise. Is that when standing in front of the car and facing the rear? Or is that clockwise when sitting in the car (for example) and facing the front (ie facing the same the direction the car is facing)?

[macgiver]

mac, generally SOP for rotating car engines - you want to go IN the NORMAL DIRECTION OF ROTATION and usually that's done by turning the BIG H-balancer bolt on crank pulley , C.W. direction as looking at motor , with hood up , looking at IT (towards BACK of car) - as in facing & checking oil. Reasons for this 1) Timing belt/chain SHOULD ALWAYS go CW(slack issue) 2) CW keeps crank bolt ON (CCW MAY loosen it) 3) upper end , MODERN valvetrain componants MAY MESS UP being driven backwards from the chain or Timing belt? It's I believe that "CONVENTION" you read and so line ANY TQ Conv. bolt up to opening, may want to loosen all before removing any to see if any stripped or frozen (not common) ,utilize BIG bolt and rotate to ea. consecutive position for removal -that's it