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AOD Removal
Just so you know, I am not guaranteeing anything with these instructions.  If you are not qualified to safely complete this project, don't try it, or find someone who knows to help you.  You should be able to properly support a car on jackstands and be able to move heavy things.  Always work with the buddy system when any danger is possible.  The following is simply and instruction on how I did it.  My only goal is to save you time by telling you how I overcame the hurdles I experienced. Always wear safety glasses.
 
  1. Do you have the tools listed in T-5 conversion parts check ?
  2. Read and understand all these instructions before starting. Email me with any questions.
  3. Support the car on jackstands .  The stands should be on the highest safe setting.
  4. With the 7/8 open end wrench, remove the O2 sensors.  They are by the pre-cats on the exhaust h-pipe.  This will aid in the removal of the h-pipe.
  5. Remove the h-pipe.
  6. Remove the drive shaft.  To do this, you will need to have the car in park.  Use the 12 point 12 or was is 14mm socket to remove the 4 bolts that thread into the axle drive yolk.  A 6 point socket will not fit the bolt heads.  You may need to shift between neutral and park to get at all the bolts.  Slide the other end out of the transmission and set the shaft aside.  
  7. note: The AOD holds about 16 quarts of ATF (automatic trans fluid).  By draining it, you will get about 4 of those out.  The rest will come out of the torque converter in the bell housing.  You can try to catch this, but probably will not have much luck.  I ended up letting it all fall on the floor into a pile of oil dry which I swept up after I was done removing the AOD.  If you don't drain the trans, it is no big deal.  More fluid will come out of the output end and the dipstick tube hole.  Plan on getting ATF on all your clothes. 
  8. Disconnect all lines.  If I remember correctly, there are cooling lines to the radiator, linkage to the shifter, linkage to the throttle body, 2 electrical connectors, the speedometer cable and the dipstick tube (just pull it straight out).  If I'm forgetting anything, remove it too.
  9. Remove the thin aluminum cover bolted to the front of the bell housing.  You will see the flex plate (it is a big gear) and part of the torque converter.
  10. Position the hydraulic jack under the AOD oil pan.   Warning: the weight of the AOD can probably dent or puncture the oil pan.  You should use a thicker steel plate or 1" by 6" piece of wood between the jack cut and the oil pan.  Raise the jack until it contacts the oil pan.
  11. Remove the two long bolts that hold the AOD crossmember to the chassis.  To do this, you will have to raise the transmission just enough so there is no weight on the bolts and you can pull them out.  The best way to do this is to try to pull the bolt out while slowly raising the jack.
  12. Once the bolts are removed, lower the jack and let the transmission sink down until the crossmember is free from the chassis mounting tabs.  Now you should see the bolts that hold the AOD to the engine block.
  13. Here is where the wobble extensions come in.  There are 6 bolts and 2 dowels holding the AOD to the block.  They are hard to get to, but not impossible.  Remove these bolts.
  14. The AOD is connected to the torque converter by a spline.   The AOD is too big to slide off of the torque converter spline so don't even try it.  There is not enough room under the car.  Remember that little aluminum cover you removed from the belhousing?  Look at what was behind it.  You will see some bolts connecting the torque converter to the flex plate.  Remove all of those bolts.  You will have to turn the engine by hand to get at all of them.  You can do this from under the hood.  At the center of the crank pulley is a hex.  Put a socket and breaker bar on it to turn it.
  15. The AOD is now no longer attached to the car.  It is probably stuck though.  Spray some WD-40 on the dowels between the engine block and transmission.  Wiggle the engine until it separates from the block.  Warning: make sure the weight is balanced on the jack!  The AOD is very heavy.  This is when you should have a close friend that cares about your well being under the car with you.  Preferably a friend who lifts weights and can bench 300 pounds or so.
  16. When the AOD is free, lower the jack all the way.  The AOD on the jack will be too tall to roll out.  So slide it off the jack onto that big piece of cardboard I had you get.  Then just slide it out.  
  17. Now remove the shifter.  I didn't find a good way to get this thing out.  I drilled out a few rivets and ended up cutting the shifter into a few pieces and throwing it away.  I had no need for it.  You can try to save it if you want.  Just find all rivets and drill them out.
  18. Your car is now no longer an automatic! Haha! that wasn't so hard right?  This is the point of no return.  It will be far easier to install the T-5 then to put the AOD back in.  This of course is leaving the pedals out of consideration.

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