Help. F-ing Dana 20 install - broken arm, bruised head, torn skin everywhere

[amc78cj7]

How the heck do you jack up that 100lb Dana 20 at the correct angle to attach it to an NP435? I started with the D20 attached to the intermediate housing and attached to the crossmember. Now the cross member is gone but I still can't balance it to get it on the 435 output shaft. And there's not enough headspace to lift it without a jack.

Case is empty of fluid. Tranny and engine are leaning down right now to give better approach angle.

Please help. I'm near death on this project.

 

[nrramse]

When I did mine, I put the intermediate adapter on first, then the crossmember, then the Dana 20 by hand. The hard part was accessing the bolts but I cut my tunnel cover out which helped.

Newell

 

[amc78cj7]

When I did mine, I put the intermediate adapter on first, then the crossmember, then the Dana 20 by hand. The hard part was accessing the bolts but I cut my tunnel cover out which helped.

Newell

I thought about that. I began to remove the D20 to intermediate housing bolts then realized that it would be nearly impossible to access the upper bolts once installed.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I welded a jig to the saddle of the floor jack to hold it right. The saddle had enough slop that I could rock it around to get the alignment needed.

 

[Viperwolf1]

It's a PIA. You need a friend or some more creativity. If you have an engine hoist you can run it inside the cab and use it along with a strap to take some weight of the tcase and adapter. Strap to the rollbar might work too.

 

[hdmc]

When I did mine, I put the intermediate adapter on first, then the crossmember, then the Dana 20 by hand. The hard part was accessing the bolts but I cut my tunnel cover out which helped.

Newell

This is how I did mine . I'm dreading the day I have to change the clutch

 

[Revelation]

Lay on your back, have a buddy put the D-20 on your stomach, and bench press into place. Oh just don't drop it or you will hit your head getting out of the way.

 

[broncnaz]

I've always removed and installed the tcase and tranny as one. have to tie down the NP's a little better as it gets tippy but I find it will balance.

 

[73stallion]

i always just bench press them in. only dropped one or two. honestly, lay longways under the truck with your head facing the front, then you can use a knee for leverage if necessary.

benched an AX-15 into a CJ5 this morning, that's heavier....

 

[barronj]

Jacking w/ these iron casings makes the aluminum housed T-5's I used to bench press in to mustangs seem like childs play!

I need to eat my Wheaties before stepping in to the garage!

 

[needabronco]

I made a jig out of a 4"x4" piece of wood and carved out the middle of it to fit the 'hump' in the crossmember, then used that as a jacking point, jacked the jack with my leg, while I held the D20 in place, then started a couple of bolts that were in the other hand.

The easiest way is to install the trans and t-case as a unit, then the balance is better.

 

[gddyap]

I made this:



I need to drill hole in the middle to bolt it to the floor jack after removing the saddle. It should keep the d20 at about the right orientation when I'm ready to put it back in. I'll take a picture of the d20 on it tomorrow.

 

[CastleRock69]

Get a buddy to come over and help you, I just man handled a 205 behind a AOD yesterday and I'm still sore. Buddies just laughing at me.

 

[73azbronco]

checkout craigslist for a used tranny jack... I used to be able to bench these things up by hand, got the dent in my chest to prove it, that was four decades ago... Hydraulics, thats where it's at.

 

[amc78cj7]

Well thanks guys. We installed the 435 earlier in the day and I split the two thinking it would be easier, but then balancing the D20 was a bear. I finally took nrramse and hdmc's advice and separated the intermediate housing from the D20. Who would have thought that the intermediate housing would weigh so much on it's own. I installed a 2" body lift last week to clear the 435 and it looks like I'll have good access to the 6 D20 bolts when I go to install it tomorrow. For today the clutch, tranny, intermediate housing and crossmember are all in place so I'm calling it a day.

 

[broncokak]

Lay on your back, have a buddy put the D-20 on your stomach, and bench press into place. Oh just don't drop it or you will hit your head getting out of the way.

This is just what I did! LOL ;D Put the D20 on Todd's chest and pushed him under my Bronco. I climbed in and he pushed it up while I lined it up from above and got a few of the bolts started so it didn't bonk him on the head. Mine was hooking up to a zF so no intermediate housing.

 

[scbronco]

dana 300's arent any lighter, i did that little death dance a couple years back on my old cj... i feel your pain...

 

[Deano]

I used a motor hoist in the opened passenger side door down through the floor where the t case shifter goes and put a bolt in where the t case bolts on and hooked a chain or strap it and pulled it up into place then put crossmember in. Auto go in easy that way! The 435 you have to lean the motor down in the back and get it lined up before you can pull it up and put the crossmember in. Beets a trans jack any day!

 

[Oatmeal]

Like some of the other posters, I've always just bench pressed into place. I have the intermediate housing bolted to the trans, which I have supported with a bottle jack, but, with the crossmember off (hence, the jack) so that I have access to the bolts or in my case, nuts as I installed studs......which makes it alot easier to line up--------Hans

 

[gddyap]

I finished putting in the spud shaft for my C4 conversion so I put the d20 on my little fixture so you can see how it will hopefully work:



In the picture it's sitting on the jack saddle. When I actually install the d20, it'll remove the saddle and bolt the fixture to the jack. I may use a strap around the fixture and d20 to help keep it from falling off. I might need to shave a little off the top of the vertical 2x4 because the hole for the dowel pin isn't perfectly at the top. I may also put a couple of 2x2s in front and behind the d20 to keep it from moving front/back. Made from scrap wood I had.