How To: Remove Transmission

Remove the lower control arms bolts 17mm. The nut with the dial remove. The other control arms you must turn the bolt not the nuts. The nuts have a spike on back of them that will not let it turn. The bolts are the way to go.


Remove the three amigo header bolts and pop off the down pipe (you don’t need to remove the down pipe)



Place a oil pan under the tranny then remove the oil drain nut 22mm or 24mm. drain the oil.

I used an air chisel fork to pop off the axle a large flat head screw driver or small prybar will work (the air chisel fork was used as a pry bar only not hooked up to an air source, the bit has a turned up side like a fork has and that gives it a little more leverage). Turn the other wheel a little at a time until it just pops off. Don’t force it, keep turning the other wheel a little at a time until it comes off there is a C-clip that needs to slip down so the shaft slides out.


Remove the engine mount nut and bolt 17mm, then the 4 bolts 14mm to the car.

This part you’ll need a jack to support the engine and lower it a little to slide out the tranny (only one engine mount will be attached) don’t drop it to low. Also, I used a jack stand as add comfort, I placed it an inch lower (just in case)

First replace the strut crossmember brace, then tie off one end of the cargo strap to it and wrap it around the bell housing through the engine mount brackets and hook or tie off ( leave slack to lower the engine two to three inches) Then place the jack under the oil pan closet to the bell housing, I used the first rib line. Don’t place it under the lowest widest part of the oil pan, that is where the oil pick up is and you don’t want to damage it. Depending on how high your jack goes, up I used a 4×4 the same length as my jack, my jack is small 2 ton. Jack up the engine just to take the load off the mount.

This documentation in no way replaces the Toyota MR2 Repair Manuals. The purpose of this content is only to provide supplementary information to fellow MR2 enthusiasts. Midship Runabout and its contributing authors will not be held responsible for any injury or damages that may occur as the result of practicing any of the methods or procedures described within this website. Article and photo submissions are property of the contributing author.


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5 Responses

  1. PHIL says:

    How much trans oil should go in – itll it spills?

  2. Anonymous says:

    I believe its 2 quarts but really 1.8 with LSD.

  3. Brayan says:

    I found this very helpful. thank you for the detailed pics!

  4. Chase says:

    This is being a tremendous help to me right now – thanks very much for taking the time to write this up and taking the photos.

  5. Allan says:

    Is there a pilot bearing or bushing on the input shaft
    Do you or can you turn the input shaft to line up the
    Splines???