To anyone in the future who may come across that, please consider that while there are multiple ways to do a lot of things, some of these ways are neat and accomplish the job with minimal molesting. Others you may as well have done with the blunt end of an axe. Don't choose the blunt end of the axe method for this job like some people have.

 

If it’s just a parts car tho have fun molesting

 

It's a parts car, that's fine and good. My point still stands though, don't do a bill Cosby level of molesting on your floor pan to get the trans out.

 

I have swivel sockets and a 3' long 3/8" extension just for those top bolts.... though I just dropped an engine (5.9) back into my Durango, and while I don't have the intake bolted on yet, or the alternator, AC compressor or fan, I jumped in the engine compartment and was able to reach behind the block, start and thread in all 4 bolts that come in from the back, standing in the engine compartment and tighten them with a 9/16" box wrench from above.
I put the 2, 7/16" (5/8" wrench head) bolts that come in from the front, 1st.... the ones right below the dowel pins.
9 hours just to PULL a trans? Yikes..... Ive done it in a junkyard before with NO air/battery powered tools, all (very crude) hand tools in no more than a couple of hours.... I pull the T case itself, 1st.
I've pulled and put in an engine and trans as a unit before but the only time I did all 3 (with a T case attached) together, was when I replaced the frame in my Wrangler and had the body off,
I always have better luck installing each as a separate unit.... now pulling them especially when the body is being junked? Yeah I'll pull engine + trans as a unit more often than not.

 

this is exactly the tip i was looking for!! thank you!!

 

Oh man... I really thought of cutting into the floor multiple times... like who FF engineered THIS omg

 

I will pull the rear crossmember, and lower the end of the trans down a bit, to get some room for the bellhousing bolts.... especially those on top.

 

When I had a shop back in the early 80's, I often would pull the engine/transmission assembly as a unit. That's how it was put together. The customer usually asked to have some other details attended to. Separate the engine and transmission and fix anything that needs fixing. Since this is a parts car, you now have an extra engine sitting you can use, sell or whatever.

 

3-1/2 hours just to get those 2 bolts? I've been there but not on that application. I admit they can be tough but I can have my T case out and on the ground in about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes from the time I put the 1st wrench to it til it's out