Just removed the auto trans, getting ready to do the rear main seal, my question is Haynes says to make an alignment mark where the flywheel is,but I don't know what they mean. Shouldn't it just bolt back on?

 

if you look at the flywheel there are 4 holes that the TQ bolts to....1 of those holes is an oval shape.....
if you look around the top of the TQ, by one of the holes there is a etched picture of an oval.....
these 2 holes need to be ligned up or else you wont be able to put all 4 of the bolts back it....

find the 2 holes and mark them from where you will be able to see them from under the car when you putting it all back together...i use blue vehicle touch-up paint....

remember that when you are putting in the 4 bolts, just tighten each one a little and then move to the next one....once you have all the bolts in, then go through them again and tighten them down

 

OK, I think I'm following you- I was kind of assuming the trans would be put back on its mounts first and then the flywheel/trans would be aligned later. So basically align 2 of the holes and then the engine can be rotated and the other bolts put in? I didn't see any oval holes on the flywheel BTW, but I guess as long as its bolted together it doesn't matter which one goes where,right?

 

it does matter which bolts go where because if you dont have the 2 oval holes ligned up together, then the rest of the bolts wont go in....

the hole has just a slight oval to it.....if you look carefully then you will see it.....

what you do when you find the holes is turn the flywheel so the oval hole is at the bottom.....then find the oval hole on the TQ and put it at the bottom......then bolt up the tranny to the engine.....once the engine and tranny are bolted together, then put in the flywheel bolts.....oval bolt hole first, and only screw it in about 1/2 way....then do the same to the rest.....after all the bolts are in, then go over them again and tighten them down....