Heys guys, I have an 01 4x4 and im gonna pull the trans tomorrow. I know 99% of what needs to be done, but do I have to pull the exhaust or can I get away with leaving it in place? Are there any tricks that will make it a little easier for me?

 

I dont have the 4x4 but if the exhaust is close to the transfercase or trans i would unbolt it. If you do unbolt it, it would be a great idea to spray wd-40 on the exhaust bolts and let it soak in for 15 minutes. Maybe have a hand torch to heat up the nuts and then spray again with wd-40. DONT SPRAY ON AN OPEN FLAME !!! It might smoke some if you use wd-40 on a hot nut but it wont catch on fire. It will be easier to keep the transfer case and trans together durring remove and install. Or atleast it was for me on a k5 blazer.....

 

Unbolt the down pipes to the catalytic converter at each exhaust manifold and you should be good.

Edit: I just cut the bolts and replaced them with new. Also Might be a good idea to have a friend around and a sledge hammer to get that cross member back in, that was the most frusterating part of the whole swap

 

Push the cross member up and then slide it back to remove it. It is tapered with that section of the frame.