Harness connection to remove trans for clutch replacement, 95 4WD 5-speed

I am trying to remove the manual 5-speed transmission in my 1995 Tacoma 2.7 liter engine. I have everything off but cannot find a plug to separate the harness. Does the harness come off all the way from the top of the engine so that I'll be pulling about three feet of harness with the transmission. Thanks for any help. Is there a place where I can read more about changing the clutch. This is my second ever clutch replacement and my first on my Tacoma.
Rick

 

I always unplugged the switches and sensors .

Don`t forget the 02 sensor Harness is bolted to the top of the transmission on the right side

 

Thanks for a response, Wyo. (I was born in Cheyenne). I thought I was all alone with this. I found a YouTube video and a guy with bigger hands than mine did it so I finally played the harness off, pulled the transmission by myself using a 4x4 on top of a Harbor Freight hydraulic jack with some tires along the sides for the tranny to fall on. It actually came out pretty easy but I know I'll never get it in by myself. I'm cleaning everything today with TSP and hot water coming straight from my water heater. Can you (or anybody reading) suggest a good clutch kit that I can find in an auto parts store? Will I really need the alignment tool to install the clutch or can I align it by eye or using a dowel? This clutch didn't last that long so I'm thinking my clutch might be out of adjustment.

 

Most clutch kits come with the alignment tool.

It all depends most of the auto parts store clutches have gone down hill.

I have had good luck with the Aisin kits The Luk Clutch kits All mine are pretty new right now but I think my next Clutch kit will be a Marlin Crawler one

 

I went with the Aisin Clutch Kit

$227 CKT-051 OE Matched Clutch Kit - Compatible with Select Toyota 4Runner, T100, Tacoma

CKT-051 for $180 and the LuK Flywheel LFW200 for $67. Bought them through Amazon for the free shipping. Now I'm going to be without a truck for a while. What is the best way to get the transmission back into place?

 

While I have done it myself alone your best bet is to have at least one helper

The transmission and transfer case go in as a unit.

When working alone I used a small ratchet strap over a steel bar across the transmission tunnel just as a safety

I use two jacks aligned front to back on the vehicle one under the engine the other under the trans.

Sometimes it takes some raising and lowering things to line things up.

Once the splines are lined up takes a bit of moving the out put shaft meaning it has to be in gear.

Never force things it is easy to knock the release bearing off

It is east to get the transfer case shifter in backwards.

In my misguided youth I would just lift things up by muscle power alone but that was 40 years ago.

 

Thanks again, Who09. Your advice is golden. I don't know why I did it, but I put the transmission in neutral before I removed the stick shifters. Is that going to be a problem while trying to align by moving the 'output shaft' (is that the last thing on the other (rear) side of the transmission, spinning the flange that accepts the driveshaft?)

 

Itis not hard to move the shift forks and get it in gear.

Not being in gear you can`t move the input shaft

Yes the output shaft is the flange in the rear the drive shaft bolts to.

Were only talking a very small amount just twist it right to left till it slides in.

If the splines are not lined up no amount of pushing or beating will allow them to engage.

Another thing if the angle of the engine is not correct the top of the bell housing can hit the floor because you can`t most times see this it tends to drive you crazy.

That is why two jacks are best to lower and raise the engine and trans separate this is where an extra one or two people can make things so much easier.

As long as they sort of know what there doing.

 

As soon as I left the computer yesterday I went to the transmission and turned the output flange. I saw the other splined end turn as I turned the output shaft.
I've been procrastinating doing a second job to replace the exhaust system. I've had the LC Engineering exhaust still in the box for quite some time so yesterday I pulled the stock exhaust from manifold to tailpipe. The engine sure does flop around without the transmission and exhaust to hold it in place. This might be a big advantage and a transmission installation tip to use that play to point the engine slightly downward toward the rear of the truck for transmission to engine alignment. So if you just remove the catalytic converter you'll have that extra play. I got an email notice today saying the clutch kit and flywheel has been shipped. I also wondering if it might be worth renting a transmission jack. I have a buddy who has offered to help me, but for now there is no big hurry. I'll remove the flywheel and start installing the new exhaust system today. I've got a shopping list too...paint, oil, fluids, hoses, zirks, BrakeKleen...
What is the best way to hold the flywheel to remove the bolts?

 

HF transmission jack if worth its weight in gold! I will never change another one with out one. And I have done quite a few on many different style cars and trucks.

 

I have only ever used a impact to remove the flywheel bolts.

 

I just scored on a transmission jack... https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/5130584371.html
I have a decent air compressor, but don't have a good impact gun and they are so damned expensive. The flywheel should be in today. I'm painting parts still.

 

I purchased this one about a month ago. So far I have beat the snot out of it and has yet to let me down.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bostitch-.5-Impact-Wrench-BTMT72391/26913680

 

you might be able to rent an impact from an auto parts store.
If I remember right the manual says to torque in cross pattern to 19 ft lbs and finish in sequence with 90 degree turn of nut

I changed out my 4cyl/4x4 clutch with a floor jack and bottle jack on a rough and sloping asphalt driveway in 40F weather by myself (and I am 60 y.o.)
it requires more patience than brute force
back and forth back and forth between jacks the get the trans to motor gap even

I just removed the swivel head on the floor jack and strapped the trans to it with a ratchet strap . then rigged a bottle jack near the front of the motor to adjust the angle
As the bell housing gets close to the motor , pay attention to the gap and adjust angles to make the gap as near perfectly even as possible .
just like docking a boat , easy does it
I found it was easier to dock it at a more radical angle than level
for the final push I got on my back behind it and used both feet on the transfer case
instead of trying to spin the trans shaft, I put slight pressure against the spline with one arm pulling on the trans and the other hand turning the flywheel, even though you may see the shaft spin at each end in neutral, that wont happen with the slightest pressure on the input spline shaft

before removing the bottle jack from the front of the motor and raising the rear, put the mounting bolts in and connect wires while you can get in there, then raise the rear and put on the cross member

 

More great advice. Thanks Dustrider! And thanks also to trx125 for the air impact link. I actually have a 1/2 impact gun but it is a cheapo and very disappointing to use. In my mind impact guns are like an air compressor, the bigger the better. I had actually looked at the Bostitch because it was rated 18th of the most popular at Amazon.com, but it was only 500 ft/lbs of torque. I know it's twice the price, but I'm looking at the AirCat that puts out almost 1,300 ft/lbs here:

$169 AIRCAT Pneumatic Tools 1150 1/2" Composite Impact Wrench : Compact & Low Weight Power Tool : Impact Tool for Automotive Repairs & Maintenance

http://www.amazon.com/AIRCAT-1150-Killer-Torque-2-Inch/dp/B007WQQ90A/ref=zg_bs_15708671_4
The flywheel is supposed to be in tomorrow and I'm guilty of not doing anything on the truck today to catch up on yard work and other honey-do's

 

I would like to thank everyone that helped me through this project. It is finally finished, but not without some issues. The LuK flywheel that I purchased was mis-machined so that when the clutch plate mounted on the alignment pins every bolt hole had to be rotary-filed to elongate the holes toward the pins. I also installed the Flowmaster Exhaust System from LCE Performance and I cannot say enough about the fit and finish from header to tail pipe. I took a few pictures along the way... https://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=new_set