2001 LS1 Trans AM Spec Clutch - Forward Motion

By virtue of the transmission being tucked up into the Trans Am's aptly-named trans tunnel, a decent number of parts have to be removed in order to get the T56 out and gain access to the clutch. Start with GM's wavy plate, an item which exists solely for the purpose of adding a few extra pounds to your car, as it can't possibly contribute meaningfully to structural rigidity.

The torque arm needs to be removed, and this process starts at the rear axle assembly, where the nuts holding the two large thru-axle-housing bolts must come off. Do not even attempt to remove the bolts yet, as the torque arm is under tension and is holding onto them for dear life.

Using a transmission jack, the rear axle assembly must now be supported in order to remove the torque arm and driveshaft. Be careful not to raise it too far or else the entire car will begin to rise off of the lift's pads, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

After removing the four bolts clamping the driveshaft to the rear axle yolk, a couple of hammer taps will likely be needed to unseat it. Interestingly, GM refers to the driveshaft as a "propeller shaft," a clue that perhaps Firebirds were originally designed with winged flight in mind, or possibly even seaworthiness. (Editor's note: author Chris Werner wrote this piece while institutionalized, please bear with us.)

With both the torque arm and driveshaft detached from the rear axle, the rear axle assembly can be lowered and the transmission jack temporarily set aside. The driveshaft then slips out of the rear of the transmission; a large hairy man can prove indispensable for this step.

The torque arm will refuse to part with its close friend Mr. Tremec unless one removes the bolt clamping the torque arm into this rubber mount at the very rear of the transmission. It's located just above the transmission crossmember. With the bolt removed, the mount splits open and the torque arm can slide out.

It seems like everything underneath an F-body is attached to the transmission in some way, and the exhaust system is no exception. We detached our Trans Am's SLP Y-pipe via these two bolts on the passenger side of the car. (Now is also a good time to pop the shifter out of the interior of the car, a step we somehow neglected to snap a single photo of; get the plastic trim out of the way and you can remove the four shifter-to-transmission bolts.)

Eight bolts hold the transmission to the flywheel housing. Don't let the orange decal on the transmission fool you, this really is a T56 manual tranny, but it uses automatic transmission fluid. These suckers are so tough they've been rumored to operate even with no fluid in them whatsoever. Now is also a good time to disconnect every bit of wiring that's either attached to or plugged into the transmission.

A few of the transmission-to-flywheel-housing bolts are difficult to access as they reside fairly high up in the trans tunnel. Some very long extensions will be needed to get at these, often enough so that they extend to or beyond the transmission crossmember. One such bolt toward the passenger side holds a vent line bracket beneath it and is particularly difficult to access.