When installing/replacing the c4 transmission in my '73 302 Maverick, can the transmission be removed from the bellhousing and replaced or does the bellhousing need to be removed as well ?
Before you reinstall it, get 4 of the old style full shank small block head bolts and cut the heads off, then chamfer the cut ends on a bench grinder, then install them in the bellhousing holes in the block (two per side), this way you've got four guide studs that make aligning the transmission to the block a snap. The transmission will pop right into place when pushed.
That's the long bolts, not the short ones. Shorts are too short. Or use any full shank 7/16"NC bolt that's about 3-4" long if you don't have the stock Ford bolts handy. They come in handy installing the manual transmissions too, into the bellhousing. Long time ago, we used to spend a few nights wrestling transmissions in place, wasn't til I got old and smarter and my kid left home for the USMC that I came up with this. Done several engine installs and a couple transmissions by my lonesome using these studs since then.
