Harbor Freight Transmission Adapter
By Paul Lapczynski
If you’re not a professional transmission shop and don’t have the money for a full-time transmission jack, you might appreciate this more economical solution, Harbor Freight’s Transmission Adapter. The adapter is meant to work with a Harbor Freight jack with a 1-1/4″ saddle, but mine fit on my Craftsman two-and-a-half-ton floor jack — and no parallel universes opened when the two tools met.
The adapter provides 60-degree-forward and 10-degree-reverse tilt, and its “feet” slide to accommodate your transmission sides. It comes with a single safety chain that you tighten with a screw hook. There are additional openings to add more ratchet straps or chains if you want — I use two straps with my transmission since it’s v-shaped on the bottom.
A note about any transmission jacks of this type: Unless you can get your vehicle at least three feet in the air it won’t clear the jack and adapter — you’ll need to do your service with the jack lowered under the vehicle.
The Harbor Freight transmission adapter normally sells for $43, and they often put it on sale.
Transmission Adapter [Harbor Freight]
January 27th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I helped change the clutch on a friends Mustang, and I would have killed for one of these. The T56 is a heavy transmission!
January 27th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I can concur with the height issue! I can’t think of a way to get a car high enough in the air to use this without a lift, if you have a lift you probably have the means to have a trans jack. I bought one and turned it in for scrap without ever using it, save up a little more and get HF el-cheapo trans jack it will serve you better!!
January 29th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I agree the trans jack is a better solution, but in a snap these work great.
the hight is not that big of an issue if you use the larger tripod style car stands….
January 29th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Do “larger tripod style car stands….”=jack stands?