Pulling the Pumpkin

[Gunny]

Originally Posted by RussMcB

... Can someone maybe give me a bullet list of the steps to remove the pumpkin for shipping? ...

Russ,

It's been too long to remember any step-by-step but let me share what little I can remember.

Several (a lot) years ago I swapped a 3:31 pumpkin into a '94 LT1 A4 to get rid of the stock 2:59. The old pumpkin sat in the garage a few years until someone needed it at which time I shipped it to Texas.

This was a D36 pumpkin (for auto trannies) and not the D45 but I expect most things to be the same/similar. The only thing I shipped was the pumpkin and the batwing ... nothing else was attached. I'm guessing that when I swapped the pumpkins that I removed the exhaust and then took everything loose from the pumpkin/batwing before dropping it. Did the whole thing on jack stands (lift would have been easier). Borrowed a friend's motorcycle jack to lift the new pumpkin into place for install (easier than a regular jack).

When I shipped the old pumpkin/batwing to TX I got some help from another friend who constructed a box frame out of 2x2 pine lumber, placing supports for the batwing/pumpkin to be bolted into the frame. Once this was done and the pumpkin was secure, we stapled thick cardboard to the outside of the frame, making it suitable to ship via UPS ... since he had a UPS account I was able to ship for a very reasonable cost. You will need to drain the fluids.

Apologies that this is not more help but it may give you enough clues to proceed. I don't think I had an FSM at that time so was shooting in the dark on changing the pumpkins ... probably looked online for some help, tho.

I don't remember it being particularly difficult, just tedious. Taking apart was fairly easy; lifting/aligning for re-install works better with 2 people.

Good luck.

[WVZR-1]

Shipping, the last four I shipped I used containers from either Home Depot, Lowes or Walmart. I used two for each shipment. One inside of the other, in the bottom of the first I put maybe two inches of cardboard to cushion the gear, you have to cut the top 3" or so from the second to slip inside the first and then pack it all very well with cardboard. I cut the lid of the second to the size of the inside of the first and bolted it to the pinion flange to center the assembly in the container. A couple layers of cardboard on top of the reduced dimension lid and then the actual lid. I used heavy-duty cable ties to secure the lid to the container and on one occasion I had bought one that I could actually nut/bolt the lid to the container.

I've also used totes with fold over lids and used a bolt and j-nut at each flap, heavy duty cable ties on the ends and a bolt/nut on the end of each flap in the center. The quality of totes has diminished some so I used the containers instead for the last few.

I had some actual parts totes that I shipped a pair of at one time in. I've never had a problem.

I did one once using the packaging foam (that was a request) and I just didn't really care for that idea.

I used to have a cardboard container I shipped in and made sure it was returned to me after the sale. A fellow asked to buy and keep after a sale so I obliged.

I bought a rear from FU and sent him the box, strapping, tape and assembly snapshots many years ago.

I've seen some botched shipping attempts.