OK, recently a friend and I took the gearbox out of an Uno 45... here's my tips 
Note that although you can remove the gearbox with the RH driveshaft left in place, it is much harder to refit! It is also possible to remove the gearbox with both driveshafts attached, but again this is very difficult to refit because you have to thread the driveshafts through the suspension at the wrong angles.
It's much easier to refit the gearbox without driveshafts, then put them in separately. The extra time spent unbolting/rebolting the struts is much easier time than trying to line up the driveshaft while an assistant holds the weight of the gearbox, etc.
I used to think that taking off a gearbox was a huge task, but it's really only an hour's work. Allow yourself four hours for the whole job, and you should be fine.
Hope it goes well!
-Alex
- Undo driveshaft nuts with assistant standing on the brake pedal
- Take off wheels, support car on axle stands placed under control arm rear mountings
- Undo 2x strut lower bolts, both sides
- Take off brake caliper (sliding wedges)
- Wind the steering towards the side being worked on. Flop the steering knuckle outwards (the part where the strut bolts on comes towards you). It should now be possible to push the driveshaft out of the hub and remove it - take care not to damage the seal on the wheel bearing. There is no need to remove the lower balljoint. You may need to remove the steering balljoint - but I didn't.
- Unbolt the RH driveshaft boot mounting plate (three 10mm bolts)
- Cut the clamp/cable tie for the LH driveshaft boot
- Remember that you forgot to drain the gearbox oil as it begins to spew forth
- Remove both driveshafts. Once the boots are off, the shafts just slide out of the diff.
- Unbolt the starter motor - sparky-spark
- Disconnect the battery that should have been disconnected at the beginning!
- Unbolt the tin plate behind the flywheel, under the gearbox
- Support the engine sump on a large block of wood, on a trolley jack (jack not available? You ARE using axle stands, aren't you?)
- Unbolt the front and rear gearbox mountings
- Pry off the two gearchange rod balljoints. Remove the clip that secures one of the links to the gearbox
- Unbolt the four large 19mm bolts holding gearbox to engine
- Remember the earth lead connected to the gearbox...
- Remove gearbox
Note that although you can remove the gearbox with the RH driveshaft left in place, it is much harder to refit! It is also possible to remove the gearbox with both driveshafts attached, but again this is very difficult to refit because you have to thread the driveshafts through the suspension at the wrong angles.
It's much easier to refit the gearbox without driveshafts, then put them in separately. The extra time spent unbolting/rebolting the struts is much easier time than trying to line up the driveshaft while an assistant holds the weight of the gearbox, etc.
I used to think that taking off a gearbox was a huge task, but it's really only an hour's work. Allow yourself four hours for the whole job, and you should be fine.
Hope it goes well!
-Alex
