GTD adaptor plate removal

I am trying to remove the gearbox on my GTD.
It is fitted with a 302/renault 21 turbo and has an adaptor plate between the two. Before I start to attack it too vigorously, am I right in thinking that the adaptor plate is fixed to the engine and the gearbox to that? What I mean is that if I undo the four bolts holding the gearbox to the adaptor plate, will I be able to remove it? It's not attatched to the adaptor plate from the other side?
Thanks.

 

[Julian West]

Hi John,

Yes, you are correct, the adapter plate is bolted to the engine block & the gearbox then bolted to the plate. So if you undo the four bolts on the gearbox, the gearbox can be removed & the adapter plate will stay on the engine.

FWIW if you need to remove the plate from the engine you will need a torx bit.

Hope this helps!

 

[Malcolm]

And don't support the engine less gear box by the adapter plate! They have been known to bend the bottom of the adapter plate where the steel gets slim and so your gearbox will not sit flat when re fitted. Eventually leads to input drive shaft failure!

 

[Howard Jones]

Assume that whoever put the car together indexed the adapter to the centerline of the crank and therefor the input shaft is also indexed to the crank.

Don't take the adapter plate off the motor unless you redo this or at least recheck the adapterplate for proper alinement.

If the transaxle input shaft or the bushing has any unusual wear on it then recheck indexing before you put the gearbox back on.

A little bit of a hassle but nows the time.