I have a 1988 GL series wagon, 4WD with a manual transmission which is quite worn down. I want to take a few days and rebuild the transmission myself.
What unforseen difficulties am I ignorant of? Can I buy a bearing replacement kit at the local auto parts store? Will I be able to put all the parts back together easily? Can I pull it off the block and power train without special tools? Can I hold it up with one hand while bolting it on with the other? Am I crazy to want to do this?
Justin
I don't know the particulars of that transmission, but in general to disassemble and rebuild gearboxes successfully you need special tools to get things apart and back together, as well as to set the critical clearances. If you don't have these, and have never done this type of job before, I'd highly suggest doing a lot of research before proceeding. Depending on your budget, your best bet here may be to find a good used trans from a junkyard or to have a qualified shop rebuild yours.
May be a good idea to experiment on a junkyard transmission first. Just a feeling but I think without any experience or manual you are headed for trouble. Sometimes what seems to be a worn out transmission is in fact just the shifter in need of new bushings. This model also has a history of loosing a spring in the shifter mechanism which causes the shifter to flop around.
Ask in the proper forum at
Carl
It's not a trivial undertaking. The easiest solution, as Mulder suggests, would be to find a serviceable replacement at a salvage yard. If you do decide to attempt a DIY rebuild, you will want to find a large clean table indoors somewhere to work on. Also find an exploded view of the tranny; make several copies, and keep notes on 'em as you disassemble. Be absolutely sure you have removed all of the case bolts before attempting to separate the cases; there is at least one hidden bolt IIRC. Everything must be spotless before you begin reassembly, and this alone can be a challenge unless you have access to a decent parts cleaner. Probably the only "special" tool you will need will be a dial indicator and magnetic base for it; anything beyond that is beyond the scope of a DIY project, and best farmed out to a transmission shop; this would include reworking the input/output shafts to replace the synchros, and probably at least a couple of the bearings will require a shop press and appropriate fixtures as well.
Unless you are pretty stout, you will want a transmission jack for removal/re-installation. If you're working w/o benefit of a car hoist, it's probably easier to pull the engine and transmission as a unit, and separate them on the floor.
Do the clutch, pilot and throw out bearings, and rear main seal while everything's apart, and it might even be worthwhile to replace any questionable axle boots as well.
ByeBye! S. Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101
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