Should I rebuild my transmission

If you have no experience in rebuilding transmissions, you may want to think about this very hard.

It is possible to do, of course, and for the most part you can work around the need for special tools, but it is complicated and if you get off course, you can end up with a barrel full of parts you have no idea where they came from.

If you have nothing better to do with your time, and if you are willing to essentially write this car off the books, and if you are not easily discouraged if you fail several times in a row, then enjoy the project.

You will normally want to buy a rebuild kit, as it has much of what you will need and is probably easier to deal with and cheaper than trying to access a few bits and pieces as you go through the project.

You may STILL have to buy some hard parts as you get into the work.

If I were you, I wouldnt take it on. I had training courses in this years ago, worked with it some, but have not done anything more than service trannies and install a few shift kits in years. I would not be competent to actually do the work now, and I realize that.

But it is your call.

From your later post, it sounds like there is more wrong with this Furd than just the tranny. Are you sure this car is worth making a project out of?

I would like to learn how to do this (by myself). I think this would be my kick off experience.

This is one of the thing I concern the most. I plan to have a lot of notes, taking pictures, laying items out in order. Disassemble each big component and assemble them back individually (not taking everything out, and put back, but take one big component, disassemble them, then put back, then disassemble the next big component and so on). I may also make a web page out of this for fun.

Time is precious. But I really want to learn besides saving the cost. I bought this car as a hobby to play with it. I have patients and consistency for this. I think the cost of fixing this by a dealer would be too much, and I can probably buy a rebuilt transmission and put it myself ( probably more than a grand).

Is this a safe assumption?

If the transmission fail, I would loose the car anyway if not fixed right? The one issue I can think of is that the dealer/mechanics may fix this for much less. From my experience with the dealer, I replaced a sensor which cost me about $20, but they asked for $175. So, I think they would charge a hand and a leg for this.

Yes, I will buy the rebuild kit. The question is whether I buy before hand or after I open it up (so I can pick the correct kit). I also wonder if it has some common tools used to open a transmission, or just frequently failed transmission parts. If it does include tools, I may want to buy it first.

Hard parts? You mean tools?

Thank you for the advice. I feel that if I don't do this, I would be in the dark side (of not knowing how to rebuild a tranny). One alternative, I was thinking of buying a tranny from a salvage yard, and play with it. The problem is that I don't think it'll be cheap.

This problem seem to be minor though. I have other cars and I fixed many things before, so it's not a big challenge (I changed a struts' bearing, which causes steering noise and tire noise). Many mechanics didn't know the tire noise was the cause of the bad bearing. The dealer asks to replace the whole strut/bearing (which cost a lot). Some mechanics told me it was the tires, or the CV joint. I found an advice later on the web that point this out correctly (after I have fixed the problem). The bearing cost about $25. I also fixed electrical problem. I replaced a tranny's park and neutral sensor (a chrysler, I have to take the valve body off to do this). So, not experienced, but I can learn and can do things with car. On the question of whether the car is worth it. I wouldn't touch my other cars' trannies at this level of experience yet. So I bought this car for the learning purpose. This appears to be the hardest so far. By the way, the strut problem, a mechanics cousin of mind advised me not to touch it. I did. His advise was good (may loose my hands or head). I almost loose my thumb. It's still a bit numb after many months. But it's a good experience. It would be safer the next time if there is (I was careful, but wasn't as experienced).

Good luck with your project.

The rebuild kit contains no tools. Just clutches, seals, etc. Essentially everything you will need UNLESS mechanical damage has been done to clutch drums, shafts, bearings etc.

'Hard parts' are things like gears, bearings, clutch drums, etc. not included in the kit.

One word of advice....dont get a friend to help you. YOU make the drawings, pictures, etc and you be sure you know where everything goes. Friends often go into a tranny like a fighting sow, pulling apart everything in their path. Big mistake.

Anybody care to wager on this? I'll make 2 bets: one, that vdu is going to try it; two, that he is going to succeed. He's just too set on doing, learning, saving, and enjoying the self-satisfaction, plus seemingly possessing the mechanical aptitude. Love to have a shopful of mechanics with those qualities--IF they could accept pay-by-the-job-------NOT hourly rates! Luck to you, vdu. Please post your results for the faint of heart and for aspiring young mechanics. s

"sdlomi2" wrote in news:jI88h.9151$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews4.bellsouth.net:

I will take your second bet that he suceedes. A auto overdrive trany is no place to be "Learning" on. With out some kind of help it will never work again. KB

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I'd like to place $10 against his try'n.

and...........

a years wages against his succeeding.

i'm sorry i can't afford more.... but i have SEVERAL similar bets on this same bet line going on rite now..... however.....once THEY........payoff.....

it will free up more funds for the "success" bet.

:)

~:~ MarshMonster ~sips his mushroom tea........rolls the 4R70W to the tear down table~ ~:~

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no

~:~ MarshMonster ~:~

I laud his interest and dedication. He will certainly learn a lot.

He isn't going to succeed on his first try. If he somehow manages to get the thing back together it won't last. But, if he keeps at it, he might succeed on his second or third one.

The smart thing to do would be to get a wrecking yard trans and R&R the trans he has. Getting the existing trans out and another one back in and having it all work is a big enough job for a newbie learner. Once he gets one of those done, then when the wrecking yard trans dies, he might be ready to pull it out and tackle rebuilding it.

Ted

I think that's a terrific idea. Go to a junkyard and buy a spare 4R70W core. Rebuild the core. Then put it in the car when you're satisfied that it's done right. If it DOESN'T work, put the old tranny back in and go back to work on the junkyard core until it's right.

This also means you'll be able to drive the car with the questionable transmission in the meantime since it IS still shifting.

Not me! They told me the first C6 I built in the driveway would never work. I last saw it 10 years later still doing what it should. I went from that and a few others to the E4OD in my truck because I was too cheap to let the dealer do it for $4K without giving it a shot first. I did all of the updates and modification up thru 1999. It has over 100K on it since and the only thing done was an outside seal kit when I had it out to replace the engine mounts and pan gasket last year. The AOD-E in my CV bit me and I had to pull it because of a nicked piston seal. Went back and bought the seal tools they told me I needed in the first place and put it back together with new seals. 80k so far with no problems on it. The big trick is pay attention with good work habits, a little mechanical aptitude and take a little advice from those who have gone before you. In my case, the parts house has some terrific counter help who don't mind handing out tips and answering questions if you can manage a cup of coffee, a slice of home made pie and a thank you now and again and - be nice - don't push them when they are obviously very busy.

Lugnut

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I'd come fix it for him for a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.

and pay my own airfare.

~:~ mm ~:~

I got a T-10 that could use some new synchros and seals :)

nate

(oh, you wanted GOOD pie. I guess I would have to bribe the girlie...)

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I will rebuild this transmission. I will post a website for the progress later.

Good on you. A sign of courage. I, for one, would really like to follow your experiences and progress.

I will post my progress here: