Removing Tranny Only (w/o removing bell/diff housing)

Here's some good repair guides for your Tercel :) Look here for help first!
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xirdneh
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Removing Tranny Only (w/o removing bell/diff housing)

Post by xirdneh »

Swapping Transmission Only **(see special note at bottom)**
Transmission and Bell/Differential housing are two separate items; they can be removed together as a unit or transmission separately as follows. The plan is to remove just enough stuff to allow the engine/tranny assy to tilt down as far as possible so you can get at the bolts on top of the tranny. The engine/tranny assy will only tilt so far due to oil pan coming to rest on top of steering rack.
1. Need 3.1 quarts of 80-90 or 85-90wt Gl-5 gear oil and 1 quart of 75-90wt synthetic gear oil (4.1 quarts required in tranny). Optional but recommend replacing Input Shaft Oil Seal (National 222655 ) and Driveline Oil Seal (National 221410).
2. If original gasket is not re-used you will need tube of gasket maker or if original gasket is re-used but is broken, a tube of non-hardening gasket compound to use at broken locations will do.
3. Raise car so bottom of car is at least 18 inches above ground.
4. Drain gear oil by removing two 24mm (15/16”) plugs on bottom of tranny. Also loosen 19mm bolt 8 turns (located just aft and starboard of rearmost drain plug). This will help all of the gear oil get out.
5. Shifter. Remove shifter knob and remove 4wd shifter knob (both un-screw counter clockwise). Remove plastic surrounding shifters (4 Phillips head sheet metal screws). Remove shifter boot (four 10mm bolts). Remove “C” clip and pull shifter out of tranny. Note: sometimes the plastic cup at end of shifter can be stuck in the tranny and may take some effort to pop it out.
6. Rear driveline. Mark driveline and differential flange with marking pen so it can be re-installed as it was. Remove four 12mm bolts and nuts with lock washers. Two good quality open/box end wrenches will do the trick.
6A. Disconnect driveline carrier bearing (Note how it is installed, most of bearing is up). Two 14mm bolts. Pull driveline out of tranny.
7. Exhaust header pipe clamp. This clamp is attached to the passenger side of the tranny. Loosen the bolt and nut enough to slide the clamp free (originally 12 mm bolt and nut but some cars have been modified with 1/2” or 9/16” bolt and nut)
7A. Exhaust pipe and Catalytic Converter. Remove rubber mounts using a large screwdriver to pry them off. You have to remove the one at the rear transmission mount and the one on the passenger side of the Cat Conv. I also recommend removing the two located aft of the Cat Converter (about half way to muffler) to relieve strain on exhaust system that will be created when engine/tranny are tilted downward.
8. Catalytic converter breather tube. If your car still has it the tube comes out of the port side of the Cat Conv. and crosses over to the driver side. Remove the two bolts holding the tube mount to the driver’s side of the tranny. The tube enters a black colored filter and that filter has a hose on the front end that will need to be disconnected so tube can be set free. Note; tube cannot be disconnected at the Cat Conv.
9. Disconnect 4wd shift linkage at transmission. (12mm and 10mm open end wrenches)
10. Disconnect speedometer cable at tranny.
11. Support Tranny. I use a large floor jack set under the center of the tranny.
12. Now you can remove the two 17mm bolts that hold the rear tranny mount to the body.
13. Now you can lower the engine/tranny assy but while doing so keep an eye on the spot where the exhaust system rubber mount was connected (on rear tranny mount) as it may hang up on Cat Conv. rubber mount connection. Use a flat blade screwdriver to pry them apart. Note; due to different configurations it may be worthwhile to remove the rear tranny mount from the transmission (two 14mm bolts, one easy and one hard to get at)
14. Disconnect 2 or 3 wire harness plugs.
15. Input Shaft. On the top left of the tranny there is a cover plate with six 12mm bolts. Remove the bolts and cover to expose aft input shaft bearing. Grab the very short bit of shaft showing with some large pliers and pull the shaft out. It may not come out very easily, if that’s the case depress the clutch pedal (wedge stick between pedal and seat or have an assistant do it) and try again but if it begins to come out quickly stop pulling and let the clutch back out. If you pull the input shaft out while clutch is depressed you will probably have some trouble later on because the clutch disc will move out of position. If that happens you will have to get it back into position before re-installing tranny. NOTE: Though i have not tried it the tranny will probably come out ok without removing the Input Shaft. OK I tried to get tranny out without removing Input Shaft first but could not do it. The tranny was seperated about 2.5" and the top hit the fire wall. I clamped a vice grip to the Input Shaft (between splines and tranny plate) and pushed the input shaft out. I think i will do it this way form now on cause its easier to get the input shaft out.
16. Remove all 12mm bolts holding tranny to bell/diff housing.
17. Now you can remove the tranny, pull it aft a few inches to separate tranny main shaft sleeve from differential then it will drop down. Tranny can be removed by one person, I’m a medium strength 58 year old and I could barely handle it.
Notes for Re-installation ***(see special note at bottom)***
1. Before installing the tranny make sure the clutch disc is aligned. You can check it by using the input shaft. Shove it into the bell housing input shaft hole to make sure it slides thru the clutch disc and into the crankshaft pilot bearing. Might try using a mirror and flashlight to look in the hole first.
2. If you decide to replace the 2 oil seals you can pry the old ones out with a screw driver. Just do not scratch the aluminum sides of the seal recess. Before removing the rear driveline seal grab the light metal shroud on the end of the tranny and wiggle it off. Do not for get to put it back on after installing new seal.
3. The gasket between the tranny and bell housing will probably break during removal, if so clean surfaces and put some non-hardening gasket compound around the broken spots. Some may remove the old gasket and use silicone gasket maker compound in lieu of a new gasket.
4. Factory Service Manual (FSM) says to refill tranny with about 4.1 quarts of gear oil using the passenger side fill hole (24mm or 15/16” open end/box end wrench). I use a quart of synthetic gear oil mixed into that 4.1 quarts. Remember to re-install the two 24mm bottom drain plugs and loosen the 19mm bolt 8 turns before adding oil. I also remove the front left side 24mm plug on the differential housing. With car being level pump in the oil till it begins to run out of this hole.
Note: while pumping the oil in you may have to stop and let it rest for a while when the oil backs up out the fill hole. If the oil is pre-warmed it may fill the internal nooks and crannies faster.
4A. Install front left side 24mm plug, install rear right side 24mm fill plug and tighten the 19mm bolt on bottom of tranny. 24mm
****Special Note: Before installing the tranny make sure it shifts by temporarily installing the shifter and testing it. While handling the tranny you can accidently bump the fifth gear shift fork shaft further into the tranny than it should be, locking up the tranny. If tranny is stuck in neutral try pulling or prying the fifth gear shift fork forward. Another way is to remove the 19mm plug on top right of tranny (just forward of 4 hole cover plate located on top right of tranny) and using a screwdriver in the hole to push the gear forward. The tranny can only have this problem if in neutral or reverse and the fifth gear shift fork shaft gets bumped. Leaving the tranny in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th gear while handling and/or installing, will prevent this lock-up from happening.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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