Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

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xirdneh
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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

Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by xirdneh »

Manual Transmission Removal and Re-installation
This is what I can recall after doing it a few weeks ago.
Get the car as high as possible, front and rear at same height. At a minimum you should be able to roll over while under the car without banging your shoulders on the bottom of the car (17-18 inches). The rear tires can be set on metal ramps and the front end should be on jack stands because you will have to remove the front tires.
A few large pieces of cardboard are great to lay on making it easy to slide around while under the car.
Remove plastic shield (if it still has one) that is under front of engine (its abt 4 feet wide) (six bolts).
Remove the front differential oil plug (24mm or 15/16 socket) on the left side (its located abt half way up the side). This will be a vent to assist in draining the tranny of all gear oil. Loosen 19mm plug 8 turns, it’s located on bottom of tranny on right side, aft of the two 24mm drain plugs located on bottom center. Remove fill plug (24mm) on right side of tranny (also for a vent). It’s kinda tight in there due to exhaust pipe but a 15/16 box end wrench works great. Now you can slide a drain pan under the tranny and remove the front drain plug and let the oil drain while you work on removing the rear driveline.
Remove the four 12mm bolts connecting the rear driveline to the rear differential but before you do that, mark the flanges with a marking pen or center punch them so you can re-install exactly as it was. Next remove the carrier bearing bolts (two 14mm) and slide the driveline out of the tranny. Try to pull it straight out of tranny so tranny rear seal is not damaged.
Remove front tires.
Remove plastic shield located over axle (three 10mm bolts) attached to chassis.
Disconnect outer tie rod ends on both sides of car. I do this by removing the cotter pin and loosening the 17mm nut till it is almost flush with end of stud. Then while holding a dolly under the arm I smack the end of the stud with a copper or brass hammer. Note: a dolly is a small but heavy piece of metal like the end of a sledge hammer that is used to absorb some of the shock so you do not bust off the cast iron arm. It will help if you first put a torch to the end of the arm to heat it up a bit thus causing the cast metal arm to expand a little.
Remove the two 14mm bolts that hold the lower ball joints to the lower control arm.
Remove two frame stiffeners (abt ¾ dia light tubing with flat ends) four 14mm bolts. That will give you some room to play with the axles.
Next use a big screwdriver to pop the front axles free of the tranny by wedging the screwdriver between the tranny and axle. Grab a long crowbar or something like it and slip it over the lower control arm and under the chassis. Now you can push down on the crowbar using it as a lever to free the ball joint and while holding it down grab the axle and wheel hub and pull the axle out of the tranny and swing it all out of the way. It would be best to have help here with your buddy guiding the axle straight out of tranny so oil seal is not damaged.
On drivers side in engine compartment it will make life easier if you remove air filter housing (two 10 mm bolts). Also remove fuel charcoal canister attached to firewall (loosen two 10mm bolts)
Disconnect clutch cable from clutch lever (arm) located under distributor. Its way easier to do this with distributor removed. Before removing distributor rotate engine to top dead center (align mark on lower front pulley with mark on block) and remove distributor cap. Note where rotor is pointing so you can get it back in the right spot when you re-install the distributor. Remove 12mm bolt holding distributor and remove distributor.
Now that distributor is outta the way remove the clutch cable. Disconnect battery positive terminal. Remove two 14mm bolts holding starter motor in place. You can also remove the two 17mm bolts on top of the tranny that connect it to the engine block.
Inside the car remove plastic cover around the shift lever. Pull rubber boot back at base of shifter. Remove snap ring with snap ring remover or needle nose pliers. Pull shifter out of tranny. Sometimes you have to pull pretty hard. There is a nylon cup on the end that gets stuck sometimes.
On passenger side of engine under the car, remove the clamp attaching the exhaust pipe to the tranny. On same side also remove the (four 14mm) bolts holding the tranny to engine support mounts. On the drivers side remove the tranny to engine support mount (three 14mm) bolts.
On passenger side below the fuel pump there is a 10mm bolt that holds the metal water pipe to tranny, remove it. Near that same bolt is a 17mm bolt connecting the tranny to the engine block, remove that too.
Under the drivers side of the car there is another bolt located below the starter, remove that. Also remove Cat tube air canister and its mount on tranny.
Disconnect speedo cable.
Disconnect 4wd linkage (thin 10mm wrench and 12mm socket).
Support the tranny with a floor jack (just barely touching it) now you can remove the rear tranny mount where it attaches to the chassis (two 17mm bolts). Note: on some cars it is easier to remove and re-install tranny if the mount is removed from the tranny too (two 14mm).
Now slowly lower the floor jack, the tranny will follow it down until bottom of engine rests on steering rack, that’s as far as its going to go.
Disconnect the tranny wire harness.
Now you can wrestle the tranny out. One guy can do it but it’s much better with two guys. Pull it back then pushing up on the aft end and twisting clockwise (to clear clutch arm at firewall). It is easier to do this if you remove the Input Shaft first. Use extra long extensions on ratchet to get the 5 12mm bolts out of plate on top of tranny. Sometimes the Input will come out easy using large channel lock pliers to grip the little bit of shaft that sticks out of bearing. I have had to resort to vise grips.

If replacing the clutch remove all of the 12mm bolts holding pressure plate to flywheel. Remove pressure plate and clutch disc. Remove pilot bearing located in end of crankshaft. The easiest way to get it out is with a tool designed for it, a small slide puller that expands inside of bearing gripping it so it can be pulled. Another way is to pack the bearing hole with grease and hammer a metal pin the same diameter as the hole into the bearing. The pressure forces the bearing out hydraulically. Water and toilet paper can be stuffed in there instead of grease. It’s less messy.
When re-installing clutch and pressure plate use the alignment tool provided with the clutch kit. It will center the clutch disc while the pressure plate bolts are being tightened.
Re-installing the tranny is basically a reverse of the removal except for one thing. Remove the tranny input shaft. There are five or six bolts to remove (12mm) then carefully tap the end of the input shaft to pop it out. The tranny can be installed without removing the input shaft but it will be very difficult to do so. On some cars (manual steering) it is not possible without moving the engine forward a few inches. That involves removing engine mount nuts and lifting the engine. You do not want to go through that. Remove the input shaft and make life easy. Right after you get the tranny in place and put a couple of bolts in to hold it there re-install the input shaft. It may slide right in or it may require a little force. Use a rubber mallet to “lightly” tap it in. If it goes in most of the way but tightens up just short, hook up the clutch cable and have someone push the clutch pedal down. While they are pushing the pedal down keep your hand on the input shaft so it does not fall out, then push it in. Note: if it does fall out while the clutch pedal is pushed down you will be screwed as the clutch will drop and that will probably require pulling the tranny back out.
Install new gear oil after tranny, front axles and rear drive line have been completely installed. Re-install bottom drain plug then pump oil into the fill hole (on right side). Stop now and then to let oil settle for a while. Then pump again. When oil begins to come out of the differential hole it is full. It holds just over a gallon but may not require the full amount as some residual oil will have remained in the tranny.
From inside the car. Grease up the shifter nylon cup and the shift shaft that enters the tranny before re-installing.
Consider replacing the engine rear main bearing seal while you have the chance. That will require flywheel removal and re-installing flywheel will require a torque wrench. A short piece of chain bolted to engine block and flywheel (use one pressure plate bolt) will keep flywheel still while torqueing.
As long as the tranny is out you should replace the two front axle seals and the rear extension housing seal for the drive line. Before removing seals measure the depth they are seated so you can duplicate that with the new seals. Pop the old ones out with a big screwdriver. Carefully drive in the rear seal till it is about flush. The two fronts should be driven to the same depth as the old ones were. Check the Factory Service Manual (FSM).
Last edited by xirdneh on Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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ARCHINSTL
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My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by ARCHINSTL »

BRAVO !
Thanks! Now a sticky!
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dlb
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by dlb »

unreal, xirdneh. and water and toilet paper to help remove the pilot bearing? rad. i love unpretentious wrenching. well done, man.
kiteguy
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My tercel:: '87 sr5 4wd

Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by kiteguy »

I first want to thank you xirdneh for this post!! It made my life and the removal of the tranny much easier than expected:) The bad news...I need a new one:( Since we are neighbors (I live in Bremerton), I was hoping you knew of someone locally that could do a good rebuild. I also have an '83 sr5 4wd with a blown engine and was wondering if I could just swap everything. Any ideas?
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Petros
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Petros »

You can swap the '83 trans into the the '87 if you do either change out the front diff off your old trans (presumably the front diff is okay), or you swap both the trans and the rear diff (third member in the center of the rear axle) together. The '87 has 4.11:1 diff ratio and the '83 has 3.73:1, so you either have to use the front diff off your current trans on the trans from the '83, or change the rear diff to match the trans ratio. both front and rear have to match gear ratio.

One other minor consideration is the back-up and 4wd indicator light switches might use a different connector, but you can swap those out too. I do not this there is an EL indicator on the '83 trans, but you do not really need a light on the dash to tell you it is in extra low (I think it is silly). I never missed having it on my '84.

While your trans is out you might consider replacing your clutch and engine rear main seal, if it needs it.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
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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

Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by xirdneh »

i cannot recommend anyone. i have never had one re-built.
i know someone who lives out by Dewatto who took a dead tranny to a local shop (not sure which one but i can find out) and they took it apart and told him what they needed to fix it. He had another tranny that was broken and took it apart. The parts they needed were good.
They re-assembled with the used parts
it cost 1200.00 just to do that
personally i would scout for another used tranny
should be able to find one somewhere eventually for between 100 and 600.00
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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Petros
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Petros »

There is a transmission shop here in Arlington WA with a very good mechanic. They are familiar with Toyota trans, including the T4wd. The labor for a rebuild at this shop is about $300, replacement parts, seals and gaskets can be between $300 and $600, plus any hard parts that need replacing. It can be done cheaper here at Arlington transmission if you pull the trans out yourself, but it is still not inexpensive.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
kiteguy
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by kiteguy »

So if I remove the '83 trans and bolt it to the '87 front diff, I should be good? Can I remove the '83 trans without removing the front diff? Are they easier to install when seperated?
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Petros
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Petros »

the FSM instructs you to unbolt the 10 bolts and two nuts to remove the trans from the bell housing/front diff assembly, leaving that behind, and just removing the gearbox and transfer case assembly. I have done it before but I found it not worth the extra work due to the limited clearance in the trans tunnel. If I was to do it again I would pull the whole trans assembly from the back of the engine, and than separate the bell housing/front diff from the gear box after I get it out of the car.

I would also remove the front cover of the diff housing and carefully inspect the wear pattern on all the ring and pinion gears, and the condition of the bearings (but do not remove them from the housing). Also remove the input shaft and carefully inspect the seal, gear teeth and bearings on it, rotate it by hand to feel for roughness, cliffs or skips both in and out of the housing (should be all smooth). If they are all in good condition than I would go ahead and swap out gear box with the original front diff/bell housing assembly. If not than you will either have to find a good 4.11:1 front diff housing assembly, or swap out the rear diff with the one in your parts car.

While you have it out you might remove the clutch and see the wear on it, and consider replacing the rear main seal on the engine as well.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
kiteguy
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My tercel:: '87 sr5 4wd

Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by kiteguy »

Ok..without the help/posts from you guys, I would have never made it this far..Thanks again!!..I have replaced the clutch, all the bearings and seals mentioned and have the '83 trans installed!! The only thing holding me up is getting the front axels into the diff. I'm sure there is a SST for this job...Anybody have any tricks??
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dlb
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by dlb »

yes sir. slide the inner end into the diff and hold the CV axle straight out. use a plastic- or rubber-faced hammer and whack the outer end of the CV until it clicks into the diff. if you don't have a plastic- or rubber-faced hammer you can hold a smal block of wood against the outer end of the CV and hit that with a regular hammer.
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Petros
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Petros »

Another method I have found works is to put it in by hand as far as possible (make sure the spline is engaged by rotating it back and fourth), than put a large screw driver or rod in the groove around the inner cv joint body (it should be at the edge closest to the diff housing) holding at about a 45 degree angle. Than drive with a hammer to push the spline shaft into the diff. When everything is lined up it should just pop into place.

There is a spring clip in the end of the spline shaft that has to be compressed so it slides into the diff, it sometimes helps to put some grease on this clip and the splines (also grease up the seals). You just have to drive it in hard enough to get the clip to pop into its groove.

I have noticed that some brands of shaft do not have this groove, but that is not a very common type (DLB method above should work for those). Be careful you do not damage the boots doing this. IF in doubt wrap them with heavy duck tape when pounding on it, and remove when done. I just hate to hammer on the end of the axle, all the force is driven through both CV joints, and the risk of damaging the threaded end of the axle.

Good luck, you are almost done.
.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
kiteguy
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My tercel:: '87 sr5 4wd

Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by kiteguy »

The little ol' honey is back on the road and everything is working smoothly!!! :D You guys on here ROCK!! I could not or would not have even attempted this project without the help/answers from all of you. Thanks again a bunch!!! I now have an '83 minus the trans and an '87 trans minus the front bearing if anybody needs any parts. Long Live the Tercel...
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Petros »

list member Xredneh does not live far from you and could use the parts. He has been stockpiling trans parts recently.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Tres
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Re: Manual Transmission Removal and Re-Installation

Post by Tres »

First of all thank you for the great repair info here...its been spot on and very helpful.
I just purchased the tercel that lived in Dewatto mentioned earlier in this thread, and am very excited...However during my first week of Tercel ownership 5th gear went out and now it is time for this rebuilt transmission to be removed again (first time for me). So far xirdneh's instructions have been awesome......

I am at the point where everything is disconnected, trans is on a floor jack, wrestling has begun but now I am stuck. Two of us were able to pull the trans about 4" back and rotate it 3" or so clockwise. The splines still seem to be connected but we cant seem rotate any more to clear the clutch lever or come toward the rear to disengage the splines. Any thoughts or tips on pulling the trans out would be very much appreciated.
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