Tearing stuff apart in hopes of fixing it (or at least learning how it works) has always been a passion of mine. My '03 Mach 1 has been a great car, but like everything else, sometimes shit breaks.
My transmission had the problem of not wanting to go into 3rd gear unless the rpm's of the engine were matched perfectly with the speed I was traveling. Not having any previous transmission work experience, I had no idea where to start, except to just get it out and tear it down.
(TR-3650 in all its glory)
After modifying a metal work cart by adding extra weight, heavy duty casters and a custom mount to hold the transmission, I could finally start the disassembly process.
(First piece removed, exposing 5th gear, shift fork, etc.)
(All the parts that had to be removed, before opening the MAIN case of the transmission)
(Ready to remove the case)
(Case removed, exposing shafts, gears and shift forks/rails)
(Close up of gears)
(Shift rails)
(Removed main shaft, only the counter-shaft remaining)
(Main shaft clamped in the vise; time to pull the gears, bearings and synchros)
After disassembling the entire transmission and replacing every part that came with the rebuild kit, I finally found the root of my problem. Two tiny springs (approximately 1/4" diameter and 5/16" length) were broken. These springs hold the synchronizer insert firmly against the synchronizer cone, creating friction during rotation, which in turn helps match the speed of the inner rotating shaft to the outer corresponding gear to be engaged. Since my 3rd gear synchro springs were broken, the corresponding hub/ring would grind unless the rpm's were perfectly matched.
(Close-up of the 3rd gear synchronizer insert, cone and bad spring)
Go figure, the $100+ rebuild kit did not include these springs! It actually took me longer to locate and order these springs than it did to rebuild the entire transmission.
Would I do it again? Certainly! But, if I'm being honest, without the service manual I would have been lost. Overall, the hardest part was acquiring - or making - the required tools and locating parts to complete the full dis/re-assembly.
Have you completed a project similar to this one? Was this post informative? Leave a comment!