Aspire Trans Swap

[JPT]

I'm about to start my first major Festy project.

This car (which I love) is in bad need of a new transmission.



It sounds like a rock crusher at low speeds and whines really loud when rolling down the road. Especially on left turns. Yes FB71, I took it shopping, but it whined all the way there and back.

It has to go.

This is what I picked up this past weekend.



It's a 1995 Aspire unit with 93,000 on it. It's been tested and is in perfect working order. Comes complete with the needed front mount.

Have new Exedy clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bushing on it's way to me. Will be picking up end seals this weekend.

Now, I HAVE searched (for real MONSOON) and have come up with all kinds of ways to yank the axles. My question is what's the best way? Also, once they are out, if a circlip is damaged, where do you get a replacement?

The axles seem to be fine, so if I don't have to buy new, I'd like to keep them.

Also, while I'm in there, is there anything else I should do?

[JPT]

For removing the Axles, I think I'm going to try this...

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15669

I should mention that I'm probably going to buy new axles anyway.

[ls1_se7en]

LOL. Just use a pry bar between the housing and the fat part of the axle. One of mine came out fairly easy and the other was a real PITA. A quick blow should just pop it right out.

[JPT]

Actually, I tried that today with the new one. It came with axle ends attached (the axles were torched out of the car)

Ya know what? These promise to be a (insert banned word here) to get out.

Went at it for over two hours. Both ends. Nothing.

[ls1_se7en]

You may have to rig up the "razr scooter" method. lol. It will most likely take quite a bit of yanking and cursing. lol.

I ended up using a 24" pry bar. And then tapped the really stubborn side out from the other side. not sure I could have gotten it out the same way the other side came out. lol. You could also try a ball joint separator if you can find one that will fit around the shaft. Possibly even the air tool version of it...if you had access to that. Seems like it would work.

[b3 madness]

Another option is to leave the axle ends in the tranny and disassemble the trans side (inner) CV joint leaving the splined cup in the trans. If the oil seals do not leak and you do not plan on changing them, then this is an option. Just remove the CV boot bands and slide back the boot. There is a retaining clip inside the cup that keeps the ball bearing cage in place. Just pop that out and then regrease and swap in your new axle when ready. Much easier and no need to drain the tranny fluid.... at least out of the axle holes that is....Good luck.

[JPT]

b3 madness. That's a good idea! I'll have to look at the ends and see what condition they're in. If they're good, then this is the way I'll go. I know my axles are good.

[JPT]

Update.

I ended up using 2 pry bars on the new transmission. 1 on one side wedged in tight and the other on the opposite side. A couple of good whacks and they were out.

The ones on the car came out real easy, just like they say in the manual.

Anyway, it's in and working great. It cruises down the road with a couple of hundred revs more, but has better acceleration. I like it.

[nonamekid]

Awesome!! Thanks for the update. It is nice to hear when peoples projects get finished.

[91blufestiva]

What makes the tranny whine like that? My first one was doing that, which is why there is no tranny in it right now.

[Omgloltokyodrift]

After I was reading about how fragile the transmission case is, I started to worry about prying the axles out. In one of the threads I mentioned in my own thread, someone describes how the 'C' clip needs to be abruptly "shocked" in order to contract and let the axle free from the transmission. Hence the floor jack example (hooking it up to the axle and rolling it away from the car), and my attempt with the scooter handlebars.

Good job though!

On a side note, how does the manual suggest removing the axles? Which manual? FSM?

[JPT]

...On a side note, how does the manual suggest removing the axles? Which manual? FSM?

Chilton's. They say use a pry bar to pry the axles out. On the trans I bought, this is what I tried

It wasn't happening. I tried your method too but didn't have anything to hold the trans firmly enough. It was my cousin who suggested two pry bars.

The axles on the old trans came out with no problem using Chilton's method.

What makes the tranny whine like that? My first one was doing that, which is why there is no tranny in it right now.

I believe my trans whined because of a bad input shaft. The trans I pulled out has an input shaft that you can wiggle around with your fingers. The new one is tight, with no play.

[gareth69]

When removing the inner cv joints from the gearbox always use two bars 180 deg apart. The reason for this is that if you use one bar and start levering you are not only pushing the joint outwards but cocking it on an angle as well. The second bar holds it straight.

I have only ever had one I could not remove by this method, and that was because when I stripped the gearbox I found the end damaged from munched diff internals.

[JPT]

When removing the inner cv joints from the gearbox always use two bars 180 deg apart. The reason for this is that if you use one bar and start levering you are not only pushing the joint outwards but cocking it on an angle as well. The second bar holds it straight.

I agree. When I tried one, I could see the axle was cocked to one side. My cousin tried it too and saw the same thing. That's when he suggested two pry bars. Using two bars had the axle out in a couple of seconds. Using one, I tried for hours and got nowhere.

[iceracerdude]

When they get a little dry, the gear teeth are easier to chip, especially on the very small pinion gears in the diff. The smaller fifth gear and syncro runs higher out of the atf, (or lack of) so they're the first to run dry and first to fail. Did I mention parched bearings as well?
You know how when you're backing up, the reverse gears make that whirrr sound? That's because they're "straight cut gears". The "forward" gears are cut on an angle so they're quieter, but You can make them sound just like the reverse gears by running low on atf.