What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[ricko1966]

Transmission swap.I am going to do an abreviated write up just in case anyone wants to know if it can be done this wayI now know it can. loosened driver side front wheel pulled the speedo drive w/cable, unhooked transmission wiring and took out all the perimeter bolts I could get to removed clutch cable bracket and pulled cable loose from transmission. Attached an under hood engine support. Jacked up drivers side and supported it undid lower trans mounts from cross member and unbolted cross member from the car slid it out of the way to passenger side.Unbolted rest of engine to trans and dust shield bolts,undid trans linkage and torque rod,popped both axles loose from transmission. Popped drivers side tie rod end off of steering knuckle,popped lower ball joint painted foward upper strut bearing bolt and nut then removed both upper strut nuts. Pulled the strut with axle and brake caliper attached out of my way pulled the tranny leaving passenger side axle in the car. Put the replacement in lining up my passenger axle and input shaft as I went looped a ratchet strap under the starter to help support things as I lifted everything as close as I could get it then went underneath to wiggle and push the tranny back in.

[bravekozak]

I almost always recommend drilling and retapping.You have no idea ho many times a do iot yourselfer has brought a whatever to whatever shop I was working at with a broken ez out stuck in a broken bolt.Now things just are harder.

I bought a homemade screw/bolt knocker on the Bay. Anyone can have one made. This is the best way to get out rusted screws and bolts. Impact guns are for butchers. Light pressure combined with percussion is the way to go.

[ricko1966]

I was replying to someones post that said they had a broken off bolt and someone said drill it and ez out it, I was trying to give them what I consider a safer option, seriously I have no idea how many broken ez outs I've had to remove especially when I worked at the machine shop.I also wish I had proof read my post I hope everyone understood it.When they break off an ez out it can't be drilled out. that's why it just gets harder.

I bought a homemade screw/bolt knocker on the Bay. Anyone can have one made. This is the best way to get out rusted screws and bolts. Impact guns are for butchers. Light pressure combined with percussion is the way to go.

[F3BZ]

needed to change the headlight bulb. oddly the car just passed inspection 3 days earlier but lo beam was burnt out. had to remove the AF housing to gain enough room to pull the bulb. turned out to be a good thing i had to because here is what was inside. some vermin made a home here during the 2 years the car was parked. i started it occasionally and even drove it to the end of the street and back and didn't notice any ill effects. also after removing the mess it didn't seem to perk up the car anymore than it was with the restriction.

IMG_0438 by mike schmitt, on Flickr

[xXxEpicxXx]

Today I swapped my 1 driver side mirror for 2 driver and passenger power mirrors with switch and they work! as well as swapping a bunch of interior pieces so i can have a more functional interior from the base model to the high end model. will be swapping transmissions to the 5 speed as well soon. on another note i work at a prison and talking to one of the inmates and we were talking about Festiva's, he told me he used to steal them down in south Washington new from the lot 8 at a time run them to the border, where they would strip them of everything they could, then they would strap them down with cocaine to match the factory weight, then use them to smuggle drugs across the border because they were the perfect "grandmas" car and would never be stopped at the border. Haha, i thought that was a story i should share, over the course of 4 years he stole 56 Festiva's from dealerships by breaking the old boxes mounted to the windows that held the keys

[FestYboy]

Lost the transmission pulling into work on Saturday... Now stuck in reverse. Gonna have to split the case to repair it. In the meantime, Skippy will get a spare installed this week.

[ricko1966]

Had to do one of mine last weekend. In case you didn't know you do not have to remove the lower cross member just slide it towards the passenger side I left the whole passenger side alone just popped the axle loose from the tranny. Popped the drivers side unbolted the strut mount and slid the whole strut axle attached uot of my way. Never even fired up the compressor,didn't even jack up the passenger side I think in and out was about an hour.

[FestYboy]

Do what now??! How did you support the engine? How did you get around the swaybar if the passenger side was still on the ground? What do you mean "slide it (crossmember) to the passenger side"?

A clutch job for me is about 2 hrs on the ground, if there's something I'm missing to make that go a bit quicker, please share.

[ricko1966]

It was easy. If you have a transverse engine bar this will be easier I have a sweet one I made .but a 4x4 the width of the hood and a ratchet strap would work to support your engine. it could be supported with a jack and jack stand from underneath if you need to do it that way,Support the trans with a jack. unbolt your cross member,slide it as far towards the passenger side as possible put a jack stand with a 2x4 on top between under engine,remove the jack,now undo all your perimeter bolts.wiring,shift linkage starter,and dust shield. put a paint mark on your drivers side upper strut mount pop both axles loose from the trans. pop drivers side outer tie rod end,remove lower ball joint pinch bolt, push the control arm down w/ a prybar until you get the shaft out of the steering knuckle, unbolt your upper mount pull the whole strut ,axle,caliper and alll as a uniy out of your way and bungee it up. slide the trans left and down. Hardest part is lining up passenger side axle and input shaft at almost the same time. I got close and then hung just the trans and starter with a ratchet strap so I didn't have to deal with any weight just manuvering the transmission.I am goingto look for a pic of my support and post it in a minute. I didn't touch the sway bar for anything,didn't touch the passenger side other than to r&r the inner CV joint at the trans,

[ricko1966]

disc brake one is just to illustrate how I build my own rear discs on most stuff. Turn the drum down untill it is a hub that caliper bracket is 2 piece 1st piece is thin and bolts up just like the backing plat with the same bolts and holes second bracket fits whatever caliper you use overlap them and put spacers between them to get distance and offset for whatever rotor clears everything. as long as turn your hub to fit snug in the rotor you can use your hub as a template to drill your rotor. The hub can be made on a regular old brake lathe.engine support 2.jpg Damnit looks like my images aren't loading P.M. your email address I 'll se if I can send them straight to you and you can upload them. Thanksengine support 3.jpg

[FestYboy]

Ok, I understand all of that except the "slide the crossmember" part. There are 4 bolts that hold the crossmember to the chassis, and 3 nuts that mount the 2 trans mounts to the crossmember. In my head, either the trans needs to be lifted to clear the crossmember, or the crossmember needs to drop away from the trans to clear the studs and case. And in my head, all 4 bolts need to be removed to do that. So what and where exactly are you sliding? I'm having trouble picturing it.

Btw, clicking on the attachment links opens the pics full size without issue.

[ricko1966]

I am doing this from memory and maybe not remembering or maybe not wording something right. I unbolted the trans from the cross member and crossmember from the frame the cross member didn't want to come out with the stabilzer bar in place so I just pushed it towards the passenger side, and kept on going.

[ricko1966]

I am doing this from memory and maybe not remembering or maybe not wording something right. I unbolted the trans from the cross member and crossmember from the frame the cross member didn't want to come out with the stabilzer bar in place so I just pushed it towards the passenger side, and kept on going.

By the way if I didn't want to build/use/didn't have that bar I made. My second choice would be a 4x4 and a ratchet strap that way there is nothing under the car to get in your way and by raising or lowering your strap you can change the entry angle going in and out with the trans.f. That bar is so handy because I can raise and lower my engine change the angle.Sometimes I just support one end with the come along which gives me crazy control over the engine angle sometimes I will hang the engine from the hooks and lift my trans into place with my come along.

[ricko1966]

Had to do one of mine last weekend. In case you didn't know you do not have to remove the lower cross member just slide it towards the passenger side I left the whole passenger side alone just popped the axle loose from the tranny. Popped the drivers side unbolted the strut mount and slid the whole strut axle attached uot of my way. Never even fired up the compressor,didn't even jack up the passenger side I think in and out was about an hour.

I see where I confused everyone ,I read you had to remove the stabilizer bar to remove the crossmember. When I said I didn't remove the crossmember that wasn't worded right it is unbolted from everything and just slid out of the way with the stabilizer bar still in place, sorry for the confusion

[mikemounlio]

Last night i pulled the motor out of britstiva. And on over kill i took my new steering wheel off and put it back on straight. When i installed it i thought i had the wheels straight but i guess i didnt. The wheel has been like 45° off. It finally got to me and i put it on straight.