Auto Transmission Rebuild

[JimFestiva]

Anyone rebuild the transmission before. How hard is it? Any special tools required? I have a 92 that I am reworking for my daughter.

[Movin]

Even with a manual, not really something you want to dig into
without getting some hands on with a pro first. Lots of little tricks
and a few things to watch out for. There is a difference between
"hey it worked when I got it together" and a strong trans that will last.

[JimFestiva]

That's kind of what I thought. It may just be easier to install a used one. I have some leaks in the Festiva I just bought. I am still trying to find out where. It shifts well. Is it easy to just repair the leaks or should I just install a non-leaking used one?

[nitrofarm]

It might just be the axle seals & the pan gasket. Both of which might be leaking on your new used tranny. So why not try fixing the leaks.Especially if it shifting good.

[Safety Guy]

Just a heads up: When I changed the transaxle filter on Luxstiva, it leaked from the pan gasket area (I put in a new gasket) for quite a while afterwards. I kept tightening the little 10mm bolts until it finally slowed enough to become unimportant.

Karl

[JimFestiva]

Thanks for the tips. I highly suspect that the previous owner didn't do such a good job with the pan. He left two bolts in the ashtray that he could not reach.

Are the axle seals hard to replace? Also, for either leak repair, will I need a lift? I bet the axle seals are a good bet since the owner has a lot of shimmy due to bad wheel bearings. Could he have damaged the seals with a whole lot of shakin goin on?

I appreciate all of the help. I have never done much of this type of work before (or at least since high school 30 years ago. I'm kind of hooked on these Festivas.

[nitrofarm]

LOL And You where going to try & do a rebuild. Its all good, this is the correct place for help. Plenty of people here will help you through. First thing you should do is make sure you can get those two bolts in the empty holes. I'm suspecting the threads in the aluminum trans housing might be cross threaded.:eeeeeek: And to answer your question about axle seals. First off, are they leaking? You must determine where the leaking fluid is coming from. Get a can or two of engine degreaser and hose the engine and tranny down. Now get some clean rags and wipe the pan & axle seal area's clean. Make sure the fluid is topped off. Go drive it till car is heated up. Come back home,and check for leaks. If its the pan gasket,there is a specific way to seal them. I worked at a trans shop for a while. Sealing pans is not always easy. Many people screw it up. Its easy if you understand what not to do. But you can cross that bridge when you get there. If your car has been driven without two bolts in the pan. You MUST blow out the threaded hole cavities before trying to install the bolts. DONT just try to thread them in. Most likely they have dirt/sand in them.

[JimFestiva]

Thanks for the help. I'll try to check it closer this week. I think I may come out of this thing okay. It already has less vibration than when I picked it up. That is because the passenger side tire blew out. Fortunately, I was following my wife in my Festiva and had an extra spare handy. I know the other tire is bad too. Fix the leaks and change the tires and I should be in good shape.