Transmission rebuild

Did he recommend any particular brand/weight?

No he didn't. But I plan to buy some of this: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/red-58204/overview/

Looks like the right ticket. 250 weight under shock-loading. But regular 75W90 viscosity so it shifts like normal.

Here is Redline tech info:

http://www.redlineoil.com/cont...il%20Tech%20Info.pdf

That Redline product is great, I have it the diffs of both the Chevy and the F-100 and in the Cobra's Jag/Versailles pumpkin and Ford top loader 4-spd. It was recommended by a trans and driveline pro racing builder that rebuilt the Chevy's Muncie and rearend for me. He told me to run the gear oil in it when it was first rebuilt for about 300mi...then drain it and put in the Redline. Did that and it works/worked fine. It really smoothed out the top loader and Muncie shifting making it more 'silky' feeling when shifting gears and reduced the normal Muncie 'howl'.

Thanks, that confirms what I'm thinking.

BTW, Gordon, 3 quarts will do it, 5.3 pints for a refill, it is 6.3 pints dry.

A little progress tonight. Media blasted trans case. Then cleaned it and painted. Got my trans bearings/parts today. German main bearing, more than twice the Chinese cost. German pinion bearing. French SKF differential carrier bearings. NEW snap rings. Building it up tomorrow.......

Looking good.

I hated removing those snap rings.

Ted

Danny, I bow to you sir! I've taken a few transaxles apart, as well as replaced nose cones, axles (and tubes) and side covers, but never done a full reassembly. I have a couple of friends that can do it and it's on my list of things to learn.  

Thanks Al. Inside of case is all washed of grease and possible media grit. Gotta start re-assembly.

And so the fun part -- working w/ clean and fresh parts, making it right like it is supposed to be.  Here's hoping you don't forget something, or leave any forceps or tweezers in there. 

I'm working on it, slowly. I pressed the pinion bearing on and torqued/loctited the nut. Pictures will follow, I'm taking them as I go. All external parts are super clean and I'm degreasing, rinsing, drying, and coating with oil the internal parts as I go. I should be able to adjust the shift forks and have this back together by the weekend

My hat's off to you again, Danny. Wish I was just there with you to learn. I'd wash, rinse, dry and pass the beer all you want. Tranny rebuilds scare me. Did one on a BSA once and mumbled quietly to myself later....never again. Looking forward to hooking up again.

Saw this... http://kinja.roadandtrack.com/...x-1693896233/+travis

Thought of Danny.

Ted

Thanks Ted, that was cool. Today and yesterday I built up the main and pinion shafts, and pressed the main bearing in with Loctite 609. Then I pressed the shafts back into the gear carrier, and put the shift forks back exactly where they were(measured to .01 mm). I'll verify the adjustment in a shift jig I'm borrowing next week. Then tighten all the bolts and use gaskets. I shifted through the gears and it shifts fine, but always good to see it and measure.

Then install the clutch cross shaft, the differential, and finally the axles. Got to get it back in the car, getting warmer here!

Pictures to follow, soon.

You know, David, that would be fun. I'd like to come up to your place and build an airplane. That would be very cool for me, but old hat for you!

It isn't really all that hard. You just need to be methodical and clean. Have a beer, relax, look at it, then do.

Here are a few pics of what is done so far

Amazing.  I'd just like to sit there and watch!

Too freakin' many parts.  I'd be sure to miss one or two, or more likely, foget where they go.  Would need the shop manual.  Or maybe one would pull an Anderson, and go flipping over into a corner while I was not looking.

I'm sure you got it all figured, and I hope when your hand pushes it up and to the left, you get first gear.  That's all I'm sayin'

Yup.  Way too many parts.  This is what my picture would look like after I got it all put back together.

You know........That was a good towel, once.

Way to go Danny....   Now comes the part that determines if you wind up with four reverse gears or just one....   You did take a picture when it came apart????

My personal "photographic memory" keeps me in hot water constantly....

Just say'n.....    

I went to a new aircooled friend's shop today and used his shift jig. Funny, we know so many of the same people but never met before. We'd both heard of the other, same circles, you know.

Yeah, Gordon, it will be a towel again. A shop towel.

Leon, in motors that turn clockwise, the ring gear ALWAYS goes on the drivers side. It doesn't matter that it's rear or mid-engine.

And yes, I took photos Leon, as I took it apart. But I forgot to take a picture of the gear stack in the jig, sorry. It was perfect, no adjustment needed. Measuring the shift fork adjustment worked perfectly. I'll be putting the gear stack to bed for good tonight. I think I'll put the diff and axles on in the garage, it's lighter that way. Forward progress is good.

A couple more photos. Gear stack put in yesterday with gasket and Permatex Copper-coat on both sides. Main seal and mainshaft installed. Nose cone installed. Trans is moved to the garage on it's stand. Diff and axles to be installed today. Soon it will be back in the car!

Nice paint job.  That's the only part of this operation I understand.

Looking good.....   May things continue to go together well....   

It's time to heaar about how well this new tranny works.  Tire smokin' proof would be next.

It's coming, Kelly. I decided to do some things "while I'm in there". You know, clean the rear of the frame, fix all the stupid powdercoat bare spots. Waiting on some thicker thrust washers for the diff side gears, there was too much play(right at the wear limit), so trans is on hold. Cleaned engine, plugged some holes and cracks in my fan shroud, soon to be painted. Moving fan to other side of cooler so it blows UP instead of down. Moved battery, welded new frame for it. Adding spare mount in the back, in space created by moving battery. Fabricated a crank-pulley side engine mount, kinda like type4 Busses/Vanagons.

Still have to install all 4 brakes, re-route braided hoses, e-brake cables, and do all 4 ball joints.

No rest for me, no sir!

Yup, it's amazing that when you're in the middle of a project you find all these other things to do....

... and how many of us would do exacly the same thing, if only our FG bodies would just lift off.  Oh, how I wish . . .

Weddle sent my last remaining parts, but UPS has rescheduled my yesterday delivery to Monday. So that is still on hold.

Anyway, 50 degrees and sunny, on the way to 65 today. It's 9 a.m. and I'm out to the garage. Lots to do, sand and prime a bunch of spots on the frame where powdercoat chipped away. Fabricating a bunch of little parts and getting everything ready to go back in.

Will post trans final assembly as soon as it actually happens.

Spent mid-day at La Casa de los Gallos out on the Cape Cod sand bar, helping Al bleed his brakes.  Pushing 65°F on the Outer Cape....almost unheard of this time of year but we'll take it.  Lots of snow drops and Crocus blooming out there, too........spring is there!!

Al's just about finished with his winter fix-ups and about to be road-bound.  This is that scarey time when you re-start your engine after a bunch of mods over a long winter with fingers cross that every thing'll be ok.  It's gonna be sweet!

Gordon, I hear you have a leg for rent? I could use a good brake bleeder in a week or two. Whadda you say? LOL!

I made a lot of progress yesterday, but not on the trans. Monday for those parts.

I made aluminum "sled-tins" that seal to the bottom of my fiberglass 911 shroud and route all the hot air to the rear of the car, away from the front(pulley end). Pop rivets and aluminum sheet, not too bad to work with. Uses stock sled tin bolt holes in the case and a couple old VC bails on the head end. They are easy to remove, once I pull the exhaust. Unrestricted valve cove access. We'll see how it all works as far as head temps. Not practical to isolate top/bottom of engine like in a Bug/Speedster.

Took my valve covers off, loosened all the pushrods, and checked the side clearance. All good except for #4 intake and exhaust. Re-shimmed, then set the valve clearance to loose zero. Checked torque on rocker stands as well. It is SO easy to work on a head when it's on the engine stand. Almost like cheating!

Today I'll be sanding a bunch of stuff and priming and painting the frame, axle tubes, and hopefully the engine shroud.

I also tackled something that has driven me NUTS since I got the car done: the oil dipstick. It was way down there in the dark by the firewall. It was always a pain to put back in as you can't see the damn dipstick tube! Plus it leaked/weeped oil from a bad seal on top and got everything dirty as hell. But, it kept the frame from rusting!

So the dipstick tubes are just pressed in. I welded a nut on it, then used a slide hammer to pull it out. No heat needed to budge it, it pulled right out. I had an old Vanagon wasserboxer dipstick and tube that is much longer, but a tiny bit larger, 8.25mm instead of just under 8mm. So I inverted the engine on the stand and drilled it, but stuffed a greased rag in first. You only have to drill in about an inch or so, the Van tube is much shorter. The Bug tube went almost to the bottom of the case. Then I grabbed the rag with a wire hook, and pulled it and any shavings out. Just to be sure I stuck a carb cleaner tube way up in there and sprayed it well.

It fits great, goes in with friction by hand, I'll have to tap it in the last half-inch. The Van tube will make the dipstick almost a foot longer and easy to reach and see. It will have a clamp on the top so it can't move around.

Oh, the things we do to make life easier!

The anodizing on my Pauter roller-rockers has faded quite a bit. They used to be bright blue! In good shape otherwise. **Al B, 040 head castings, 44 X 37, 1.5:1 ratio, Webcam 86B**

this don't look like no transmission to me.  You forget about that job??  

Come on Frazoo......   Right now Dannys just a shiftless Spyder fixer upper.....  

Well I was just noticing that this thread sais "Transmission Rebuild", not "Whole Car Refurb"

Mr. Pip do like to tinker, and what he ends up with is truly special. Checking out the Spyders at Carlisle is always a thrill for me, and am looking forward to it again, in about a month.

Kelly, I didn't forget, the parts were supposed to come Friday, but UPS dropped the ball and they will come Monday. I've got a lot to do, the powdercoat is bubbling in lots of spots. If I scrape it, it flakes off. There is surface rust that has to be sanded down. I am NOT redoing the entire chassis, but no better time to fix than now with everything out of the way.

Relax, my friend, I'm making progress. I've got 2 weeks before it needs to be back on the road to log some"before Carlisle" miles.

The last photo is for you, Kelly. I painted the axle tubes, the clutch lever, and the clutch spring spacer. Ha, I did work on the trans!

So glad to see that I'm not the only one using my garage door tracks as a place to hang up painted parts to dry.

Just gotta remember to use the tracks on Pearl's side of the garage, not Kathy's!