[apex]

well,



the time has come at 100,000 miles. I thought I had avoided this problem, but no.



so I'm going to take the car up to IMA in fairfax

I know Cosimo has taken his there



but here's the question:



should I take the tranny out myself maybe save a few bux

or leave it in as more of a turn-key job?



IMA is a two-hour drive from my house. I can throw the unit in my truck and drive it up, then pick it up when ready - no need to find a ride, etc. Also while the car is up on blocks in the garage I can freshen up the shift linkage and get a little brake work done (by moi). And black beauty won't have to bake in the DC sun for a week or more while the re-build goes down.



just thought I'd ask you guys for your thoughts on this. I can think of several advantages to doing this myself and carting the part up there - what's the down-side? inability to test-drive the fresh tranny upon re-build? I've been told everything can be bench-tested as far as the gearbox is concerned and a test-drive will not reveal any defect - what do you think?



they're quoting me $1600 minimum - everything depends on what's found once inside the box.

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[apex]

bumpety bump <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> --- throw me bone, guys! I know we got some wrench-turners here! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Chris Vais]

Before the 968 I owned a 944. I had a transmission bearing go bad and like you, I contemplated removing the transmission myself and delivering it to the shop. After all, I did it with my 57 Speedster and I helped a friend do it on his MGB. I convinced myself that I could do it and I did, but it took a lot longer for me to do than I estimated. I figure my labor is worth something and I just didn't think the money I saved was worth it in the end. I wouldn't attempt to do this again without a hydraulic lift. This is a difficult job to do with the car up on blocks or jackstands in my opinion.



I believe that you are correct in your assumption that you do not need to give the transmission a road test to determine if the repairs were done properly.



The pinion replacement of my 1968 was more than $1600. I had them replace everything looked worn 1st through 4th gear syncros and one bearing.

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[apex]

Thanks, Chris.



$1600 was quoted at the lowest the job can possibly be - so I'm resisting but expecting more work than just the pinions.



Can I access all the ball & cup shifting linkages with the transaxle in place?

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[GuardsRedCoupe]

apex,

I did exactly what you're asking about two weeks ago, and I'd say go for it and save yourself the money! That said, here are some things I learned:



You're going to want to use hex sockets, because you're going to need leverage to get some of the bolts off. Allen wrenches are not going to get you where you need to be. If you have a foot long pipe to stick on the end of your socket wrench, that helps too!



Follow the unbolting order that is listed in the service manual. If you unbolt things in the wrong order, you will place weight on the drive shaft which will make the drive shaft sleeve very difficult to slide. Sliding the sleeve was the most difficult part of the job for me. It's all about using the right tool. I found that a large adjustable wrench was the best tool for the job. Set the size of the wrench to fit around the sleeve so you can put pressure on both sides of the sleeve. You might need to hold a small block of wood in the side of the inspection hole to get the right leverage.



Obviously, you need to have the transmission jacked up before you release it from the car so you don't crush yourself. I didn't have a transmission jack, so I angled an aluminum ladder under the car with a piece of plywood on top to support the transmission. I held the back end of the ladder up with a saw horse, and adjusted the angle/height of the ladder by moving the saw horse back and forth. The bottom of the transmission is flat, so it should sit just fine.



If you run into any trouble, let me know.

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