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Transmission Slipped So I Pulled the Engine (Lots of Pics)

Mesh

Mesh

NAXJA Forum User
Location
WA
And yes the engine transmission and transfer case are easily removed in one piece.

I've been lurking for a while I don't like to pretend that I'm an expert and I'll probably only post projects that are exciting to me or either helpful or interesting for the community.

So it's an 89 Limited with a plush leather interior with 230,000 miles on it 50,000 of which are mine and I wasn't nice. I've been working on a new engine and the transmission problem gave me an excuse to rebuild everything. The plan is a complete rebuild of the transmission and transfer case I will take more pictures during the build.

It took only two days after work to unbolt everything then pulled it on the third day. I was a little worried about the engine mounts interfering and the transfer case being too wide but they were no problem at all.

The before, it looks like a good clean engine other than its shot.
Before2.jpg


Front panel removed and engine stripped.
Before3.jpg


Almost out.
Pull1.jpg


Grease and oil
Pull2.jpg


Dead engine lying on the floor spilled blood.
Pull3.jpg


In pieces
Split1.jpg


And an upcoming sneak peek something I've been working on for a while it's a 4.7
znew1.jpg
 
If you are going to rebuild your tranny and xfer case, where are you going to get your kits to do those rebuilds. I have a AW4 and a 242 I am going to be rebuilding very soon, and I am trying to find out where to get the rebuild kits and which brand to go with, although I am not sure that matters, but it could. Anyhow let me know, and good luck on the rebuilds.

Thanks,
Silent
 
Initally what I wanted was an ATP master rebuild kit for the AW4, Timken bearing and seal kit for the NP242 and a Cloyes transfer case chain. I ordered from rockauto and a day later they call me and say the don't have the timken kit and if i want to change it to the BCA National so i said sure why not. After another day they call again sorry we don't have the BCA that's all they would tell me.

The transfer case kit i found was from drivetrain.com the part number on the box is BK242 and the gasket set inside is TSK242 looks like the brand is transtar with Nachi bearings and various parts. Later I looked up the part number and found allstategear.com if it's the same kit its $90 less I also found racetransmissions.com. I probably paid too much but drivetrain shipped in one day.
 
So, what AW4 kit did you end up getting and from where? I found a rebuild kit for the 242 on rigidsteel.com for around 135 plus shipping. I am not sure if that is the cheapest or not. However, I need to get the AW4 kit on order. Anyhow, let me know.

Thanks,
Silent
 
What was the problem with the tranny? 90% of the time, the problem is not mechanical, but rather electrical. Often its just a bad tps, brake pedal switch , bad shift solenoid, or wrong fluid (DexIII NOT ATF4+)
 
The transmission kit is from www.rockauto.com part# RM30. Transfer case kits are hard to find search around check the websites I listed. The best price on a chain is from rockauto for some reason they listed it under the automatic transmission section.

The reason I'm rebuilding the transmission is because I want to it has 230,000 miles on it and is close to 20 years old. I have also put a lot of money into the new engine and would be a waste to put something that old behind it. fluid and filter where changed six months ago used Dexron III the fluid is now opaque and brown.
 
Why not ATF4? I got some coastal fluid from Oreillys and they told me that would work fine, not too mention it has chrysler listed on the label. Please explain. If there is a problem with that fluid I will not use it anymore.

Thanks,
Silent
 
Silent said:
Why not ATF4? I got some coastal fluid from Oreillys and they told me that would work fine, not too mention it has chrysler listed on the label. Please explain. If there is a problem with that fluid I will not use it anymore.

Thanks,
Silent
Click to expand...

Simple, the AW4 is not a Chrysler product. It is made by Asian-Warner, in Japan IIRC. Toyota also uses the AW4.
 
Silent said:
Why not ATF4? I got some coastal fluid from Oreillys and they told me that would work fine, not too mention it has chrysler listed on the label. Please explain. If there is a problem with that fluid I will not use it anymore.

Thanks,
Silent
Click to expand...

ATF 4+ has a lower coefficient of friction than the Dexron which is called for in the owners manual and factory service manual. It can cause excessive slipping and heat. Many dealers are telling people to use ATF4+ and don't stock DexIII because they are ignorant and/or too cheap to stock the proper fluid.
 
Mesh said:
The reason I'm rebuilding the transmission is because I want to it has 230,000 miles on it and is close to 20 years old. I have also put a lot of money into the new engine and would be a waste to put something that old behind it. fluid and filter where changed six months ago used Dexron III the fluid is now opaque and brown.
Click to expand...

The AW4 is pretty robust, with plenty of them out there at 300k. I have heard that the AW4 doesn't take kindly to rebuilds, but I don't have any personal experience with rebuilding one. Could just be that some shops do a crappy rebuild.

If it were me, I'd probably just change the fluid again since dropping the pan only gets about 1/3 of it out and run it. But then again I'm a cheap sob and will run things until they die and then fix, upgrade or replace as needed.
 
ATF 4+ is just fine!! I have been running it for over a year with no ill effects!! There is alot of scietific speculation plastered all over this site! Many users will tell ya to stick to DEXIII because that is what the owners manual says to use BUT ATF 4+ is a better product!
 
ColoradoRaptor said:
ATF 4+ is just fine!! I have been running it for over a year with no ill effects!! There is alot of scietific speculation plastered all over this site! Many users will tell ya to stick to DEXIII because that is what the owners manual says to use BUT ATF 4+ is a better product!
Click to expand...

Keep searching and you'll find the folks who started having slipping after the dealer or a tranny shop used ATF 4+. Some synthetics have caused excessive slipping as well. I'm glad it's working for you, but understand that your experience is not necessarily the norm. Going in the opposite direction, many Chrysler trannies have been ruined by shops that refilled with Dexron - the additional friction caused clutch chatter and subsequent damage.
 
lawsoncl said:
The AW4 is pretty robust, with plenty of them out there at 300k. I have heard that the AW4 doesn't take kindly to rebuilds, but I don't have any personal experience with rebuilding one. Could just be that some shops do a crappy rebuild.
Click to expand...

I think it's more of a shop issue. After all, how is a trans going to know it's been torn down? I've been in a lot of automatics and if it goes back together the same way it came apart, no problems.
 
Transmission and transfer case clean. Started the transfer case teardown today.
split1clean1tg2.jpg
 
Mesh said:
Transmission and transfer case clean. Started the transfer case teardown today.
split1clean1tg2.jpg
Click to expand...


Looks great. I'm guessing you cleaned things up with your abundant array of aresols and fluids lining your garage walls. :)
 
I guess I keep a fluid for every occasion. First I thought maybe I'll go to the auto parts and get a little something to clean this but I had to tell myself no.
 
lawsoncl said:
The AW4 is pretty robust, with plenty of them out there at 300k. I have heard that the AW4 doesn't take kindly to rebuilds, but I don't have any personal experience with rebuilding one. Could just be that some shops do a crappy rebuild.
Click to expand...

I've heard that comment a lot too, but I think it's just shops doing a crappy job rebuilding them. The original trans out of my '92 had been rebuilt and whoever did it did a crappy job. Most of the gears slipped, and the torque converter had been replaced with who knows what (it was BRIGHT blue).

However my dad's friend who lives and breathes transmissions said though they're typically a great tranny, he's NEVER had an issue rebuilding them when it came time to. No one has ever come back to him complaining.
 
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