2001 focus zx3 manual trans clunking barely engages

[FoMoCus]

I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and I've done a few transmission pull and swaps, but never front wheel drive. I'm going to try it myself to say I did, and to save some money. I wasn't able to mess with it yesterday. I have to move the pool table over some in the garage to get the car in, and I couldn't find helpers on super bowl sunday.

Chances are it is the trans, but the cv clip would be a nice surprise.

[tmittelstaedt]

luck FoMoCus - don't buy any parts until you get it all apart - and also here is a trick not in the manual. Before you start, remove the bolt from the passenger mount bracket that is furthest from the engine, and back the other 2 bolts on the passenger mount bracket out probably a good 4 turns - this allows the passenger mount bracket to pivot when your lowering the transmission side of the engine - instead of the pivoting being on the mount itself - whatever you do, make sure the engine is supported at all times and don't ever let it hang from the passenger mount no matter what you read. Unlike the transmission mount and the rear dogbone mount the passenger mount is fragile - it can stand compression great but not flexing.

Get the trans low and like I said in the walkthrough drop the subframe to do it - trust me it only adds a little extra steps to the procedure but it is so much easier to get the trans off and on with the added clearance. Also, go though the kickpanel in the drivers footwell to disconnect the trans cables, don't try it from where the service manual says to do it.

[FoMoCus]

I just got it in the garage and I got the drivers side up in the air. I'm going to take out the drivers axle first and see how it looks. If that looks good I'll pull the other axle and get to yanking the transmission. Thanks for the tips. I'll report back with what I find. I would say the clearance between the axle end and the trans is about half an inch. Just got on here to look at the walk through on removing the axle again

[FoMoCus]

Well a little update. I haven't removed the cv yet, but I did drain the fluid and it looked like a can of metallic flake paint. It was full of metal shards. So its looking like the trans is fubar. But I was at the junkyard today and picked up a trans for 250 with a one year warranty, along with a few other little parts I needed. Now that I pulled the trans on a donor car I feel more confident doing mine. I'm going to start removing everything tonight, and maybe be ready to drop the trans out tomorrow.

[FoMoCus]

Finally got both cv axles pulled today. Unfortunately they both look fine. So I got my finger into the differential and spun the ring gear that turns the axle by hand. The drivers side gear kept getting stuck and didn't spin smoothly. The teeth on it looked fine so I think there is a gear somewhere in the diff that chewed itself up.

But now I have a question. The transmission I got from the junkyard is not identical to mine. I didn't notice until I got it home, as I haven't studied mine well enough I guess. The shift linkage connects on the front side of my junkyard trans, and it connects on the rear of my trans. Also there is a cover like a trans pan bolted to the driver side of the differential on my junkyard tranny but mine is one solid piece and has no access panel. I'm trying to look up the part numbers online but I can't figure out what trans I got.

The motor was already pulled from the donor car, which is why I snatched this trans, it took less than 30 minutes to remove. But I'm wondering if the car had a different engine. I'm pretty sure it was a 2001 but may have been a 2000 focus se, and I think the catalyst sticker said it was a 2.0 motor. My car is a 2002 zx3 (I know the post title says 01, as thats what the p.o. told me it was.) I'm wondering if this trans will work if I just use the shift cables from the other car, but I need to find out more about this transmission.

My transmission says XS4R 7F096 and N5LUA on the bellhousing, and the diff had a sticker that said 1S4R 7002 NC.

The donor trans only had a bellhousing sticker which read XS4R 7002 DD and 98WT 7F096-BB

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Ford changed the shifter and transmission shift tower in 02.5. I bet if you look at your build date on the door it will be after 1/02. Remember, manufacturers start YM's in June. So 02 - 02.5 would be 06/01 until 12/01.

[FoMoCus]

My car is an 09/01. I'm hoping new shift cables will be the only snag, but in trying to research the part numbers it seems the junkyard trans may have been from a SOHC 2.0. I'm not sure if the bellhousing is the same between the sohc and dohc but I can always just swap the bellhousing if the differential will work with my zetec. I've also read some swap threads on here and some people say the axles need to be swapped. I don't know if I'll be in that boat or not.

[FoMoCus]

After finally getting into some good info online, I'm almost positive my transmission is from a sohc (SPI) motor car. Apparently the auto trans is compatible between the two but not the manual trans. How is that? Does anyone know if the bellhousing will bolt up (and if not, can I swap the bellhousings), and whether the axles need to be changed? (and if so, why?)

[whynotthinkwhynot]

I didn't think either of them were compatible- it might be the same transmission, but not the same bolt pattern. The same 4 spd auto was used in Duratecs also, but definitely not the same bolt pattern.

[FoMoCus]

Can I just swap the bellhousings?