[relicsncoins]

Figured this was worthy of it's own thread. Daughter was driving and lost 2 and 4th gear as well as reverse. I have never worked on a transmission to this extent but I do repair manufacturing equipment, so am pretty hand with a wrench. My terminology might not be correct, so feel free to correct it.

I removed the battery and battery tray (to access the upper transmission mount.)

I removed the front driver's side tire and then removed the splash guard to access the end cover.

I removed the lower transmission mount bolt.

I put a Jack under the engine and removed the upper transmission mount. and slowly lowered the jack so I could gain access to all the bolts on the end cover. The transmission came down about and inch and a half.

I pulled the end cover off.

I then pulled the reverse drum off. It was a little difficult to get the drum out because it kept hitting fenderwall. The intermediate band had come off the servo piston and was laying loose in the case.

There is a planetary gear behind the drum that is held in with a snap ring. The snap ring was damaged and half the tabs on the direct drive clutch that
hold the snap ring in place were sheared off. This planetary gear seems ok.

I removed a large snap ring and was able to remove all of these clutch plates I think that's what they are called.

I then pulled the direct drive clutch out ( I think that's what it is called.) It has a planetary gear inside that had disintegrated and fell out in pieces with all the needle bearings that are inside it.

Here is what the planetary gear looked like in pieces. The sun gear and large gear inside this housing are severely damaged as well.

There were a few brass races and other items I removed to get to the back of the case. I believe there is damage to the case as well. In the very back where the shaft comes through, there was snap ring that is held in place by grooved tabs that I think are part of the case. Several of the tabs are missing.

Do to the case damage I believe this transmission is not salvageable. Time to start getting estimates on a rebuilt. At least I know the problem now, I wonder what could've caused such a catastrophic failure.

 

[Marde]

Bummer. Yeah, that does look like Case damage; making rebuild of that trans about the same (or more) cost as finding a used/rebuilt one.

If you watch this video, you will appreciate it based on all the work you just did. First couple minutes are a waste of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ2GQYwZ-aM


Despite the bad news & bad trans; your work, post and pics are very helpful to others. Thank you.

Your done trying to rebuild it ON and UNDER THE CAR, so go ahead and yank the whole thing off the car... but only after your done swearing at it.

 

[sailor]

Wow, you got it out - but what a mess.

G/L with finding a good replacement, doesn't look like a good rebuild candidate.

 

[qweesy]

another reason to stay away from autotragics

 

[Highball116]

There's a lot of benefit to learning a stick shift. Pictures like this make me grateful that my wife and I are on the same page -- no automatics.

Toby

 

[Marde]

I don't want to turn this thread into MTX verses ATX but....

I love both MTX and ATX. They both have pro's and con's. It is a personal preference where either choice is not wrong.

Many ATX owners never have a trans fail during the life of the car; but if a failure occurs, you just gotta roll with the punches.

 

[relicsncoins]

I can drive either, but this car is my daughter's. When I bought this car for my daughter about 5 years ago when she got her license, the price was right.

 

[amc49]

Hmmmm.................could just be that a needle bearing snapped in two and then began to erode the whole thing until blowup city. Those needles are harder than crap and hard to tell if they are worn out as they will only be down say a thousandth or two before dead. They then are loose enough to start getting all caddywompus to get sideways to crack and then the small pieces tear the crap out of everything. Why I really don't care for needle type thrust even though they DO extend the life of clearances there. Plain washer type thrust are easy to see how much wear is on them at rebuild time but not needles, they are either good or about to blow up and appear about the same to the naked eye. Meaning at rebuild you really must change all thrust where old school plain you could use over by looking at them. Be really stupid to fail a new ATX over a $5 thrust.

Look at the assembly and see if a snap ring could have come off to break things too, another common reason for odd blowups out of nowhere. Snap ring must go back on with correct (sharp edged side) side out and the eye located properly if designed at the retainer to do so, if not then side loads then quickly knock snap ring out again to do it all over.

Any dead bushing anywhere in there? When bushings get loose the entire mess then starts distorting out of dead straight in various ways to break parts left and right. I think most do not give enough credit to how much stability comes from tight bushings, the trans shops just glance at them and if not torn all up they use them again and often a mistake that fails trans again in a year. ATX relies heavily on all rotating parts supporting each other shaft wise and any undue wear messes things up real fast. A planetary loose at its' center support or outside sun could naturally tilt under load to possibly shell its' planet axles. Those long needles picced wouldn't like that at all.

I haven't heard of that type of grenade as being common but means nothing. Many different ways they can come apart...............in fact probably more than can be counted.

 

[amc49]

By the way, if the fenderwell still giving trouble there take a pair of visegrips and roll the interfering edge up out of the way then back down when done. I do it all the time on other things that get that close.

AND, look CLOSE at the case, manual pics I have seem to show what apparently are missing snap ring tabs, they were not there to begin with. At missing ones, you should find evidence that they were there before but sheared off. Match the low sprag inner race that went over the teeth for pattern there, it may show where teeth were but are not now.

 

[relicsncoins]

It's hard to tell in the photo. IN person, they are definately gone.

 

[elsolo]

If you can take it apart, pretty good odds you can rebuild one. Automatic transmissions intimidate mechanics more than they deserve.

I can usually rebuild an automatic for less money than doing a clutch job on a manual. It cost me about $250 to rebuild the trans in my Chevy a few months back.

 

[amc49]

'I can usually rebuild an automatic for less money than doing a clutch job on a manual.'

That used to really be true but if you go the whole way getting much harder since they started adding like double pistons for backups and you have to buy entire 'bonded' pistons now instead of fifty cent seals. And all the thrust bearings now. I remember doing a Mopar Hemi Torqueflite (big motor AMCs used them) for $150 and it ran for 10 more years and running when car was junked at 300+K. You can still get them up and running for cheap in most cases but getting that real long amount of run time is getting harder and harder.

My last one, a CD4E in a Contour cost like $600+, but that one known for expensive blowups with multiple drums tearing up and mine fit that to a tee. That one running fine since 2007 so still doable there.

I'm waiting for one of my Foci to spit one out so I can do that one. Can't seem to break one outright.