91 stock auto tranny removal and re-install... TIPS anyone?

Comments

• AK_CRX New Wagonist

  November 2008

  You don't need a hoist to hold up the engine. A floor jack w/ a chunk of 2x4 works fine. A hoist would be handy for lowering and lifting the tranny but not necessary, bring a strong buddy. Once your intake pipe is off it's easy to get to the auto linkage, the bolt is larger than 1", I just used a cresent it wasn't very tight. It attatches kind of like throttle cable, the cable's sheath has a bolt on it which clamps it to a bracket. You'll have to dissassy. partially your front suspension to get the axles out. Try to get a propane torch handy for the nuts on the "b" pipe (lower portion of ex. manifold). These nuts usually bring the studs out with them when they come loose which isn't a big deal. If you don't heat them up first you might crack a socket though, these tend to be extremely tight. Do whatever you can to remove them without rounding them, make sure your 6 point socket is butted all the way on it. when you disconnect your drive shaft have an oil catch handy, it will spill a little fluid from the drive shaft connection, I wasn't expecting this. and have the catch ready when you pop your axle/intermediate shaft out. If the tranny isn't 100% drained you can get some residual leakage here. With all the tranny mounts disconnected and a jack holding up the engine, you will be able to lower the engine assy. down a bit. It will pivot on its drivers side motor mount point, angling the tranny slightly downward making it easier to slide off the engine and clear the pass. side frame rail. These tranny's are not light so heaving it back up into the engine bay will be a biatch... Thats about all the advice I got but I'm making a post in a few minutes, just a tip on undoing lower ball joints that will be helpfull.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  thanks for the tips!!!
  
  Good advance notice about the oil draining after removing the drive shaft
  
  I was hoping to avoid dealing with those exhaust bolts as I know they seem to be 'fun' to remove, but it's all good, as long as I can get them off...
  
  I have access to an engine hoist, so I guess I'll be taking advantage of that...
  
  I'll see what happens, hoping murphy and his laws have taken a vacation for a while....
  
  Dave
  
  

  AK_CRX wrote:

  You don't need a hoist to hold up the engine. A floor jack w/ a chunk of 2x4 works fine. A hoist would be handy for lowering and lifting the tranny but not necessary, bring a strong buddy. Once your intake pipe is off it's easy to get to the auto linkage, the bolt is larger than 1", I just used a cresent it wasn't very tight. It attatches kind of like throttle cable, the cable's sheath has a bolt on it which clamps it to a bracket. You'll have to dissassy. partially your front suspension to get the axles out. Try to get a propane torch handy for the nuts on the "b" pipe (lower portion of ex. manifold). These nuts usually bring the studs out with them when they come loose which isn't a big deal. If you don't heat them up first you might crack a socket though, these tend to be extremely tight. Do whatever you can to remove them without rounding them, make sure your 6 point socket is butted all the way on it. when you disconnect your drive shaft have an oil catch handy, it will spill a little fluid from the drive shaft connection, I wasn't expecting this. and have the catch ready when you pop your axle/intermediate shaft out. If the tranny isn't 100% drained you can get some residual leakage here. With all the tranny mounts disconnected and a jack holding up the engine, you will be able to lower the engine assy. down a bit. It will pivot on its drivers side motor mount point, angling the tranny slightly downward making it easier to slide off the engine and clear the pass. side frame rail. These tranny's are not light so heaving it back up into the engine bay will be a biatch... Thats about all the advice I got but I'm making a post in a few minutes, just a tip on undoing lower ball joints that will be helpfull.
• SiWagon Council Member

  November 2008

  Drain the oil b4 the shaft removal.Even says that in the Honda Shop manual.There's even a drain plug.
  
  Read the Automatic section in this link:
  http://www.hondacivicwagon.com/board/vi ... .php?t=103
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  Thanks for the link SiWagon!!!...
  
  Oh, and earlier, I found a drain plug when draining and re-filling the tranny, twice, to see if it was poor fluid or incorrect fluid level causing the slippage... ... wish that was the problem... but that takes away all the fun... yeah that's it... haha
  
  Is there another drain plug??
  
  I thought AK_CRX might have been referring to any tranny fluid that might be left in there after draining... I dunno... but I'll find out soon enough...
  
  Thanks!!!
  
  Dave

  SiWagon wrote:

  Drain the oil b4 the shaft removal.Even says that in the Honda Shop manual.There's even a drain plug.
  
  Read the Automatic section in this link:
  http://www.hondacivicwagon.com/board/vi ... .php?t=103
• fettcols Wagonist

  November 2008

  I've never done an auto in one of these but here's some tips for the manual.
  
  First, make sure you have the car high enough to actually get the trans out from under the car. I've made the mistake before on an accord.
  
  I changed out a manual before and didn't remove the exhaust at all. It might be in the way or it might not.
  
  Suspension, unbolt the swaybar links and the inboard side of the lower control arm. Turn the steering wheel to the opposite side you're working on and push out on the whole suspension while you're popping out your axel. Leave the axel in the hub and use some machine wire to pull it back and up out of the way. If you feel the right side will be in the way, undo the strut and pop the whole thing out of the way.
  
  Remember, the less bolts you remove, the less chance you have of breaking/stripping bolts.
• SiWagon Council Member

  November 2008

  Have you gone though the ,''troubleshooting'' section of the Helm's manual?
  It says something about throttle cable too long,throttle B valve stuck ,throttle cable adjustment & contrl valve stuck.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  Thanks fettcols! I'll keep those things in mind. And, when lifting and supporting the vehicle... hopefully, my jackstands will be high enough to let the tranny pass underneath.
  
  SiWagon, I haven't checked out the troubleshooting section... yet. And, if it's just cable, control valve, or otherwise related, and not full tranny related, I'LL TAKE IT!!!! haha...
  
  I really got the helms for the purpose of r and r of the tranny, but it it can save me from r and r'ing the tranny, worth the price of admission... if not, well, I'm sure it will be just what I need when laying underneath the wagon at 3 in the morning, haha, well, maybe a beer at that point, but it's a close second...
  
  Thanks guys!!!!
  
  Dave
  

  fettcols wrote:

  I've never done an auto in one of these but here's some tips for the manual.
  
  First, make sure you have the car high enough to actually get the trans out from under the car. I've made the mistake before on an accord.
  
  I changed out a manual before and didn't remove the exhaust at all. It might be in the way or it might not.
  
  Suspension, unbolt the swaybar links and the inboard side of the lower control arm. Turn the steering wheel to the opposite side you're working on and push out on the whole suspension while you're popping out your axel. Leave the axel in the hub and use some machine wire to pull it back and up out of the way. If you feel the right side will be in the way, undo the strut and pop the whole thing out of the way.
  
  Remember, the less bolts you remove, the less chance you have of breaking/stripping bolts.
• SiWagon Council Member

  November 2008

  What I've done is use 2 car ramps, 2 floor jacks & a few blocks of wood w/NO prob.No engine hoist.The trannies small.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  SiWagon, I'm guessing you backed the car onto the 2 ramps and then lifted the front end before removing the axles...
  
  By the way, did you replace any of the seals before you swapped in the 'new' tranny?
  The ones on my JY tranny seem ok(no signs of previous leaks) but who knows what was done to remove these from their donors and I might as well since it's out anyways,
  
  Thanks!
  
  Dave

  SiWagon wrote:

  What I've done is use 2 car ramps, 2 floor jacks & a few blocks of wood w/NO prob.No engine hoist.The trannies small.
• AK_CRX New Wagonist

  November 2008

  replacing the axle seals is cheap insurance... $10 in seals to prevent possible having to remove the axles again. Just pop 'em in with a large socket, tapping it in evenly w/ a mallet. Also, I just remove the auto tranny from my wagon engine last night (out of car) and did not need to take the lower manifold pipe off.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  I'm sold!!! New seals going in for sure!
  Possibly not having to remove rusty exhaust bolts... that would be nice, indeed!!
  
  Most certainly going to do the diagnostic checks to make sure the tranny is gone... but I'm not holding my breath for that... just hoping...
  
  Thanks!!
  
  Dave
  

  AK_CRX wrote:

  replacing the axle seals is cheap insurance... $10 in seals to prevent possible having to remove the axles again. Just pop 'em in with a large socket, tapping it in evenly w/ a mallet. Also, I just remove the auto tranny from my wagon engine last night (out of car) and did not need to take the lower manifold pipe off.
• SiWagon Council Member

  November 2008

  slipscreen wrote:

  SiWagon, I'm guessing you backed the car onto the 2 ramps and then lifted the front end before removing the axles...

  
  Oops...Forget the ramps :oops: it was 2 jackstands under the frame(behind the front wheel wells).
  
  1 floorjack w/block of wood under the oil pan & the other under the tranny.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  November 2008

  I actually like the ramps idea better... the more room under there the better...
  
  I'll be checking the 'blinks' for troubleshooting purposes this weekend but I'm not going to be doing any pressure testing as per the manual, and who knows, it might be something easy.... yeah sure it will... haha
  
  Thanks!
  
  Dave
  

  SiWagon wrote:

  slipscreen wrote:

  SiWagon, I'm guessing you backed the car onto the 2 ramps and then lifted the front end before removing the axles...

  
  Oops...Forget the ramps :oops: it was 2 jackstands under the frame(behind the front wheel wells).
  
  1 floorjack w/block of wood under the oil pan & the other under the tranny.
• JEC Band Wagon

  November 2008

  I have to replace the clutch in my wagon. Anyway I dont have to completely remove the tranny to do this? Maybe like just scoot it out if the way enough to slide a new one in?
• bam-bam Council Member

  November 2008

  JEC wrote:

  I have to replace the clutch in my wagon. Anyway I dont have to completely remove the tranny to do this? Maybe like just scoot it out if the way enough to slide a new one in?

  
  yeah, just scoot it over into the floor beside the car seriously, though, you do have to remove the tranny.
• JEC Band Wagon

  November 2008

  bam-bam wrote:

  yeah, just scoot it over into the floor beside the car seriously, though, you do have to remove the tranny.

  
  lol, just thought I would check
• ludesrv Band Wagon

  November 2008

  Remember to remove the 8 bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate. You do this buy removing the 'clutch cover' on the tranny. Rotate until they are all out. If you don't, when you go to yank the tranny off most of the oil in the torque converter (2 Liters or so) will start pouring out. I learned this the hard way the first time.
• slipscreen Wagonist

  December 2008

  Now that must have been fun... :roll: ...
  
  sorry...
  
  But seriously, good advice... and much appreciated!!!!
  
  Thanks!!
  
  Dave
  

  ludesrv wrote:

  Remember to remove the 8 bolts holding the torque converter to the flex plate. You do this buy removing the 'clutch cover' on the tranny. Rotate until they are all out. If you don't, when you go to yank the tranny off most of the oil in the torque converter (2 Liters or so) will start pouring out. I learned this the hard way the first time.