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Dont ever remove the torque converter from the transmission

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 9:46 pm
by ciper
Wow, there are so many places for the thing to get hung up on installation I wouldnt doubt many would give up.

Clearances are very small that just starting to slide it back on isnt easy. It has to be completly neutral if you apply force in any direction you will get hung up.

Then you have to align three different units (tabs on the inside and two splined units). Problem is the center shaft of the transmission also slides out. We spent a couple hours total messing with it until we finally realized the center shaft wasnt inserted all the way. Getting the center shaft to slide back in takes a while to since it has super tight clearance and THREE splined sections.

It was actually luck both times I got the shaft and TC all the way on. We had been messing with it for so long we had become punch drunk. I played around and said "presto" as I lightly touch the shaft and DUNK, it went in. We all looked at each other in amazement. It was similar when we tried to install the TC. We would pull the TC out a few MM, turn it 2 degrees and slide back in. My bud did this for 15 minutes with no success. Finally I cant up and PLUNK, it goes right in.
We all just starting cracking up.

Never work when you are tired. We bolted everything all up (three guys) and when it came to attach electrical and intake I realized we forgot to install the TC to flex plate bolts :o :roll: :o :roll:

I was so relieved to see that the TC could turn (after removing the starter that I had installed 4 fucking times already).

Now we just have to get all the intake, fluids, exhaust and drivetrain back together and our 300$ AWD legacy will be ready for fun

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 8:48 pm
by ciper
YAY!! We finished. Our 350$ (including vehicle and parts) AWD Wagon is running and surprising enough the AWD works!

We had to replace most of the PCV system because the hoses had almost sealed up with gook and where hard enough to shatter. We also replaced the round electrode spark plugs. When the car started the first time it ran so bad I thought I may have got the firing order wrong. It was sitting for a while and all the hoses and intake was filled with carb cleaner and solid chunks of goop.

The only problem now is the shifter linkage, when the floor says N its in drive and you can never shift into park. The adjustment is already full out too. Not a high priority though, who needs park anyways?!

The transmisison took 2 gallons of ATF and still may need another quart. Talk about a full flush! We also replaced the external filter.

The radiator is out of a later legacy, so the tranny cooler line on top is a little too high. This causes the overflow not to fit, so we just bent the bracket and installed it crooked. As long as the engine doesnt rock back and forth too much they wont touch.

We had to install the right side fender using sheet metal screws. For some reason the holt holes would never line up.

Everything from the a-piller forward is dark silver while the rest of the car is LIGHT silver.

The ski racks are now becoming a light bar :twisted:

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 9:13 pm
by THAWA
ciper wrote:Everything from the a-piller forward is dark silver while the rest of the car is dark silver.
what?

congrats on the cheap car

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 9:19 pm
by ciper
:lol: Shows how tired I am.

Our projects are:
Entire suspension replacement on Mazda MX6 (including axles)
85 Knighthawk CB450SC clutch, chain and both sprockets replacement
90 Legacy transmission swap (done)
98 legacy timing belt + associated parts (seals pumps)
Mazda MX6 transmission replacement
89 XT6 timing belt + associate parts (seals pumps) possibly valve work
98 Tercel strut replacement
91 Legacy engine swap
02 WRX up pipe, down pipe and level 10 TC install
97 f-150 supercharger install


Plus a few other small items (sunroof repairs, seat replacement).
BTW I work for Logitech, not an auto shop. This is all on my free time.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 9:27 pm
by MY92
I take it your martital status is single :lol:

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 9:39 pm
by mikec
Pics!!!

(Unless I missed them somewhere...)

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 10:06 pm
by THAWA
verry cool, who do you do this work wsith if you dont mind me asking


Logitec is the ish for most peripherals :D

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 10:26 pm
by georryan
ciper is married, but after all that I wonder if he still is. :roll:

gee wiz man, at first I thought you were doing something really funky to your car, then I realized you were working on several vehicles. :lol:

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 10:31 pm
by MY92
I think Ciper is having a coffee break, he hasn't posted in the last few mins :lol:

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:27 pm
by ciper
Im married. I have my wife take one weekend day off and one mid week day off. That way we have half of our free time together and half of it apart. Think of it like this, if you eat steak every day it doesnt taste so good. If you only have it once a month it tastes great! Sometimes she doesnt take any weekend off so I have the weekend to myself and she has two weekdays.

On sunday we swapped suspension between two legacy and replaced all the seals and fluids on a 97 2.2 legacy. It was pretty easy to install the cam+crank seals.

I usually do the work with one of my Coworkers. Between us we probably have 3 of every tool imaginable.

I guess I can get some pictures. The car is finally road worthy. It took a while to figure out why we couldnt shift into park. The damn linkage bracket was on upside down :lol: I had to drop the whole exhaust just to get at it :evil:

Another project to add to the list would be suspension and brakes for a second gen legacy and suspension for a corrola. After that I get my XT6 back on the road.

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:34 pm
by MY92
Ok, so your wife is like a piece of steak.

Just j/k, I'm bored & tired.

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:49 pm
by ciper
She is, sometimes I cant help it and I end up biting her too hard.

You guys look at the list and it seems like alot but once you've done a job so many times you learn how to do it faster. Its just like at the dealer, they spec a job for 2 hours and charge you for 2 hours. The tech can do the job in 45 mins. Sometimes if you look at everything the tech did in the day and add the hours up he ends up doing 15 hours of work in an 8 hour shift!

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:04 pm
by MY92
Good point.