How hard is it to rebuilt a transmission. I'm all about DIY guy. I love to safe money. I just replace the clutch. And I finally feel all the horsepower n in loving it but my second gear grinds unless I'm going less then 20 mph. In that case is there a way I can open the tranny just to fix 2nd gear? Thanks

 

are you good at jigsaw puzzles?

 

you have to be meticulously clean and have special tools to rebuild a transmission, all in all its more efficient to send it in to get rebuilt instead

 

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1994/mt.pdf
I'll let you judge your mechanical abilities.

 

I build 3700 lbs, 8 spd transmissions and these are rather big with many parts on the inside....I would highly recommend you at least getting a FSM if you really want to disassemble this transmission.....All it takes is to mess up on the sequence or place something in backwards and you've just made a internal metallic blenderI'm temped to do the same but with a reference book only and a few special tools!

 

I have tons of tools, I just need to figure out what special tools you guys are talking about. I've restored a turbo 2 rx7 so I think my knowledge is above average on repairs. I have a fan but I need to start reading the chapter. And I have to find the best price for a rebuilt kit.

 

just guessing...
snap ring pliers
shop press
bearing separator
set of punches
gear pullers
set of feeler gauges

if you get into the diff bearings then you need tools to figure out the space (shims needed) and figure out preload.

 

Looks like I got a lot of researching to do but thanks for the web link.

 

you basically need the stuff Danny pointed out, even at work we just rip out bad trannies and send them out to be rebuilt, too much of a hassle otherwise

 

What they all said. If you're into it for the sake of having a project, then fine and dandy. If you're going into it trying to save money, then I recommend finding a lcoal shop to do the work for you. You can go mow a few lawns and earn the money in less time than it takes.

i.e. the first rebuild I did took me all weekend to pull the tranny, replace the bearings, and put it back together. And that was JUST the bearings. I didn't remove the gears from the shafts, which takes quite a bit more time.

I started tearing down the tranny from my S14 race car on Monday night. I'm about 6 hrs into it, and I STILL have the mainshaft in the housing! I destroyed reverse gear by missing a 3-4 shift at 80mph, and of course reverse is the LAST gear to come off the shaft. what a motherfcuking PITA. All this to save $250 in labor. eff dat.

 

Lol. Well its good to see your still doing something besides sitting in a chair collecting dust. Was it a stock KA trans. I'm actually in the market for a s14 zenki in unmolested form of course. I've researched that a 300zx trans with a rb25 bellhousing will almost bolt up to a KA. One has to enlarge with a drill bit 2 holes.

 

ive pulled trannies but havent even attempted a rebuild myself. i was going to rebuild one of the Supras trannies but once you see everything, its just no. thats why theres specialty tranny shops around lol

 

Tony, you may want to consider picking up a JY tranny, and practice on that. You can get them for like 50 to 100 bucks. Right now I have 3 Maxima auto trannies. If you've done an engine, doing the tranny is not that much harder. There's some specialized book out there on the Jatco trannies, that you should pick up, and use in conjunction with the FSM. There are some specialty tools, but you don't need to buy them. Just take all the parts to a local machine shop, and they can do it for you for pretty cheap, if you tell them exactly what needs to be done.

If you have average mechanical ability, you can do the auto tranny, but it will take you long, so I wouldn't rely on this as a 'need to drive soon' part.

 

Thanks for the info. Does it make it harder if it's a 5 speed tranny?

 

well, the Jatco trans is the auto, which means more difficulty on dissasembly and reassembly (more check ***** and springs that go flying around the already cluttered garage). The manual trans should be easier.

 

Manual trans is pretty straight forward. Especially if you have the FSM with you. I highly recommend you have the FSM with you at all times.

 

I forgot to explain, when I said, "bring the parts to the machine shop", I don't mean bring all the parts and scatter them on their table LOL!!! Obviously.

What I meant was, in the FSM there may be procedures that require those ridiculously expensive Kent-Moore single purpose tools. Often Machine Shops or a tranny shop have those tools, and if you bring just those few parts in the whole rebuild, that require those once in a lifetime tool, they will charge you just a small nominal fee for labour to perform those tasks.

You may also want to consider replacing the valve body with a "re-manufactured" unit sold aftermarket, as they aren't that much. Replace the torque converter too. Make sure to buy the secret sauce those tranny guys use, as assembly lube, I think its some red sauce, but not franks red hot!

 

if you dont have assembly lube, use petroleum jelly to keep parts together. dont use other grease because they will withstand the atf's temperature and wont dissolve, acting as a sludge.