So here's the story. I have a 96 SE with 173K miles. A few weeks ago I was driving normal(55-60mph) and BOOM. Best guess is a tooth on one of the gears broke because it felt like I hit a boulder. I pulled over and the tranny was gushing fluid. Also after further inspection, I found a slight crack in the case.

The tranny was recently rebuilt (@160k) so rebuilding it now seems out of the question. While in the process of looking for a replacement, I found out that I can swap in a 2001 locking AE transmission and all I would need to change is the driver's side axle shaft and maybe the shift fork.

Amazingly I found one that was going to be rebuilt and sent to my door for $950. I was going through my finances and waited too long and now it's gone and I can't find another one anywhere!

I am losing my mind looking for a transmission, currently I have a non-locking tranny and I find it nothing less than idiotic to go through such a large repair and not get the better(Locking/anniversary edition) transmission.

what are your suggestions?

 

Our suggestions for what? As I see it, you've got two options:

• Get a regular open diff trans to get your car back on the road, while you save up for a VLSD trans
• Find a VLSD trans now ('01 AE, i30t, ES or other canadian Maximas)

All depends on how much you're willing to spend, and how long you want your car to be down.

 

My first stop would be the place that rebuilt the transmission. 13K and it crapped out, was it a full rebuild or a recondition? Is there a warranty?

 

The suggestions I was looking for would be something like a place or a classified that had a good '01 AE MT or some kind of substitution. I have another car that I'm driving right now so urgency isn't crucial. I was planning on storing it for the winter, which in Minnesota can do considerable damage to a car.

I appreciate the input but I don't understand what you mean by getting a regular(non-locking) and then saving up for a VLSD. Is that supposed to mean that after I've replaced the transmission and saved up enough money to get it taken out, get the new tranny and have another one put in?? Sounds like the most colossal waste of money I've ever heard.

Which infiniti has a VLSD MT that'll fit in a 4th gen?

 

Oh, you're not doing the work yourself? Then yea, I guess you would be spending a bit more. I wouldn't say colossal waste, you act as if you couldn't sell the open diff trans afterwards to make up some money.

Which Infiniti? As I said above, i30t.

Have you tried car-parts? Classifieds here? Local craigslist? eBay?

 

So far I've been using car-part.com mostly. I've also tried craigslist and ebay and the classifieds here. All of these places seem bare of transmissions.

Also, do i30's come in manual transmission? The reason I ask is because on car-part it only somes up as AT. I need a MT if I haven't already said.

Another thought I've had is getting the nonlocking 2001. It's not VLSD but there's a LOT more of them and they seem more updated than the 96-99 trannys and probably less miles. any thoughts?

 

Yes, they did. The i30t 5MT is a RS5F05V, what you want.

 

If you're spending that much money, might as well go with the 01 AE VLSD tranny.

 

Thanks chewbaca, my thoughts exactly. I just got off the phone after scouring the first 250 Google results for "rebuilt transmission". I think I've found the one!

There's really no excuse not to go VLSD if you're replacing the entire transmission. Unless of course you've searched car-part.com and found out that you're about to lose your mind because there's only one in the entire country and they refuse to ship it to you because of the "hassle".

 

same thing happened to me with my tranny!!! i found my locking diff trans on
cart parts.com it had 80,000 and it was950 shipped to nyc from saltlake city . best thing i did for the max she really pulles when mash the gas. and any tran i30t 5spd will work just search u will find one good luck

 

Meh.. if i were to replace another blown tranny again, id buy an open diff and throw a quaife in there. That or just toss the RS5F50V all together and put in a 6MT HLSD.

 

That would definately be my first step, and a smart one at that too.

 

I would have gone to the shop that rebuilt it if it were only a little while after the rebuild. Once a year has passed no shop will consider warrantying a 12 y/o tranny. But I'm in negotiations right now with 2 different shops so things are finally starting to look up.

Also I have a question before I actually buy this, the drivers side axle shaft connects to what exactly on the tire side? I know the bearings are involved somehow. If so do I need to replace any peripheral parts that the shaft connects to?

 

The axle simply slides through the hub and then you get the axle nut on the outside of the hub