'94 A4LD To M5Od

[pteepee69]

Took it apart tonight. When I pulled the input and output shafts apart the pocket bearing fell out in many pieces, what was left of it that is. Oil slinger melted. Front of the output shaft that the pocket bearing rides on is gnarled up big time. Haven't finished taking the output shaft apart yet, so there may be more treasures to find. Oh yeah, the oil trough was completely clogged.

 

[mr cribb]

So it sounds like the trans never got a fluid change and the piss driven out of it.... because this is a first for me of hearing about the type of carnage you describe.

I'm not saying it is impossible to kill a manual trans, but it is pretty rare.

 

[pteepee69]

Here is my plan, a costly one but it is mine. The input shaft, besides being damaged from the pocket bearing, appears to be bent. So new input shaft. Output shaft is damaged from the pocket bearing. New output shaft. All bearings will be replaced, including the needle bearings for the gears. My reasoning for this is with all the crap that was floating around inside this transmission and since it is apart I might as well do it all. Even after filling the tranny with almost 3 quarts of synthetic ATF, when I removed it and drained it again the fluid was very dark. Some of it is because of the fine metal particles from wear, but I believe that gear oil was used in this transmission instead of ATF. Also, I believe this transmission has been apart before because the mainshaft nut and cluster nut had deep cuts in the sides of them where someone had taken them off before. I am ordering my parts from southwestgear.com. My price is going to be somewhere between $450-$500 for all the parts.

 

[mr cribb]

, but I believe that gear oil was used in this transmission instead of ATF.

This would explain all the damage, the clogging, etc.

 

[EastoutWest]

Dude, that sucks... I'm sorry you got an abused transmission. But it sounds like you are getting an education out of it! You are braver than I... I would have taken that transmission to the scrapyard and started looking for another. For $500 I would have looked for a whole donor vehicle with a blown engine... But at least this way, you will know its rebuilt and you will know each moving part of your whole vehicle!

 

[pteepee69]

Today I finished giving everything a bath in parts cleaner and checking everything. I disassembled the sliders and checked the dogs and springs. Except for all the damage caused by the pocket bearing everything else seems good. The oil trough had started to melt so that is added to my replacement list. The one thing I am having trouble figuring out is why fifth gear wouldn't engage. Everything on that end of the tranny is beautiful. Fairly clean, no wear, slider works good, shift fork looks and works good. Any ideas?

 

[EastoutWest]

Any updates?

 

[pteepee69]

Just got through ordering my parts from southwest gear. My wife is having a root canal, so I had to put off getting my parts so she could get her tooth fixed. Here's what I have coming;mainshaft, input shaft, bearing kit (main case bearings and races), input shim kit, 3rd gear needle bearing, 2nd gear needle bearing, 1st gear needle bearing, 5th gear needle bearing, reverse gear needle bearing, mainshaft nut, countershaft nut, oil trough, shifter stub spacers, key and spring kit, and the synchros are in the bearing kit. I figure since I have it apart and all the **** that was floating around in the tranny might as well do it all.

 

[pteepee69]

Got my parts on Monday. I have spent the last three nights putting the tranny together. Finished it tonight. Hopefully I can start putting it back in tomorrow. Taking it apart and putting it back together wasn't that bad using the M5R1 Rebuild Thread on this sight and the M5R1 Rebuild dvd from Southwest Gear. Everything is smooth as silk in the tranny now, can't wait to get it in and try it out.

 

[mr cribb]

Glad your close to getting back on the road.

 

[pteepee69]

Finally, got it all in today and took her on about a 20 mile round trip. The 5speed definitely gives it more get up and go. It has a little whine to it. More so in the lower gears. Might have to bleed the clutch. When using the clutch it has to be all the way to the floor when shifting and barely let off and it engages. Getting a couple of codes, 522, and 558. I'll check it out more tomorrow. But an overall improvement.

 

[pteepee69]

I've been driving her for 3 days now, 150 miles. Really enjoying the new tranny. Decided to try my 4x4 out today. I have 4 high but no 4 low. I think it has something to do with the code 522 my CEL is throwing. Code 522:Manual lever position sensor circuit open/vehicle in gear. I don't know why I would get this code when I installed the 5speed harness and computer. Answers?

 

[Naasau]

I'm having the same issue, but I have a suspicion that it isn't code related... (the beast hasn't thrown me any codes) it might just be a RTFM problem, so as soon as I get back home to denver I'll check out the manual to see if we might be missing a step.

 

[mr cribb]

Congrats on the completion.

 

[IAmTodd]

Ground the red/white wire on the 4x4 module in the rear jack compartment. Be careful as you will have shift on the fly 4lo.

 

[Naasau]

Whoops, how in the world did we miss that part of the swap?

 

[pteepee69]

Will grounding the red/white wire also take care of my code 522?

 

[IAmTodd]

I don't have any experience with that. I'm going to say no though.

 

[Naasau]

Todd> thanks for the ground hint! It worked like a charm, and now I have low range back.

 

[pteepee69]

I have now put about 800 miles on my rebuild and everything is doing fine. Still haven't done the red/white wire ground yet, but I will get around to it. Time to move on to my next project. Front passenger spindle replacement.