Well, after much consideration as to what to do about my 5 speed problem, I decided to just buy a reman. Ordered it from Midwest Transmission. Total with shipping was $1,090.69.
I'm keeping the original trans because it was a $250.00 core charge. If I sent it to them it would cost me $69.00. I figured I should just keep it and maybe buy the tools needed to rebuild it later on, or have it rebuilt at a shop. Having a spare core might be a good idea,,, or not. Either way, I didn't want to part with it since it wasn't all that much (after shipping) to just keep it.
The new one should be shipping in 7-10 days.
So, if I can find the time and all goes well, maybe I'll have the 88 ready for a trip to NC in mid March 8)
I thought about posting in the buy/sell board for one. But I decided if I was going to buy another one, I'd get a remanufactured one. Midwest is a good shop, so I feel confident it will be a top notch trans that should last for a very long time.
Well guys, I may have bought a trans that I don't really need.
Well, I shouldn't say "don't need", since I will need it at some point. BUT, I might not need to change it right now.
After reading it over, I think the noise I've been hearing may very well be the seal(s) :!:
Could I be so lucky, I wonder? I mean, it is clear that those posting in that forum only needed to oil the seal to stop the noise. The noise they spoke of sounds exactly like the noise I've been hearing. I'm going to try some silicone spray on them sometime today and take it for a drive. If that does stop it, I'll remove the axles do a proper fix next weekend.
Fingers crossed.
I think this really might have been the problem. The passenger side is no longer squealing and I'm 100% sure it was. I could hear it some along with the drivers side. Sometimes both sides would squeal while other times one or the other would be. The passenger side is easy to get to and I was able to get the silicone spray into the seal of both the intermediate shaft bearing seal and the transaxle seal. I was not able to get the drivers very well due to the tripod being in the way.
Friday (hopefully) I will get the axle out and check the seal on the that side.
This noise might still be coming from the transaxle, but it is a squeal not a grinding or rumble or anything that a bad bearing normally makes. Sounds a lot like a belt squeal, but it isn't the belt. It only does it when the car is moving and is clearly coming from the drivers side. It does it more on uneven roads where the suspension is moving alot, but it will also do it at parking lot speed (less than 10mph) on a smooth surface. No real difference in pitch due to speed, it sounds pretty much the same at 5mph as it does at 35-40 (though it may be louder with speed). Higher speeds, 45+ it seems to go away.
I replaced the seal today on the left side. AT first I thought it may have fixed it. I drove it a bit and didn't hear any noise, but when turning into a parking lot, it began to squeak again. There is some play on the output shaft on the left side. It will move up and down and front to back. I suppose that bearing is shot. The right feels pretty solid and I could not get it to move.
Still haven't gotten a shipping confirmation on the trans yet, but expect one this week, hopefully. I'll start taking the old trans out on Friday to be ready for the new one when it gets here. Was hoping I wouldn't have to change it just yet, but I'm sure this one is in need of repairs
I'm going to look into changing the rear seal in the engine, since I'll be changing the flywheel too.
Here is my homemade and very cheap but also very effective, Seal Installation Tool.
Oh well, what is done is done. Besides, I really wanted to keep my trans, just to tear into it myself,,, sometime. A learning experience, so to speak. As you may have seen, I've been buying some tools for the J Body cars here and there. But so far have only bought the shim selector kit for the trans. So, I'll just keep picking up the tools here and there and when I have all the ones needed I'll give it a try. Won't be anytime soon though.
The tool kit came today. Super fast shipping! It came from Mount Vernon, Washington. I bought it the night of Jan. 17 :!:
It was originally listed at $35.00 when I first saw it over the weekend. I added it to my Watch List then. I saw someone else was watching it too. I happened to be on Ebay the other night checking on something else when I saw the seller had lowered the price to $31.50 with Free Shipping. I bought it right then. I figured I'd better, since there was another watching it. Anyway, I think I got a great deal in it
Trans is supposed to be here tomorrow. It is currently in Ocala Fl, about 100 miles away. So most likely it will be delivered sometime tomorrow 8)
Here are some pics of the tool kit. You'll see a closeup of the label, for anyone interested in buying a kit like this for your HM-282 (maybe works with others too, I'm not sure).
Git the trans. It has a different case than my original one does. Different location of dip stick, which might prove to be a pain to check. Also has a filler tube that is close to where my original trans dip stick goes.
I don't have the old one out yet, been putting the amp back in as well as full trunk area carpet on the 92. I just opened the box and took the trans out. I hope all the mounts and brackets will bolt up okay.
A tag on the dip sticks says to use 5W-30 Fluid Only :-?
I was under the impression they use Synchromesh. At least that is what I had been using in the original trans. However,,, it did fail. I think I've drove this car about 8,000 miles since I bought it. I put Pennzoil Synchromesh in it before I ever drove it after buying it. Now I'm wondering if I screwed up doing that?????
I'll call Midwest about this before I fill it up.
I doubt I'll have it in this weekend. Maybe, but I end up just taking the old one out.
Thanks for the information and link to the manual.
I believe the clutch arm is the same, best I tell. I can't see it very well, but from what I can see, it appears to be the same setup. I'll have everything out of the way later today. Be able to compare it better then.
I see Amsoil 5W-30 Synchromesh list both P/N 1052931 and 12345349 (what my 88 service manual recommends). So I guess this will be a proper fluid to use in it.
I am wondering if maybe I should use some 5W-30 motor oil and drive it a few miles first, then drain it and refill with the Amsoil. Wondering if there is a break in period required to flush out any assembly lube they may have used?
It might be from a Fiero. I'll compare the linkages closely once I get the old one out. I didn't get it out today and don't look like I will until next weekend. Midwest did know I was putting it in an 88 Z24 Vin W, RPO MG2. Only thing they asked me was if it was cable or digital dash. Hopefully they hooked me up with all the correct hardware. I do wish the trans had of been the same as the original one. Oh well, as long as it is a good one, no complaints.
Been working on finding a broken wire to the drivers side door lock actuator. Got that fixed and then had to make some modifications to the belcrank to get it to lock and unlock. New ACDelco actuator seems a little weak to me. Anyway, I got it working well and pretty much done with the drivers door. Still have to do the passengers door window motor and run channel. The door lock actuator still works fine on it, so I'll leave it alone.
I'll start taking everything off to get as much of that done as I can tomorrow, in preparation of the trans change. Hopefully all will go well and I'll have it all done next weekend.
Too many cars and too little time. LOL, I just pick one and mess with it for a bit until I get tired of doing whatever and then just move to another one, etc.
I found a place that has Amsoil 5w30 Synchromesh. Was going to pick up a couple quarts tomorrow. Just happened to get my invoice out of the box that the trans came in and found it says to fill level 20w50 SYN, which I take it means synthetic motor oil. That is the stuff my old Renault Turbo used years ago in it's engine.
At this point I have no idea what I should be putting in this transmission. I'm going to have to call Midwest tomorrow before buying anything.
Does the transaxle have any oil at all in it? If so, maybe they used the 20W50 just for temporary lubrication. When I got my rebuilt trans from a seller, I thought it had no oil in it, but when I went to drain it in order to fill with Delco synchromesh, about a cup of red oil came out. Don't know what it was, but I was glad there was some lube in it as I had pushed the vehicle around a fair bit.
I don't see any sign of any oil still in it. It has been laying in the box with the bell housing down and there is no oil around the speed gear area.
I just talked to Dan, a technical support rep at Midwest. He said they just recommend 20W50 but GM 12345349 or Amsoil 5W30 Synchromesh will be just fine and using any of the 3 will not void the warranty.
Amsoil 20W50 Premium Protection motor oil has a high zinc content to reduce wear. He also said that would be fine in the trans. I'm wondering if 20W50 will cause it stiff shifting though?
If I go to Amsoil and search products by vehicle, using a 1987 Fiero with a MG2 it returns their 5W30 Synchromesh as their only product to use in it. Same search results for an 88 Cavalier.
Anyway, I think I'll go and get some of the 5W30. The bad thing is, I can get the 20W50 at NAPA a couple miles from here. I have to go 30 miles, (nearly to St Petersburg) to get the synchromesh :x
Got the trans-axle in today. Not completed though, but it is in.
I notice a bit of side to side play in the stamped steel intermediate shaft support. Is that normal for them? It isn't much, but I can flex it by hand some, causing the intermediate shaft to move in and out of the trans maybe 1/8 of an inch. It is the bracket that is flexing, of that I'm sure. I can see it. I never noticed it before, but only because I never tried to move it in that direction before. I'm wondering if that was the cause of the noise I was hearing, or if a small amount of flex is normal. If all else fails, I have a backup
Anyway, I'll have it ready for a test drive sometime tomorrow.
Bought a flywheel lock on ebay a few months ago that I thought might just work. I only had a picture of the lock and a picture someone had posted here of a clutch on their Z24. Looking at the lock and looking at the picture, I figured it was worth a shot. It worked great! Got it for under $20.00 with shipping. Glad I took the chance on it.
I don't know if it is supposed to have play. I know there is no bearing replacement for it. Rodney makes a kit to machine out the old bearing hole and has a new bearing that goes in to fix the issue with play.
I think you misunderstood what I was saying about the play. The play is in the bearing support for the intermediate shaft where the CV axle mounts to the intermediate shaft on the passenger side. The stamped steel bracket that supports the outer end of the intermediate shaft will flex a little. That allows the intermediate shaft to move in and out of the trans-axle passenger side output. It (the bracket that bolts to the engine along with the rear engine mount bracket) flexes some. It is tightly mounted, but the bracket itself is flexing. I can flex it by hand.
As for the trans-axle input shaft, my rebuilt one has the same thing you posted a link to. I didn't get a picture of it, but that is exactly what Midwest used when rebuilding the trans I bought.
Oh okay, I was thinking inputshaft for some reason. Is the bracket fl ding that much of is the bearing bad/ c clip missing. There should be a c clip to hold it
In the bracket. I have a stamp one on both of my cars and I do not belief they have any play since the bracket presses on and bolts with two bolts. Can you take a video? I can double check mine on Monday.
I don't think it is the bearing, it is new. I'll take another look tomorrow. I am just going to put my other bracket on it, the cast one in the picture above. It is good and I just replaced the seal a little while ago. I know that thing won't flex.
Well, that did not make a bit of difference. The noise is still there, nothing changed at all. It is a chirping squealing sound that only does it once in a while and mainly on uneven roads. It changes sides too. Sometimes coming from the drivers side, other times the passenger side and once in a while kinda both sides, I think. It is definitely coming from the front of the car. It will do it at low or high speeds, coasting or in gear, applying brakes doesn't change it. it is a constant pitch for the most part.
Nearly everything on this car is new and nothing has stopped the noise. It isn't the tires, as it did it with a set that is now on the RS and the tires from the RS are on this one.
Maybe it is the intermediate shaft bracket flexing putting something in a bind. I didn't get it changed out for the cast one, but will try that next weekend.
The belt tensioner has not been changed, although the belt is a new ACDelco.
I'll try to get a recording of the sound, if changing the support bracket doesn't stop it.
I did raise it once and let it run in gear. Used a stethoscope to listen to pretty much every moving part, nothing sounded bad.
I have looked for any signs of something rubbing. Found nothing.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
J-Body Automobiles Forum
1.3M posts
28.1K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to J-body owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, engine swaps, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!