So you broke a shifter fork- A DIY'er fix.
Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:26 am
I dropped the transmission because the noise it came with became louder and even more menacing. I figured a bearing was the cause of the noise(it still is) but I also found a chunk of fork.
So if you drain your Sparkle fluid and this pops out, refer to this guide.
Start by taking your transmission out. There are other guides out there, but if you are attempting to change a piece in your transmission then you probably have a haynes or chiltons already, or just have a greasy thumb.
Tools you will need in addition to your sockets and wrenches:
-3/16 punch.
-big allen key (for TOB release fork pivot shaft hole cap)
-Off the top of my head I used 19mm 17mm 14, 12 and 10's.
-Floor jack and stands.
-There were no special tools to get the fork out besides the punch.
I left the engine and it's fluids alone to drop the trans.
Once you have the trans out open the top cap.
In here you gain access to this:
Undo this screw(the one in the collar, on the shaft) this makes it so the internal linkages can clear each other and you will be able to split the rear differential housing off of the main housing.
Once you have all the bolts off(14mm's) then twist the shifter linkage counter clockwise, thereby "clearing the internal links" and pull the rear section off.
Now you have have something like this.
Let some more fluid drain and have a beer. I like Snowcap this time of year.
Now it's time to start undoing the large handful of bolts that are holding the transmission together. I had the unit upright and level with the cinderblock in the front and a jackstand on it's side under the rear. This made it easier than having it on it's side to get the bolts out.
These four will also need to come off in order to get the halves apart:
Once your bolts are out lay the transmission with the drivers side down(left side), and gently tap the halves apart using the tabs around the seam.
And now you should be looking at this:
Now you can lift the input, output/pinion shafts out.
I always thought that there was special aligning to be done whenever you ventured into a 5mt, but only when you are altering the gear parts. Since we are just lifting them out to change a fork and dropping them back in, there's no voodoo magic to be worked.
Now that the shafts are out you can get to the fork. And in order to get the fork out you need to drive out this pin:
Grab the 3/16 punch and drive it out. Mine had a smaller pin within the larger pin that is pictured, I used a nail with the tip ground flat to drive the small inner pin.
Now the pin is driven and the broken forks is ready to come off the rail. To get the rail out loosen this bolt:
Behind this bolt is a spring and ballbearing which is the mechanism that either provides the "snapping into gear" feeling or makes it so you can't engage more than one gear at a time. It also keeps the rail from sliding completely out the back. My broken fork was on the bottom rail, yours may be on the upper rail. In that case loosen the bolt that corresponds to the correct rail.
Slide the busted fork off- mine was sticky and needed massaging, keep trying- and slide the new one on.
Getting the rail back into it's home over the ball bearing was tricky. There is a safety mechanism that only allows the rail to slide back and forth when the others are are in neutral, making sure you can't get into 1st and reverse and the same time. So when you are reassembling you have to have the rails in the perfect spots otherwise it won't slide into place. Having the case nice and level was a big help.
Things you have to pay attention to when putting it back together:
The two front bearings on the input and output shafts have a dimple where a small pin in the race fits:
Getting these to fall into place was tricky too, but I was able to make a tiny score mark 180* from the dimple and align it that way.
The bearing at the rear of the input shaft has a ring around it, much like a piston ring, that needs to be snug against the case when being laid back into the race. The ring has a section cut from it so it's able to clear the plate that is held to the case by the 4 bolts (sixth pic from the top).
Once you have the case halves back together, and are ready to put the rear section back on it's helpful to hold the shifter rod full counter clockwise again like we did when taking the rear off.
You have to get the tab into the slot, hehe, in this sort of fashion:
It's pretty easy and you will know when you have it in from the way it feels.
Tighten up the bolts holding the rear section on.
Put the screw pin back into the collar on the shaft that is under the top cap and you are ready to put it back in the car.
Use a torque wrench and use the spec's found in the 5mt pdf's found here - http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... FSM_Scans/
This repair was not nearly as bad as I thought. Mostly I was glad to have the luxury of tearing into a blown trans for fun over the summer and figuring how everything went together. Hopefully this can be helpful to folks.
So if you drain your Sparkle fluid and this pops out, refer to this guide.
Start by taking your transmission out. There are other guides out there, but if you are attempting to change a piece in your transmission then you probably have a haynes or chiltons already, or just have a greasy thumb.
Tools you will need in addition to your sockets and wrenches:
-3/16 punch.
-big allen key (for TOB release fork pivot shaft hole cap)
-Off the top of my head I used 19mm 17mm 14, 12 and 10's.
-Floor jack and stands.
-There were no special tools to get the fork out besides the punch.
I left the engine and it's fluids alone to drop the trans.
Once you have the trans out open the top cap.
In here you gain access to this:
Undo this screw(the one in the collar, on the shaft) this makes it so the internal linkages can clear each other and you will be able to split the rear differential housing off of the main housing.
Once you have all the bolts off(14mm's) then twist the shifter linkage counter clockwise, thereby "clearing the internal links" and pull the rear section off.
Now you have have something like this.
Let some more fluid drain and have a beer. I like Snowcap this time of year.
Now it's time to start undoing the large handful of bolts that are holding the transmission together. I had the unit upright and level with the cinderblock in the front and a jackstand on it's side under the rear. This made it easier than having it on it's side to get the bolts out.
These four will also need to come off in order to get the halves apart:
Once your bolts are out lay the transmission with the drivers side down(left side), and gently tap the halves apart using the tabs around the seam.
And now you should be looking at this:
Now you can lift the input, output/pinion shafts out.
I always thought that there was special aligning to be done whenever you ventured into a 5mt, but only when you are altering the gear parts. Since we are just lifting them out to change a fork and dropping them back in, there's no voodoo magic to be worked.
Now that the shafts are out you can get to the fork. And in order to get the fork out you need to drive out this pin:
Grab the 3/16 punch and drive it out. Mine had a smaller pin within the larger pin that is pictured, I used a nail with the tip ground flat to drive the small inner pin.
Now the pin is driven and the broken forks is ready to come off the rail. To get the rail out loosen this bolt:
Behind this bolt is a spring and ballbearing which is the mechanism that either provides the "snapping into gear" feeling or makes it so you can't engage more than one gear at a time. It also keeps the rail from sliding completely out the back. My broken fork was on the bottom rail, yours may be on the upper rail. In that case loosen the bolt that corresponds to the correct rail.
Slide the busted fork off- mine was sticky and needed massaging, keep trying- and slide the new one on.
Getting the rail back into it's home over the ball bearing was tricky. There is a safety mechanism that only allows the rail to slide back and forth when the others are are in neutral, making sure you can't get into 1st and reverse and the same time. So when you are reassembling you have to have the rails in the perfect spots otherwise it won't slide into place. Having the case nice and level was a big help.
Things you have to pay attention to when putting it back together:
The two front bearings on the input and output shafts have a dimple where a small pin in the race fits:
Getting these to fall into place was tricky too, but I was able to make a tiny score mark 180* from the dimple and align it that way.
The bearing at the rear of the input shaft has a ring around it, much like a piston ring, that needs to be snug against the case when being laid back into the race. The ring has a section cut from it so it's able to clear the plate that is held to the case by the 4 bolts (sixth pic from the top).
Once you have the case halves back together, and are ready to put the rear section back on it's helpful to hold the shifter rod full counter clockwise again like we did when taking the rear off.
You have to get the tab into the slot, hehe, in this sort of fashion:
It's pretty easy and you will know when you have it in from the way it feels.
Tighten up the bolts holding the rear section on.
Put the screw pin back into the collar on the shaft that is under the top cap and you are ready to put it back in the car.
Use a torque wrench and use the spec's found in the 5mt pdf's found here - http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... FSM_Scans/
This repair was not nearly as bad as I thought. Mostly I was glad to have the luxury of tearing into a blown trans for fun over the summer and figuring how everything went together. Hopefully this can be helpful to folks.
.
