The document provides tips for rebuilding standard transmissions. It advises technicians to carefully inspect components for subtle wear that could lead to problems. Rebuilders should use the manufacturer's specified fluid and consider customer needs when deciding whether to install a high-performance clutch. With practice, technicians can gain confidence working on standard transmissions.

1. Playing with Fire
A New Look at SPEAKER
Standards by Jon Rodriguez
members.atra.com
www.atra.com
I n every transmission shop there
are many learning curves to go
through: maintaining the shop,
R&R, building, differential work, diag-
nosing, managing — there’s always
something on the list called “Things to
Know in a Transmission Shop.”
Standard transmissions: Where are
they on your list? For a lot of trans-
mission guys, standards are something
you R&R for a clutch or replacement;
nothing more. Why is that? Why were
so many technicians scared into staying
away from the stick shift?
Welcome to this edition of Playing
with Fire. With a little help from the
guys at Anaheim Gear in Anaheim, CA,
I’ve collected some of the most com-
mon tips you should consider before
rebuilding standard transmissions.
When Not to Build
Sometimes it just makes good
sense to avoid working on a standard
transmission:
If a standard-equipped vehicle
shows up on a flatbed with a bucket of
parts that were picked up off the street Figure 1
where it stopped moving, that’s one you until you have the unit out of the car age units. Search craigslist.org, ebay.
probably don’t want to try to rebuild. and apart on the bench. So it’s impor- com, and other online classified web
If a standard fails because it ran out tant that the techs and the managers sites for parts or cores.
of oil, that’s another one you won’t want are on the same page when it comes to Remember, most vehicles with
to touch. The reason? The parts you’ll options for repairs. stick shifts are budget vehicles. Doing
need will cost more than a replacement. Obviously a replacement is a worst some extra work to keep costs down
How should you deal with those case scenario when it comes to cost, can make the difference between get-
situations? Have a core to rebuild and not to mention the additional clutch ting the job and having the vehicle
exchange, find a good used unit, or get and chassis costs. You don’t want to towed away.
a rebuilt exchange unit. scare the customer away with the worst
case numbers, but the possibility of Teardown
Selling the Job the job getting to that level needs to be This can make or break the job.
Standards can be tough on a man- explained. Standards wear parts differently than
ager. That’s because there’s really no Do your homework; call your local automatics do. It’s usually pretty obvi-
way to know what’s going on inside wrecking yards for cores or low mile- ous with automatics: burnt clutches,
26 GEARS September 2010

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From the world’s largest independent manufacturer of torque converters and
the world’s largest manufacturer of combined wet and dry friction products.
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market in the world over-fact!
CORE TECHNOLOGY
Exedy is a powertrain specialist and tier one supplier FRICTION
to the automotive industry world wide. Exedy’s Development of ç
products range: From wet & dry friction material, torque the highest quality
FRICTION MATERIAL
converters, complete transmission systems for highway,
off-highway and industrial applications.
that can demonstrate
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performance.
Exedy is responsible to all 11 OE automotive vehicle
manufacturers in Japan. For the conception of
powertrain product requirements and needs. ç
VIBRATION
In the US Exedy supplies Ford-GM-Chrysler, powertrain We have
needs such as torque converters, wet friction material
and standard clutch systems.
=DAMPER TECHNOLOGY developed the most
efficient Damper that
can absorb vibration
Worldwide Exedy has evolved through developing from the engine more
and patenting the core technologies such as friction, FLUID than ever.
vibration and fluid technology.
DYNAMICS
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ç
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Exedy products have been recognized by vehicle
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inside Torque Converter,
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Available through all authorized Transmission WDs & Jobber Shops

3. A New Look at Standards
obvious pitting on planets/gears.
With standards, the wear could
seem trivial to your automatic eyes, but
that small amount of wear will bite you
when the transmission is back in the
vehicle.
This input and cluster from a T-56
(figure 1) appear to be in good shape.
No obvious signs of galling or pitting
on the gears. But pay attention to the
bluing between the gear teeth. That’s
a sign of overheating. When the metal
gets that hot, it weakens the gears and
causes noise in the transmission.
If you overlook this type of failure
during your initial inspection, it’s not
only going to require complete disas-
sembly of the unit, but it could add a
hefty parts cost that nobody ever men-
tioned to the customer beforehand.
Soft Parts
Standard transmission rebuild
kits are much simpler than automatic
transmission kits. A couple seals, some
O-rings and gaskets, bearings, and Figure 2
maybe synchros are all that’s included have most of the job done. as a shear key; it needs to slip before
in your kit. Suppose you’re working on a high something else breaks.
Synchronizers are usually optional performance vehicle. Should you install
when buying kits, so make sure to tell a high performance clutch? Be careful! Engine Misses
your supplier if you’d like brass includ- Performance clutches do provide stron- Engine misses can cause a clat-
ed. Brass synchros don’t necessarily ger holding power, but they can reduce ter or rattle in the transmission. This
have to be replaced with every rebuild. reliability and functionality. is especially true for heavy duty truck
If the synchros are paper clutch lined, Usually the modulation (amount of applications: Heavy duty clutches have
then yes, replace them. If they’re solid clutch pedal travel between disengage- stiff damper springs that can’t absorb
brass and in good shape, they can be ment and engagement) is dramatically the vibrations coming from a poorly
reused. Figure 2 shows the three main shorter with high performance clutches. tuned engine.
areas to check on a synchro. Think NASCAR; they’re either roast- The misfire causes a back-and-
If the synchro is worn where it ing the tires coming out of the pits or forth power delivery that forces the
rides on the cone of the gear, inspect the the engine stalls. Is that what you want gears to bounce against each other,
cone closely for any grooves or uneven your customer doing with his freshly causing noise and premature gear fail-
wear patterns. If the cone is worn, rebuilt transmission? ure.
you’ll need to replace the gear, too. Another feature sacrificed with
high performance clutches is dampen- Shifter Linkage
Hard Parts ing. Those little springs on the inside When test driving a standard,
It may surprise you how inexpen- diameter of the clutch disc absorb always check the shifter for looseness.
sive some big parts are. If you can’t normal vibrations transmitted by the Just about every standard-equipped
find a sacrificial core, call your sup- engine. If the dampeners are omitted vehicle has some sort of soft linkage
pliers or specialty rebuilders to see or too stiff, normal engine vibrations that can wear and not allow the shifter
what’s available. Those rebuilders have can turn into violent shudders during to engage the gears completely.
machinery that can repair worn bearing engagements. That can cause broken One of the most common misdi-
races or shaft tips for a fraction of the gear teeth and busted shafts. agnoses is on rear wheel drive Toyota
cost of a new one. This is especially common with trucks. There’s a donut shaped seat
Honda/Acura and Mitsubishi perfor- that the shifter ball sits into. When the
The Clutch mance applications. Are there perfor- seat deteriorates, the shifter becomes
Typically, you’ll be replacing the mance gears and shafts? A few, but the loose and will only partially engage the
clutch during the transmission overhaul parts are expensive, and all that ends transmission into gear, especially third.
unless it was replaced recently. It just up doing is moving the weak link to the Other vehicles, such as Saturns
makes sense considering you’ll already next gear or shaft. Think of the clutch with bad cables and GM New Venture
28 GEARS September 2010

4. units with early shift tower designs,
can be repaired inexpensively, without
removing the transmission.
Fluids
It used to be simple when it came
to fluid use in standards and transfer 2400 Latigo Ave Oxnard CA, 93030
cases. There was one option: gear oil.
MEMBER PRICE $50.00
New
In the 90s it became slightly more
complicated, with the introduction of NON MEMBER $60.00 rd the
lter. d remov
ual lev
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Intro
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discar nual lever an
standards and transfer cases that used x
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automatic transmission fluid. e f Co
Table o r
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Today there are over a dozen dif- Chr ys le ............ 9
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.......96
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Code D Connec rcuits ......... .................. ....113
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r Circui Clutch Volu ................... ............ 18
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.
Pressur
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............ ... 12
ntrol.. n ............... .................. 3
len oid Co riptio ......... ...... 12
but using the correct fluid will give you
Shift So p Valve Desc ..................
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Service
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Standards aren’t going to come into Code De
© 2009
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Rights
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(800) 428-8489
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help get your customer’s vehicle back A=28m
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ATRA
GEARS September 2010 29
0
d © 201
eserved

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