Tranny Tickling
Checking the Gearbox
Something that bothered me when I was considering Maggie's purchase, was that the floorboards and transmission tunnel were all removed. It made me wonder if there might be some bad juju hiding in the gearbox. Everything appeared to be in order from the exterior, with the exception of the parking brake being totally gone. The brakes and clutch were totally inoperable from sitting up so long, so I couldn't check the gearbox out by driving Maggie. I really felt a need to at least know if it had any untoward noises before I tore Maggie down to the frame.
The decision was made to elevate Maggie on jackstands, start her up in each gear, and see if any expensive sounds emanated from her innards, as well as make sure her wheels are turning in each gear. I completed the installation of the cooling system, and filled it with water to allow extended running during these checks. I hooked up the temperature gauge, started the engine in neutral, and let it warm up to operating temp. The oil burned off the manifolds as they heated up, and the cooling system held pressure. So far, so good......
I loosely bolted on the wing to protect myself from flying debris, and crossed my fingers. I began with fourth gear, high range, 4WD, and worked my way down through each combination of gearing. The rear brakes were dragging, but other than that, everything seemed to be in order. Seeing the engine spinning the wheels was reassuring. There were no frightful howls, growls, and grinding from the gearbox. So I made the decision to go ahead and strip Maggie down to the frame before I get to drive her. I decided to check the transmission the same way in midassembly, once I have a working clutch, and free brakes. I said a little prayer that nothing would surface later.
They are not a how to guide on vehicle maintenance or restoration. If you jack up your vehicle and run it through the gears, it may FALL OFF the jacks! It may RUN OVER you! It may BUST A HOLE in your garage wall It may KILL you if your significant other doesn't! If you are an accident prone doofus, please find other ways to amuse yourself. For more of this legal CYA stuff, click here. |
[ Rover Assessment ] [ Steering Straight ]
[ Minimal Wiring ] [ Worth $500? ] [ Fuel Supply ]
[ Idle Thoughts ] [ Tough Decisions ] [ Spinning Wheels ]
[ Stripping Down ] [ The Bulkhead ] [ The Bulkhead 2 ]
[ Maggie's Motor ] [ Chassis Prep ] [ POR15 & Parabolics ]
[ Synergy ] [ The Breakfast ] [ Waking the Neighbors ]
[ A New Look ] [ Test Drive! ] [ Designing Woman ]
[ Mystery Solved ] [ More Juju ] [ Whoa Maggie! ]
[ Finish Line! ] [ Epilogue ]
[ Due Thank Yous ]
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