clarky1982

can any body give me a step by step guide of changing a gearbox please?
im going to try and do mine this weekend
cheers all

911

10 minutes ago I bolted mine back in!

Advice?

PAY someone professional to do it unless you REALLY want to save ££££
It is the worst job I have undertaken in my 35 years of fiddling with cars.....
To give you a step by step guide will be like writing a book. Unless you have tackled a job like this before, don't try.
911

clarky1982

too late now i have already started.



but now stopped as the car nearly killed me, it rolled back off the ramps as i was underneath it, if my neighbour wasn't in his garage at the time i think i would have been rather dead

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Put the brakes on next time!!!!!!!!

greasemonkey

****, don't even think about it unless you've got the car firmly supported on stands (or a lift), and have access to a good high lift, low chassis trolley jack, ideally with a transmission adapter on it. Ramps are far from desirable as you really want the car level, and with plenty of space to work underneath.

Writing a book? No, but the reality will take a lot longer than the following implies. Rough procedure would be along the lines of

1) Raise car

2) Remove intercooler, turbo heatshield, downpipe, maybe exhaust mid section, propshaft and gear linkage

3) Remove intercooler mount and anti-beaming bracket. Use the Subaru service tool or fabricate some sort of support to prevent engine rolling forward under its own weight when box is removed.

4) Either undo kingpins or remove strut top mounts to create some extra sideplay in the driveshafts, then drift front shaft retaining roll pins out and remove front driveshafts from diff output stubs.

5) Remove lower gearbox retaining bolts and nuts from bellhousing

6) Remove starter motor, clutch fork return spring and fork pivot shaft retaining cover. Screw M6 bolt into end of pivot shaft and withdraw. Pull fork up and back to disengage from thrust bearing. Unbolt clutch slave cylinder from 'box and secure to bulkhead

7) Disconnect speed sender, neutral and reverse position switch looms, as well as gearbox earth wire.

8) Support gearbox with jack, ideally with transmission clamp to secure. Assuming you're talking about a 5MT, centre of balance is around the cast "tab" sticking out the underside of the box housing.

9) Remove transmission crossmember/shock absorber assembly

10) Progressively loosen upper retaining bolts from bellhousing and see if the gearbox comes free by itself. If it doesn't, you'll need to use a mix of brute force and release agents (vinegar is good) to persuade it.

11) When gearbox loosens, withdraw towards the back of the car, making sure that input shaft clears clutch and box clears studs. Lower and pull out from under car.

12) Push retaining ring release disc towards engine to release thrust bearing. Withdraw the bearing from the clutch.


The above is from memory so don't take as gospel. I daresay I've missed something so so watch as you go just in case.

Reassembly is largely the reverse of removal, but you've first got to reassemble the clutch fork and thrust bearing onto the pivot before you put it all back. If you're putting another box in you may also have to transfer the gear linkage joint across if the new one hasn't got one.

clarky1982

cheers for the sympathy wurzel.i have learnt my lesson.
cheers grease monkey ill have a go in the mornin, but i might be up the hospital gettin an x ray, i think i have broke a rib or done some damage, due to all the pain and the breathlessness. ooooooww. using your ribs for axel stands isn't reccomended,
thanks again greasemonkey

greasemonkey

At end of day it's not worth risking your health. This is only really categorised as an easy job if you've got the right tools, and even then can still be really awkward if the 'box doesn't want to separate from the block.

If you haven't got the tools, and ideally the assistance of an able helper, I'd take 911's advice and let someone else take care of it.

clarky1982

right lads, its all ready to go back in, is there a knack to putting it back in, i have heard if the bearing doesn't engage you have to take it all off again,.
is there a way of checking that it is all in correctly with out fully fitting every thing back on, cheers clarky

greasemonkey

Which bearing, the clutch release bearing?

No real knack, just raise it up on the jack, get it lined up with the studs and the clutch and pull it on. When it's far enough on to engage the bolts, use them to assist the process. If you do it right, refitting should be considerably less hassle than removing it.

As far as the release bearing is concerned, if you make sure the latch ring in the clutch is pulled out before you refit the 'box, and have reassembled the fork and release bearing in the 'box, all you should have to do to reengage it is to gently move the fork towards the back of the car, and you should feel the release bearing click back into place in the clutch. Push the fork towards the front of the car and you should feel the resistance of the clutch against it.

greasemonkey

Added: If the release bearing hasn't engaged, and pulls out of the clutch again, take the rubber boot off the fork and peer in with the help of a torch.

If the latch ring is still sticking out of the clutch, have another go at inserting the bearing, a little harder this time.

If the latch ring has been pushed back into the clutch, you'll need to get a longish screwdriver behind it to lever it out. Then rotate the crank until it's pulled out all the way round. Then have another go...

911

That's a very neat account of the adventure.
Without the car level and a correct transmission jack the job is dangerous, even if you are experienced. The 'book' I talk of would have the little tricks in it such as the drive CV's have a lead-in taper on one side to allow the split pins to be tapped in with ease instead of anguish!
I test drive my Sti tonight to see if i have finally fixed my clutch problem (AP Organic).
If not the car will go to Roger clark's to be done. Hard job, but I changed the rear diff too, hard but shorter job!
Good luck. Greasemonkey's advice is always sound in my opinion.
911

clarky1982

HELP.
i have changed the gaearbox now, all in the car and running, etc
but the gearchange feels very 'tight' now especially 1st gear, there is aslo about 1 inch of travel forwards and backwards in all gears, come on lads don't let me down.

911, greasemonkey are you there, please help

911

Glad to hear you are still alive!
The problem you describe is strange. It is so easy to forget to do all the bits and pieces....(I did).
Sounds to me you have :
1 Not fully located the gear link to the box input shaft. There are 2 split pins. one goes inside the other. Have you tapped both through the shaft (or think you have)?
2 There is a stabilising bar from the gear lever to the box. It was undone when you removed the box, it is the one close to (1) above, is a 50 mm diameter rubber bush with a 55 mm disc bolted over it. The disc locates the gear lever bias spring. Is this all in the right place?
3 Have you re connected the longitudinal plastic location bar to the pressed bracket on the engine? It is under the TMIC and above the clutch slave cylinder. this stops the engine /box punching a bloody expensive hole in the rad!

Can't think of anything else, but the Master, Greasemonkey may have better ideas!
Come back to me if you wish.
911

clarky1982

all the gear linkage was already on the box that i bought mate so i have just used those. i have got all the stabilising bar on and i think correctly. (spring at the top)

what is the plastic location bar, is it the top stabilising bar which goes from the bulkhead to the engine/gearbox and is attached to a black 'housing' under the i cooler.

thanks for all your help.

ps im still alive, cracked two ribs and had a major lecture from the doc for not going up a & e after it happened.

911

OK, missed that you were fitting a different box! You sure the box is ok?
the bar I mean is the one you describe. If all is in place then I suspect the bloody box!
Get hold of Greasemonkey ASAP.
Please come back if you wish (I'm now wondering myself...)
911

clarky1982

i have been assured that the box is ok, it seems more in the linkage than the box mate, i think i might try changing the linkage over to the one that was fitted to my box and see if that helps matters.
apart from that i haven't got a clue.
come on greasemonkey where are you mate

Bats-Wrx

iTrader: (1)

If it was the gearbox i sold you. Its in perfect working order. Did i give you the linkage with it?? I never thought i did.

greasemonkey

I don't mean to sound blunt Clarky, but we're not your nursemaids, and sending pm's asking for assistance isn't really cricket. This is one of those cases where actually being able to get our hands on the gearstick would assist diagnosis no end, there's only so much we can do via the power of the internet. Without seeing the box you've fitted, and knowing exactly what you have and haven't done, what bits you've transferred from your old box and which you haven't, we can do little more than guess. Anyway, sermon over.

What do you mean by "tight"? The stick feels physically stiff, or it just doesn't want to go into first? If the latter, I'd suspect that the new gearbox you've fitted isn't what you were told it was. Is the dodgy gearstick feel the only problem - can you select all five forward plus reverse gears without problem, and does the car drive quietly and without any extraneous whines and graunches?

I presume you mean 1 inch of forwards/backwards play in the gearstick when each gear is engaged?

If this is the case I would suspect ether a loose balljoint at the base of the gearstick, a loose bolt or worn bushes elsewhere in the linkage.

If, when you say you've used the complete linkage you got with the new 'box, you literally mean you've used the entire linkage including the gearstick, my first move would be to check that all bolts are tight (although not sufficiently so to cause binding). If that doesn't sort the problem out, try refitting your old linkage.

Bats-Wrx

iTrader: (1)

If its the one he bought of me he can't have the linkage its still on my car.

911

I recon the original cars linkage properly fitted will clear this one up. The 2 scroll pins used in the gearbox shaft to linkage are a sod to drive in true and square and so -on.
Check all those points again.
Looking back on Greasemonkey's opening comments, I agree with him. People respond willingly to share their experiences where they feel they may be of value. Slowly you build-up knowledge of the car, but experts like him are not here as a substitute Haynes book (I wish they would do one for me!).
Anyway, I hope this will fix the dicky shifter soon.
911

clarky1982

sorted now lads, it was was one the inserts int the linkage, changed it last night.
thought about it at work yesterday.
its all working fine now, cheers for the box bats and everbodys help (911).
oh and i apoligise for not playing 'cricket'. nursie but i need to sell the car this month so i had a bit of a panic on

Bats-Wrx

iTrader: (1)

Good to hear you got it all sorted

911

Remember we all learn something from thiese adventures which is why people chip-in to help if they can.
Good luck with the sale.
911

greasemonkey

...er, yes, and? To be blunt it's taking the p*ss to a more than small degree expecting us to help you out in situations like this, and then biting the hand that fed you after the fact.

If you were selling your car and "had a panic on", you could always have taken your car to your local Subaru dealer, couldn't you? As 911 says, we're able to help out, but shouldn't be taken for granted, as a substitute for a Haynes book, or indeed a professional mechanic.

clarky1982

i appriciate your help greasemonkey and you have been very helpful, but if you have a problem with people politely asking for your help, i didn't EXPECT anyone to help and im grateful for those that did, yourself included.
i would have taken my car to a subaru garage but they refuse to work on imports and the nearest specialist is a 2 hour drive away.
i also can't afford to take it to a garage which is why i am selling it.
if you have a problem with helping people don't post on here, all i asked you for was some advice.