#11, #5 for 1464

[gtluke]

Last week the 10th alternator sh*t the bed, this one smoked and squealed so it was at least entertaining. This is the 3rd autozone rebuild in 2 years. It's almost every single winter one craps out.
Got that going, and seriously like 50 miles later my transmission pooped. I have no idea what is wrong with it, 2nd and 3rd gear both have a weird problem where when I shift, it goes i half way and pops out of gear, or I can get really aggressive with it and it finally gets all the way in. It feels like something is physically binding in the trans. Weird because 2nd and 3rd are on different rails right? It's not a clutch issue, and it's not a shifter cable issue. Even with the car off (though it gets way worse when it warms up) i can feel it on the actual levers on the trans (I hope), it doesn't want to pop all the way in, takes like 2 motions.
Anyway I have a spare WQNK trans going in. I just very painfully dragged it across my yard with 2 feet of snow ice crap, and put a spare 4 spider in it and the 1990 output shaft.
Now my back is destroyed so I'll finish putting it in tomorrow. This will be the 5th trans in that car in 11 years. Really 4 technically. The original trans cracked 4th gear while cruising to work with like 185k on it, so I borrowed Nate's race car trans and a few months later after fixing the original I put that back in. Then I put this WQNK trans in a few years ago and now it's busted, so the spare is going in.
Kicker: I changed the clutch about 3 months ago after a spring popped out of the centerforce /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I can get the trans out of this car in about 35 minutes now not even rushing. In take a lot longer as I'm by myself and getting it on the engine is a bitch with a broken back.

 

[4thStroke]

Have you tried the Bosch alternator yet? They seem to do pretty well, although they are more expensive than the others. Any local shops around that could rebuild your failed units?

I've been plagued with stupid transmission issues as well. In two years, I've had to pull the tranny 7 times now. I broke an input shaft, broken clutch release forks, shredded 4th gear, etc. I can get mine out in an hour if I take my time, going back in is where it takes a little longer. I've learned to just get two people on the floor and lift it into position. That method has yielded the best results for reinstall so far.

 

[gtluke]

I may have to spring for a bosche alternator, the pep-boys ones are free to replace so I just keep getting them. Maybe I can get a bosche as a backup.

 

[turbowop]

Bosch alternators ftw.

Make sure you check all the shifter linkage before you tear into the tranny. I got pretty good at r&r'ing the trans as well. With two floor jacks I can reinstall one by myself pretty quick.

 

[mountaineerjeff]

I just "polish" it, lol. But yes it sure does a number on your back

 

[1941Galant]

Screw that, I went out and bought an engine hoist and use that to lift the transmission up. I can usually have it bolted up in a few minutes that way, and it's real easy on the back.

 

^^^^+1 I do the same thing makes everything so much easier..

 

[gtluke]

I wish I had room to do that. I'm doing this in a tiny carport /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I don't really even have room for 2 jacks.

 

[CutlassJim]

There's got a be a board member in Jersey that can give you a hand?

The Autozone 90 amp alternators seem to only have a service life of about a year or two as well. I had a spare core that I brought in to swap while the original was still on the car (like 6 years ago) so I always have a "fresh" rebuild in the garage waiting no go on to minimize downtime. Plus with no power steering in the car I can change it out in about 10 minutes with a 12mm ratcheting wrench in any parking lot it sees fit to die in. I've just chocked it up as being part of the joy of owning one of these cars.

 

[gtluke]

I have a few dead cores too, I should dirty one up real bad and see if pep boys will warranty it on my receipt /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
got the trans in with no hassle, awesome, seriously went RIGHT in. Jacked it up in place, got it close enough to put a long bolt in the top bellhousing bolt hole, took the jack out, gave it a shake and BAM slid right in. Awesome.
I didn't forget to put the dowels and throwout bearing in the new trans either, bonus. ha
waiting for my impact gun to charge again.

 

[gtluke]

god dammit, the bottom to xcase threads in this trans are shot. I have no idea how but I happened to have a super long bolt with matching nut almost the same diameter. and thankfully it's the bottom 2 which are super easy to nut/bolt or do a helicoil thread next time I have it apart.
getting there, almost done...

 

[gtluke]

In, done, good.
Last 10% of the clutch feels a bit stiff, when wifey gets home I'll have a look under while she presses. Maybe the input shaft retainer isn't as smooth, should work itself out then, probably a lot of debris on it and I've got it adjusted a bit further than the previous owner.
Changed the front U-joint too, nice and quiet now, that was another clunk from my previous thread.
Gotta get some new fluids, I just reused the old sh*t because this trans was unknown, I'll change it next week when I get some miles on it and am satisfied that it's good.
-Luke

 

[CutlassJim]

 

[gtluke]

f***, after it warmed up it's doing the same exact thing. God dammit, WTF could it be?
It really doesn't feel like the clutch is dragging when pushed to the floor, it really feels like it's releasing fine.
Arrrrrrgggggggg

 

[gtluke]

aaaand now on the way home from the party from where I posted that last message, it feels perfectly fine. Pulling out onto the highway it was starting to get notchy, typically it was fine cold (old and new trans) and got worse when warm. I drove on the highway for 20 min and getting off it was fine, and through my neighborhood it was perfect, trans shifts like a dream. Even overly slipped the clutch a bunch of times to get it hot and it was fine. now I'm utterly confused.
The ONLY thing that I can think of is that on my old trans, the up/down shift arm had the bushing stuck on it, so when I put the new trans in I was short a bushing. I tried for a while to get the bushing off the old trans and gave up and just swapped that little arm thing over to the new trans. I've seen a zillion DSM's with the bushing stuck so I never thought it could be a problem. I guess it's possible that something isn't shifting right? doesn't make sense but I'll see if the local dealership has any of those shifter bushings in stock and put the newer arm on with a new bushing.

The only other thing I can think of is that the clutch was dragging, but man it didn't feel like it. I could not feel ANY movement in the car at all with the clutch down, trans in 1st and revving the engine. The gap between the pedal to the floor and when you can feel it engage is great too, got a solid 2" there. I'm very anal about my clutch pedal. I absolutely can't stand the typical DSM clutch where it starts to engage ON the floor. HATE that. While it was acting up I tried shifting with the clutch pedal MASHED the the floor, 3/4" off the floor, 1.5" off the floor... all the same thing. Then I tried shifting with a slight pull on the shfter to the left, then to the right, same thing. Doesn't seem like the cables are out of adjustment. I never noticed 5th or R feeling stuck though, which is a bit odd.

One odd thing, but this has been happening since I put the new clutch in about 4 months ago is that every once in a while I get a sound from under the hood like a shield is rubbing something rotating in the engine bay. I could never figure out what it is, and it happens often while turning. This has been going on for months and the bad shifting came instantly one day last week, it wasn't a gradual thing. I pulled into my neighborhood off the highway and all the sudden I'm locked out of 2nd and 3rd. And now it's completely gone. WTF. ARRRG
Engine mounts are nice and tight, I checked those a few days ago, motor doesn't rock at all.

The old trans had a shot 1st gear synchro but that never bothered me, but at least that problem is gone now that I swapped the trans. I also got to install my backup 4 spider diff into this new trans and test it out, works fine.
I have another WQNK gear stack I got from hairy Doug that I'm going to put in the old trans to take care of that 1st gear synchro and pack that trans back up as a spare. I need another 1990 output shaft though, I may have an extra one though, gotta go look. I like my 1990 all aluminum x-case /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Car rides SO much better with the re-shimmed rear end and the new u-joint. Nice and quiet on the highway even with the rear poly subframe bushings. and no sound deadening. Got a tiny bit of buzz/whine from the rear but there is no way I'm going to be able to set the pinion depth on that rear end without some dealer tools I'm not willing to buy, or without wasting like 900 hours with paint and re shimming the pinion a million times. f*** that. The carrier is such a huge pain in the ass to get seated in that rear, I HATE taking it out. I'm more than satisfied as is. It's probaly normal noise and the poly bushings just make it loud.

 

[gtluke]

Annoying, I have a lot of running around to do with a lot of equipment in Brooklyn so I couldn't take the galant to work today, or tomorrow. ARG.

 

[gtluke]

update.
for no apparent reason my battery was dead this morning. I didn't leave anything on.
Frustrating...
Jumped it and drove to work, now 1st and 2nd stick, and 3rd is flawless. Tried adjusting the shifter linkage, no difference. Tried adjusting the clutch out even more, no difference.
When it gets into it's "stuck" mode in 1st gear, I can even turn the car off and not get it into gear. wtf?
letting the clutch up a bit to get the lay shaft to spin pops it into 1st immediately though. wtf?
help!
-Luke

 

[gtluke]

Update: I'm on alternator 13 now, and this one is sh*t(installed 2 weeks ago). Randomly stops charging for a second, radio shuts off. Or for 5 minutes.
So this week I'll swap it out for #14
They last exactly 1 year. Every time it gets cold it shits out. I'm running the galant higher amp alternator now, seems to help a bit. It at least doesn't turn my radio off if I idle in the winter with the wipers/defroster/headlights on.
My AC compressor has also gone bad now, and I really don't care. I don't use AC really at all in any of my cars. So manybe it's time to do one of those alternator relocation things with a saturn alternator? What's the easy/good way to do it now?
It wouldnt' be so bad if it didn't take 45 minutes to swap the alternator out because the power steering pump is in the way and you have to get the jack out, find a block of wood, disconnect the battery....

 

[desant78]

Hey where are you in NJ? Not sure if it helps, but if you wanted someone else to look at the car, I'm no expert but it is xmas!

I'm about 20 minutes out of Philadelphia.

 

[G]

You buy cheap you buy twice. (err... 14) Buy a denso or a bosch and be done with it.