94 Metro 5 Speed Manual Transmission Rebuild

[DOCTORBILL]

Pulled out the Left Side Countershaft Thrust Bearing Race using a 3-Jaw Blind Bearing Puller.

Be careful that the puller is grabbing the Bearing Race and not the Case
very close to the Bearing Race !

This bugger is held in place by that big Plate held in place by Phillips Head Screws.

No problemos.....The 3-Jaw puller is rather ungainly in use !

Then decided to pull out the Oil Seals.
Got out my Bearing and Seal Puller Set (another tool kit I bought while doing this job)
and found that the LARGEST Puller isn't large enough for the Differential Right Side Oil Seal !



So, being the genius that I am (and so humble), I thought of a solution.

Used washers of various sizes to "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome..." (Gunny Highway - Heartbreak Ridge).



Found just the right washer size to pull the big Differential Right Side Oil Seal....



Tried the "Hammer", but the Case kept sliding around, so I decided to let gravity do the work and laid
the case on the edge of the table.

That worked just like Downtown !



The Right Side Differential Oil Seal came out nicely after about four drops of the Hammer.



I put in the new Oil Seals. Cleaned the holes out with Kleenex and put some motor oil around the edges and Tapped them
in with a flat tool (you could use a flat piece of wood).

The circular spring going around the smaller inside lip goes toward the inside of the case.

I bent the Large Differential Oil Seal on the Left case, but straightened it out and re-installed it.
I think it is OK - They are very tough Seals !

The Rebuild Kit has two of these Large Oil Seals in it (?) - I see only one needed...

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I attacked the Gear Shift Oil Seal today (3-1-2009)

Here is the "Boot" which covers the Gear Shift Oil Seal - a part in the Rebuild Kit.


Removing the "Boot" reveals an Oil Seal whose Lip sticks out about 1/4 inch.


I gently pried the Oil Seal out with a large screwdriver and tapped with a
block of wood and a mallot. It comes out with difficulty.


Here are the Gear Shift Oil Seal and the Boot together.



It looks like I have everything off the exterior case halves by now....

It is now time. I fear, for me to clean everything up and start to reassemble the
Transmission....yikes !

Tearing things apart is easy.

Putting them back together so that they work...something else again.

When I am done, I have this idea of applying my 1/2 inch electric drill to the
Input Shaft and running the Transmission thru all six gears (5 forward - 1 reverse)
to prove everything is copasetic...smeeooth as butter - before I put it in the vehicle.

If something goes "Clunk", I can open it up and readjust things before finding out the hard way, as it were.

I will end this Thread (it is already huge) and start Part 2 (assembling the transmission).

94 Metro 5 Speed Manual Transmission Rebuild - PART 2 - Assembly (Photos)

DoctorBill

I suppose I haven't screwed up anything MAJOR so far since I have gotten almost no Personal Messages about this endeavor....

[shane95670]

I currently have a 1994 5 spd metro with some tranny problems as mentioned in the following forum about the synchros

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=907782 where it was mentioned about the 1st and second gear synchros going out. I do not have the money for a rebuild or the time to try to fix. I am moving in september or october of 2010. Do you think it will last me that long or is this a 911 emergency?

Shane

[Woodie83]

If the only thing wrong with it is that the synchronizers are worn, then you have no worries at all. Synchronizers are a luxury that didn't become standard until the 50's and 60's. Learn to shift properly and understand what's going on and you don't need them. Added bonus is, when you do get it fixed you won't tear up the new ones because you'll understand what you did wrong to the ones you have now.

Sometimes, Pennzoil Synchromesh will help them work better.

[shane95670]

Originally Posted by Woodie83

If the only thing wrong with it is that the synchronizers are worn, then you have no worries at all. Synchronizers are a luxury that didn't become standard until the 50's and 60's. Learn to shift properly and understand what's going on and you don't need them. Added bonus is, when you do get it fixed you won't tear up the new ones because you'll understand what you did wrong to the ones you have now.

Sometimes, Pennzoil Synchromesh will help them work better.

But this vehicle hasd only been owned by me... and with it being 16 yrs old now, i would think that something like this would go wrong.... i mean lets face it, a 16 year old tranny and engine and clutch? Gonna have problems either way right?

[Rooy]

The only problem with driving with worn synchros is that when you grind the gears, the engagement teeth on the gear itself are getting worn down. Then you have to replace the whole gear, which is not cheap.

As mentioned, switching the fluid to Synchromesh might help, along with learning to shift it without grinding.

[shane95670]

Originally Posted by Rooy

The only problem with driving with worn synchros is that when you grind the gears, the engagement teeth on the gear itself are getting worn down. Then you have to replace the whole gear, which is not cheap.

As mentioned, switching the fluid to Synchromesh might help, along with learning to shift it without grinding.

The car is being driven. but by all means, not grinding it to get it into gear.
So for its only first gear that im really only having the trouble with. it still shifts into gear at a complete stop. So as far as stop signs and what not, i use second. which i know isnt a good thing. But it works.At stop lights is when i will have tha time to be able to let it idle all the way down and then shift into first. Can synchromesh be put in after the fact, now that its already happened? Or only when its in working order?

[Rooy]

Yes, you can put in Synchromesh after there's a problem. In many cases, it will help at least a little.

[shane95670]

so does anyone know how much gear oil to put into a manual tranny for my 94 metro? this is my project for the weekend and have no clue.

thanks

[Rooy]

It takes about 2.5 quarts, so you'll need to buy 3. With the car level, fill it until oil starts coming out the fill hole.

[dsmess]

Hello,

I admire your skill and patience. My transaxle ('96 manual)
works fine but has a leaky input shaft seal which has contaminated the clutch disk. How difficult would this be to do myself?

Regards,

Scott

[DOCTORBILL]

Looking back at this thread, I can't believe I did that !

Has anyone followed my Thread and had everything come out OK ?

The Transmission is still setting on my front porch ! Haven't used it yet.

When I added Motor Oil to the old transmission via that clutch mount hole, my
transmission has worked better and is quiet.

Previous threads of mine were about Transmission Oil Thickness in winter and
advice I had received from a Transmission Rebuild Shop Mechanic.

He had told me to thin the 80 weight oil with some regular Motor Oil and the
transmission would shift better. I added motor oil by topping up the case from
the clutch mounting bracket hole shown in the thread and since then the
transmission runs quieter and shifts great.

What oil to use and how much is controversial and is the subject of big arguments.
What I did was to top the oil up such that the gears were covered all the time.
Look at the photos to see what I mean.

Honestly, I cannot remember hardly anything about that rebuild anymore.

Look thru the photos and diagrams from the Manual for help.

Maybe some of the other guys who commented can help.

All I remember is that it wasn't all that difficult to do any of it.

You need the time and PATIENCE and the tools. Don't rush it !

I remember the SEALS were no problems - just go slowly.
Don't use unreasonable force putting them back in or they bend/deform.

Good luck to you.

DoctorBill

[arollinstone]

Just wanted to let you know your post is fantastic. Thanks to you I wasnt afraid to tackle taking appart my tranny. I've done trannys before but pictures and someone going first is nice Thanks Steve R

[GeoRandy]

I bought a new shift shaft seal and dust boot for my 97 3/5 hatchback Metro. The shift shaft seal is leaking badly.


In order to replace the shift shaft seal, do I simply unbolt the shift shaft bolt (referred to in the pictures, in the link below) and pull out the shift shaft? Then remove and replace the shift shaft seal and dust boot, and slide the shift shaft back in and retighten the shift shaft bolt?

Below is the link to Dr. Bill's thread (pictures #7-#11, from the thread/post) showing the parts I am attempting to replace.


http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=941461&page=2


I have never pulled a transmission on any car before and never opened one up either. If it is not possible to do it this way, please let me know. If I have to open the transmission to do this I will have to hire it done.


Thank you,
Randy
____________________
Update:


Ended up pulling/dropping the transmission and replaced the 180,000 miles on the clutch. It needed it upon inspection....badly.
Did not open transmission to replace the shift shaft seal. Slippery little devil though, like trying to fetch a minnow swimming in transmission fluid.

Thanks for the great write-up and outstanding pictures Dr. Bill.

[carlman84]

I have to give kudos for the great walk-through on the rebuild process. I have a 96 Geo Metro and started the rebuild in early July '14. I wanted to pass on some info of one problem I ran into once I had the transmission mounted in-car and hooking up the shift lever. When I hooked it up, I wasn't able to obtain the three legged H shift pattern with the lever. I got this sinking feeling because I thought I was going to have to dismount the tranny and tear it all apart and start over. Long story, in short the shift yoke was backward. Look at post #14 of the assembly process. The 4th pic down has the bend facing back toward the oil seal, BAD COOKIES!, that bend needs to be facing opposite of the oil seal, otherwise the geometry of the whole linkage interferes with the differential gear and you won't be able to shift into 5th/reverse. I'm hoping this will save someone some heartache.

[floydhoney]

Thanks for all the help rebuilding my geo tranny . Just had one problem , when shifted into reverse it won't come out till shifted into 5 th . Did you say there are 2 balls and one spring in the reverse arm ,if so ,does one ball go under spring and the other on top Thanks