Not So Much Jeep Related Except It Cuts Off the Trail Time

[SemperFiArms]

I've been tied up with some big projects lately here at home and with work. This has kept me pretty busy and haven't had time for much else.

With week long trips out of town for work it has kept my progress on the honey-do list a little slow. A few weeks ago I smoked the transmission in the wifes Mustang. I thought I found a good used one from a wrecked '97. Got it installed last weekend and started the engine to top off the fluid level and all of a sudden I get a check engine light and flashing O/D light.

Pulled the codes and looked them up only to spend the next couple nights researching. My findings turned up that Ford decided to change the electronics inside the transmission in 1998. This means the trans I had installed was not compatible electrically with ours. OK so now I need to find a '98 and up trans, but wait, there's more. While the electrics inside were the same from 1998 to 2008 the output drive and speedometer drive were changed in 1999. So my wife's Mustang had to be the only year that uses the new electrics and old speedometer. In order to make one or the other work in her car I would have to half way disassemble the transmission and install whatever parts were needed to make it work.

In my mind this made absolutely no sense. I said screw it, if I had to take it apart and swap parts to make a used tranny work I might as well just rebuild the one I already have.

On top of that we're getting ready to have the back yard fenced in with over 600 feet of fence.

I got the long arm kit for the WJ almost 2 months ago but cannot work on it until the 'Stang is completely repaired and back on the road. Those of you who are married will understand this.  //salute//

Got the trans about half disassembled last night & Yeah, first gear is SMOKED... Parts and the couple special tools I need to do the clutch piston springs are ordered and should have them this week. Everything I need to do this job is totaling under $500. Sure beats paying someone 2k to do it.

The good news is this isn't much different than the power shift transmissions I built when I worked for Deere.

[clark123456]

What exactly do you look at to know first gear was smoked?

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[SemperFiArms]

First gear clutch pack disks and steels. The friction material is off of the clutch disks. Add to that the pretty blue color on the steel plates.

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[Scott F.]

Hope you get it all fixed up so you can move on to the long arm kit install.

Rebuilding an auto trans is one thing one my list that I have not done but would like to check off, just on my own schedule and not on a daily driver of course.

[tcdawg]

Awesome that you have the ability to do the rebuild yourself.

[Jeepster1407]

Great work Chris!

[SemperFiArms]

Great work Chris!

Which one, smoking the wife's transmission or getting it fixed back up??   //LMAO//

Either way, it's go big or go home.   //SLAMIN//

[SemperFiArms]

Got all the guts shoved back into the transmission today. Just need to go back a torque the control valve install the tailshaft housing, internal harness and sensors. It will be ready for install when I get back from Florida next week. Should be able to test it Saturday night or Sunday after Church.