This past weekend I completed some much needed maintenance and repairs on my 2000 Insight. Among the repairs was the replacement of the notorious input shaft bearing (ISB). My ISB had been in a state of failure for the past few months, growing quite loud this spring to the point where the first three gears sounded like they were crushing rocks. It was not long before the bearing was about to get very quiet (you start to worry when a known noisy bearing suddenly becomes quiet) and leave me at the side of the road. So the first weekend in October, the car was pulled into my shop (as soon as I cleared some room) and went under the knife.
I didn't really intend to take pictures for a writeup, but after I reviewed the reference pictures I took during the process, I figured that they might benefit others. Along the way I found a few things out that might help others in their first transmission rebuild. This was actually my first time disassembling a transmission with the aim to actually put it back together, and while not technically a full rebuild, I'm no longer worried for the inevitable time when I blow through another transmission in the RX-7. At any rate, I will now share my process. Typically I'd have better pictures than this but at the time I just needed them for reference so I grabbed my Blackberry 9530, the closest camera I had nearby. So they're not the greatest pictures, but will do the job.
Enough rambling, let's get to it.
Transmission removal is straightforward and the steps in the factory service manual are logical. With two exceptions, however:
1. The FSM instructs you to remove the lower ball joint bolt so that the hub can swing out, thus allowing clearance for the axles to be removed. I took one look at the limited access to that bolt and the necessity for a special tool and said to myself "Screw this". Instead, I removed the two large bolts that hold the strut to the hub. This allowed the top of the hub to swing down on the ball joint pivot, accomplishing the same thing. The axles were easily removed by swinging them a bit to the side once disengaged from the spindle. This is also a good time to check your sway bar end links, because I guarantee you will find them worn out. Both mine were as loose as a $5 hook...well, pretty loose.
2. The FSM wants you to remove the rear engine mount in the middle of the process, before removing the axles and a bunch of other stuff. This made very little sense to me so I skipped that instruction and left all the engine mounts on until the very end. The with a jack under the transmission and one under the oil pan (with a block of wood to spread the load) I removed the mounts. It's a bit of a pain to access the 14MM bolts holding the rear mount to the transmission so I used a box end wrench and hit it with a hammer to shock them loose. I removed that mount as one piece but removing all the 14MM bolts and the two large 17MM bolts that hold the rear portion to the body. No need to remove the long bolt holding them together. Now is a good time to replace your mounts so check them. Odds are the rear one is bad.
Removing the transmission from the engine is pretty straightforward but often they are stuck. You can carefully pry alternately side to side to loosen it up. Use a jack to support it, don't let it dangle.
With the transmission out and on the bench, I followed the FSM instructions to disassemble it but hit a snag when removing the case. The instructions are a bit unclear in the fact that you need to expand the large snap right and lift off the case at the same time. This is really a two person job. I improvised by loosening up the case by prying a bit on the boss near the starter hole (pry against the boss, NOT the machined surface of the case halves) to break the seal. Then, I used a pair of snap ring pliers held open by duct tape, tapped the case a bit with a hammer, and was able to lift it off.
It may take some effort to separate the halves because the sealant will glue them together and the dowel pins will be stuck. Light tapping on each side with a plastic hammer was what gone mine apart. If you have to tap, be very careful not to snap off any of the casting. Some steady prying while tapping helps as well, but do not pry against the machined surface.
Once the transmission was split, I was able to immediately see some of the remains of my ISB. Evidence of self-machining is NOT what you want to see in a transmission! This all ended up near the reversing gear. Notice that gear has no bearing, only a bronze bushing. I'll remember that next time I hammer it in reverse. I hear some new car transmissions use plastic reversing gears.
I didn't really intend to take pictures for a writeup, but after I reviewed the reference pictures I took during the process, I figured that they might benefit others. Along the way I found a few things out that might help others in their first transmission rebuild. This was actually my first time disassembling a transmission with the aim to actually put it back together, and while not technically a full rebuild, I'm no longer worried for the inevitable time when I blow through another transmission in the RX-7. At any rate, I will now share my process. Typically I'd have better pictures than this but at the time I just needed them for reference so I grabbed my Blackberry 9530, the closest camera I had nearby. So they're not the greatest pictures, but will do the job.
Enough rambling, let's get to it.
Transmission removal is straightforward and the steps in the factory service manual are logical. With two exceptions, however:
1. The FSM instructs you to remove the lower ball joint bolt so that the hub can swing out, thus allowing clearance for the axles to be removed. I took one look at the limited access to that bolt and the necessity for a special tool and said to myself "Screw this". Instead, I removed the two large bolts that hold the strut to the hub. This allowed the top of the hub to swing down on the ball joint pivot, accomplishing the same thing. The axles were easily removed by swinging them a bit to the side once disengaged from the spindle. This is also a good time to check your sway bar end links, because I guarantee you will find them worn out. Both mine were as loose as a $5 hook...well, pretty loose.
2. The FSM wants you to remove the rear engine mount in the middle of the process, before removing the axles and a bunch of other stuff. This made very little sense to me so I skipped that instruction and left all the engine mounts on until the very end. The with a jack under the transmission and one under the oil pan (with a block of wood to spread the load) I removed the mounts. It's a bit of a pain to access the 14MM bolts holding the rear mount to the transmission so I used a box end wrench and hit it with a hammer to shock them loose. I removed that mount as one piece but removing all the 14MM bolts and the two large 17MM bolts that hold the rear portion to the body. No need to remove the long bolt holding them together. Now is a good time to replace your mounts so check them. Odds are the rear one is bad.
Removing the transmission from the engine is pretty straightforward but often they are stuck. You can carefully pry alternately side to side to loosen it up. Use a jack to support it, don't let it dangle.
With the transmission out and on the bench, I followed the FSM instructions to disassemble it but hit a snag when removing the case. The instructions are a bit unclear in the fact that you need to expand the large snap right and lift off the case at the same time. This is really a two person job. I improvised by loosening up the case by prying a bit on the boss near the starter hole (pry against the boss, NOT the machined surface of the case halves) to break the seal. Then, I used a pair of snap ring pliers held open by duct tape, tapped the case a bit with a hammer, and was able to lift it off.
It may take some effort to separate the halves because the sealant will glue them together and the dowel pins will be stuck. Light tapping on each side with a plastic hammer was what gone mine apart. If you have to tap, be very careful not to snap off any of the casting. Some steady prying while tapping helps as well, but do not pry against the machined surface.
Once the transmission was split, I was able to immediately see some of the remains of my ISB. Evidence of self-machining is NOT what you want to see in a transmission! This all ended up near the reversing gear. Notice that gear has no bearing, only a bronze bushing. I'll remember that next time I hammer it in reverse. I hear some new car transmissions use plastic reversing gears.