Replacing housing gasket on 4speed

[mvliotta]

Hi all,

I will be swapping my crunchy 4speed with a good spare some time in the near future (hopefully). 

 

Problem is the spare  has a leak where the trans cover meets up with the housing. I would like to replace the gasket between the two, which requires opening up the trans a bit. Figure I can either make my own gasket or buy one and cut the very top so that I don’t have to slide the housing completely off. 

 

What is is the easiest way to open the trans up ‘just enough’?

 

The shop manual calls for a series of intimidating steps (removing bearings, heating up plugs, etc) to open up the trans. Do I have no choice but to go down this road??

[TobyB]

Sadly, yes.  

What seems to be the rear 'cover' is really the main assembly plate,

and the 'case' is really a front cover.

 

It's unusual for them to leak at that seam-

far more usual are seals.

 

I suppose you could 'crack' it, get the old seal out, then use gasket maker.

But that would change the spacing of the countershaft and the mainshaft

bearings.  Maybe not enough to matter...

 

t

Edited October 11, 2019 by TobyB

[mvliotta]

Thanks Toby.

 

Was hoping for a different answer. Maybe time to go to the 5 speed sitting in the basement. 

 

[2002iii]

1 hour ago, mvliotta said:

Thanks Toby.

 

Was hoping for a different answer. Maybe time to go to the 5 speed sitting in the basement. 

 

Your 4 speed is now a boat anchor lol. The 5 speed is one of the best performance modifications for a 2002. 4 speeds are only acceptable in v8 muscle cars in my opinion and even then a 5 speed is still better.

[TobyB]

Unless it's a rock crusher.  Then it's character.

 

Like a gear drive cam.

 

t

 

[Jimmy]

4 hours ago, 2002iii said:

The 5 speed is one of the best performance modifications for a 2002.

 

Not really.

 

The commonly-available 5-speeds used in most swaps have ratios in gears 1-4 that are so close to the gears in the 4-speed that for practical purposes they're the same transmission just with an overdrive added. Nobody shifts up into overdrive to accelerate faster. The CR five speed is a different story but nobody replaces a four speed with CR five speed simply because the four speed needs work. I haven't checked prices lately but they're orders of magnitude more expensive.

[Jimmy]

2 hours ago, TobyB said:

Unless it's a rock crusher.  Then it's character.

 

Like a gear drive cam.

 

t

 

 

Heh. I owned a car with a 327, M22, and cloyes gear drive. The result was, if anything, a bit too characterful.

[2002iii]

1 hour ago, Jimmy said:

 

Not really.

 

The commonly-available 5-speeds used in most swaps have ratios in gears 1-4 that are so close to the gears in the 4-speed that for practical purposes they're the same transmission just with an overdrive added. Nobody shifts up into overdrive to accelerate faster. The CR five speed is a different story but nobody replaces a four speed with CR five speed simply because the four speed needs work. I haven't checked prices lately but they're orders of magnitude more expensive.

I will amend my statement to include the 3.91 lsd + 5 speed from the same 320i make a big difference in performance. Also most 5 speeds are a bit newer and usually in better condition than the original 4 speed with who knows how many millions of miles.

[2002iii]

4 hours ago, TobyB said:

Unless it's a rock crusher.  Then it's character.

 

Like a gear drive cam.

 

t

 

Rock crushers are the ultimate 4 spd and can be made even better with a gear vendors overdrive. My friend used to have that setup in his 1969 c20 camper special with a edelbrock pumped up 350. Fun to smoke Honda's at stoplights  with a full camper on the back lol.

[Jimmy]

7 minutes ago, 2002iii said:

I will amend my statement to include the 3.91 lsd + 5 speed from the same 320i make a big difference in performance. Also most 5 speeds are a bit newer and usually in better condition than the original 4 speed with who knows how many millions of miles.

 

Then the 3.91 is the performance upgrade ?

 

[2002iii]

5 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

 

Then the 3.91 is the performance upgrade ?

 

Yeah but without the 5 speed it kills your gas mileage and freeway speed. So best with both together.

[Jimmy]

8 minutes ago, 2002iii said:

Yeah but without the 5 speed it kills your gas mileage and freeway speed. So best with both together.

 

Overdrive will actually hurt fuel economy on a carbureted car if used aggressively. Anecdotally, the reported gains are 2-3 MPG under non-scientific conditions. It's not much considering the effort and how much gas you can buy for the cost of a 5-speed swap. ?

 

[TobyB]

The Muncie is close ratio, weighs twice what

the 235/240 does, and shifts worse than most trucks.  

 

What's not to like?

 

t

wants one in raceycar