MattL

Hey Chris. I plan to replace my front glass when I replace the seal. It’s got a few scratches and some haze, but if it comes out in one piece you can have it. 

9 hours ago, TobyB said:

You don't want impactfullness with a flywheel!

 

The lightened 215 with stock clutch runs right around 30 lbs-

and the weight's off the perimeter, so it's a nice improvement.

15 in the pressure plate, 15 in the flywheel.

 

t

 

"Impactful" was a poor choice, I guess. What I meant was "noticeable." 

Don’t know, sorry. No scale. But it is significant, and the reduction looks to be concentrated toward the outside diameter. So, I’m hoping it will be pretty impactful. 

Stock on the left, lightened from TEP on the right.

Hey Chris,

Today I actually talked with Gordon, the guy you put me in touch with. I’m going to take him the cracked box and the grimy spare, and see if he can merge them into something good. Thank you for the tip. 
Matt

I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth.  In all seriousness, though, it was deeply discounted due to the damage, so I don't feel like I got hosed. And I'm glad I ham-handed my way around this box instead of a really nice one. Assuming the Franken-Trans project is a success, I will have already gotten my stupid mistakes out of the way. And I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the bearings. 

Thanks again.

12 hours ago, tech71 said:

There’s been other posts about this  trans I think including some pics of the weld? If it’s the one I think it is then I have to say that  it was not welded/repaired very well at all and the crack is huge, more like a break than a crack.

 The fact that the alignment pin location has shifted attests to that.

If you manage to get it installed it may fail pretty fast and  if it comes apart again at high speed. It could fragment, seize, damage other components and possibly cause you to lose control of your car.  
If it’s the trans I’m thinking of ( I believe it is ) I would never install it on a car, too far gone. Sorry.
 

Spent a few years inspecting helicopter gear boxes  undergoing overhaul, had to go to school to be allowed to inspect weld repairs

Yep, that’s the one. Thanks for the advice. Luckily, I have a “spare” unit that another generous FAQ member gave me for parts. I’m going to take them both to a pro in the hope he can create one good box out of the two of them. In the meantime, I’ll put the 4-speed back in. It’ll be good to drive the car again, at least!

I bought a cracked and repaired 245 5-speed to swap into my car. The damage was to the bell housing, and the crack was welded to fix. Today I test fit the thing in order to determine mount placement, etc. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get both dowel pins to seat. I measured the distance between them and found that it’s roughly 1/16” greater than the same dimension on my 4-speed. The 3 o’clock pin/hole (looking towards the gearbox) seems to be the culprit. The weld was right next to it, so that makes sense. 
 

I believe I can get the transmission to mate if I take that pin out and just install a bolt. Am I crazy to consider that as a solution?

Awesome deal.

PM coming re the distributor, wires, and coil!

Oh, man. Those are beautiful. Kinda wish I didn't already have an original pair waiting in the garage for a rehab. Do you guys happen to sell just the gaskets/seals as well?

PM on the way.

Thanks, all. To clarify: I've ordered a replacement from a couple places in the hope that at least one will arrive in a relatively timely manner. So, the price of the part is not the issue: my impatience is. I did buy a pair of better external snap pliers (the only ones I could find locally), and they're definitely an improvement over the internal/external ones I already had. Still, they're not what I would call "high-quality": https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/performance-tool-4601/tools---equipment-16488/hand-tools-16814/pliers-18041/203f58549407/performance-tool-pliers/w88001/4614642?q=snap+ring+pliers&pos=18     I'll look online for a more robust option.

I'll keep trying the vice-and-pliers efforts to get it straightened out a bit, but I agree that the tight fit of the groove looks like it will make any kind of waviness a no-go. I've checked a few local places, and they don't have any replacement options that fit the bill. Anything of the correct diameter is the wrong thickness, and vice-versa. I'll keep looking though. 

Thanks again for all the advice and suggestions. 

I need to put the input shaft snap ring back on my Getrag 245 in order to get it sewn up and finally installed. The problem is, it deformed when I removed it...but the one I ordered will take who knows how long to get here from Germany. I'm wondering if the groove in which the ring will sit would make the warp inconsequential. Stupid to even consider it? Wait for the replacement to get here? 

@2002 

Hey Steve: you are a life-saver! It was definitely the operating lever, and after some trial and error and thinking it through, I got it sorted without taking the box apart any further. I posted an update here:

Update for those interested:

Thanks to Steve's ( @2002) suggestion, I confirmed that the “Operating lever” was detached. Wouldn’t go back in. I chamfered and polished the edge of the bolt and lined up the lever perfectly with a pick through the hole. Still wasn’t going all the way in. Snugged it down so it was grabbing the lever but not clamping it down. Shifted into fifth then back to neutral as gently as possible. Snugged the bolt down as tight as I could to keep the lever in that position. (I could feel it was “on the pivot hole but not aligned well enough to go in.) Twisted the selector rod over to the reverse gate and it pushed through for the first time. Checked the bolt, and it had lined up with the hole and could now be tightened all the way down/in. Can now shift through all gears. Need to put the input shaft shim/lockring/seal/flange back on, fill her up and do the drill thing to make sure she’s actually functioning well. Fingers crossed that I'll have it installed within a week or two. 

To clarify: I'm certain the lever was detached by my dumb ass before I ever looked at a diagram, thinking the bolt on top was the fill plug: @resra sent me a good box and I screwed it up! Sorry for putting that fact into any doubt, resra!

I don't have any input of value, but I am bookmarking this thread for future reference when I get to the point of asking the question myself.

Also, congrats on reaching your Post of the Beast, Vince!

(By the way, I haven't gotten to the point of making use of your transmission yet, but I'm getting closer to opening her up. I'll let you know when there is anything to report!)

Thanks for the continued help, Steve. I checked last night, and that bolt is definitely not attached to the lever. After unscrewing it carefully, I looked into the hole and could see the lever down there, but no hole for the bolt. Not surprising. I was able to fit a thin pick tool down there at an angle, hook onto the hole hidden from view, and drag it carefully to directly under the case hole. I don't imagine I'll be able to get the bolt threaded in without taking the case apart, but I'll give it a shot. 

Is it okay to just remove the rear cover? Or is it necessary to follow the order of operations in the manual, i.e. front cover, then rear cover? Either way, I'm very encouraged to have a likely culprit that is something other than a munched gear or something! Extremely grateful for the ideas and assistance!

That sounds like a likely candidate, Steve, thank you! 

11 hours ago, TobyB said:

B's the fill plug, btw...

Aw, jeez... Of course. My doofus game is strong. 

I actually have completely removed the big cap, spring, and inner and outer plungers. It didn't really try to launch; just a little compression present. In any case, no change: 5th and reverse still not accessible. And I've reinstalled them, careful to ensure they're oriented per the diagram, which seems to match your description:

Looking at that main selector detent on Realoem's diagram, I don't think anything there would explain the issue. The selector rod definitely hits -- and then travels through -- those up-and-back detents across neutral. The grinding I encounter when trying to push into the reverse gate doesn't "feel" like it's at the shaft itself, but rather at the end of the "shift" (as Realoem calls the v-shaped part at the end of the selector shaft). And although there's no grinding when I go for 5th, it is a solid, unyielding wall. (My "temporary success" must have been 4th, rather than 5th, in retrospect.) 

I think the reverse/5th shifting rod and/or fork must be stuck. So, the decision I have to make is whether to continue to disassemble or take it to a pro. My big hesitation about disassembling it myself is the possibility of damaging some NLA part. All I've really exposed so far is the input shaft bearing, but that was enough to give me sweats. 

Right you are, Steve. Thank you. Looks like it holds another detent plunger and spring. Any idea how to get it off? Or are blind plugs no-touchey? 

(The reason I'm fiddling with all this stuff is that my transmission (not installed) will not shift into 5th or reverse. The 5th gate is accessible, but the selector rod won't then pull back into gear. On the reverse side, the gate is there, but not accessible. As I rotate the rod towards the gate, there's a grinding but it doesn't go in.)

14 minutes ago, TobyB said:

Well, I'll let others give you a hard time about B.  

But if you're using this transmission, replace it with the B from your 4- speed.

 

A looks like the plug over the primary selector rail detent plunger 23317545771

 

and I can't find C, either.

 

Neither A nor C are usually disturbed unless you're taking the transmission apart.

 

The big cap behind A is the 5th- reverse detent spring, and if the transmission ever

refuses to go into the 5th- reverse gate, removing this cap (and catching the spring with your teeth)

takes pressure off that detent.  The detent itself has been known to rotate and jam...

 

t

 

Thank you, Toby. To clarify: that fluid all over “B” is penetrating fluid, not tranny oil. It’s not leaking. (In case that’s the reason for the suggested replacement and hard time I’m in for.) ?

I was HOPING “A” might be detent-related, since I in fact am having that precise problem! Unable to access either reverse or fifth. I’ve got the transmission on the bench in the hopes I can poke and tickle it sufficiently to fix it before taking it apart. Do you know I would go about getting that blind cap off? Or is that foolish? I’ve already removed and reinstalled and adjusted the angled detent plug, spring, etc. without more than a temporary success in accessing fifth. 
 

Thanks again!

Can anyone tell me what the labeled bolts/plugs are in the photo below? Couldn't figure it out from Realoem.com. 

Chris is a hell of a good dude. 

Thanks guys. Yep, I just picked one up at Autozone today.