Altered Mental Status (1G AWD 5spd)

[92Turbski]

Check/clean all of your grounds. That thing has massive amounts of corrosion.

 

[Vegas Smith]

Is it possible the battery is just low? I would start by looking at the headlight circuit and see if you can fix that. Check the fuses that powers it and the relay in the engine bay. A lot of these systems share the same power source so once you fix one the others will be good too.

Helping Hands

Amazing deals on this Helping Hands at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

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[CrackedDSM]

Check/clean all of your grounds. That thing has massive amounts of corrosion.

You are so not kidding. It astounds me the amount of corrosion this car got just from sitting.

Is it possible the battery is just low? I would start by looking at the headlight circuit and see if you can fix that. Check the fuses that powers it and the relay in the engine bay. A lot of these systems share the same power source so once you fix one the others will be good too.

Helping Hands

Amazing deals on this Helping Hands at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I keep the battery unplugged when the car is not being messed with so I don’t think it’s a voltage issue. But I’ll hook it up to more voltage and try again and see. I know the previous owner removed the relay that controls the pop up motors because he used them for the windows and locks. So there’s no telling. Definitely appreciate the direction.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Good news: the interior lights work(except for the dome, but I found the problem there) now, headlights come on(they were unplugged), tail lights work as do all the blinkers. Problem was the dimmer switch. Apparently the dimmer switch is important AF to the whole shebang.


Less than good news: the transmission was stone empty of fluid. So I went to the store and got some Valvoline 75w90 so it would have fluid enough to start it. Filled the trans, started it up, still making noise. Alas. So whatever it is, it's either massive internal damage in the trans, or it's in the clutch/bellhousing area.

Not good/Not Bad news: Obviously the car will still not disengage the clutch. I haven't bled anything but I checked more into it. I had my wife press the clutch fully in while I shined a light inside the trans and the fork is pressing or at least making contact with, the fingers on the pressure plate. The slave can be pushed in, with some resistance, and it pops back out like it should. So, sadly, the transmission is gonna have to be pulled. I was really hoping that the noise was empty transmission noise, and I could just bleed the system and get it into gear.


But, we'll see what I find when I drop 'er down. Also, soon as Tim Zimmer gets back to me I'll be ordering a SouthBend Clutch for this thing.

 

[Dericsh]

Sucks about the trans man. Keep at it you’ll be driving it soon!

 

[CrackedDSM]

Well, got most of the small stuff out of the way of dropping the trans today.

From here I just need to drop the tcase, remove the mount, and remove the actual trans bolts. Really hope I see something glaring/obvious. If not, then I have no clue what I'll do from here. I preordered the better gearset from Australia, but that's 1.5 years away. So there may be a hard decision in the future if this trans is screwed.

Hope for the best though.


Also: God I hope I can find a way to finagle the trans out from the car. Because that rusty mount and horrible patchy/rusty bellhousing needs to be addressed.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

She’ll come up outta there, you oughta see that mount on some of the cars up here that spent every winter covered in salt for 30 years.

 

[CrackedDSM]

She’ll come up outta there, you oughta see that mount on some of the cars up here that spent every winter covered in salt for 30 years.

With some help or some hulk strength, if I turn the trans sideways do you think there's enough room to lift it straight out of the engine bay?


Also I believe it. All this rust and shit is only from the florida salty air. I couldn't begin to imagine how bad it would all be if this car drove on salty wet roads.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

I made a half assed fixture which is really just a 2x6 with some 2x4’s screwed to it. I get the front end of the car up higher than Willie Nelson, then I slide the floor jack underneath it with said “fixture” on it and jack it up until it’s touching the transmission, then I unbolt it the rest of the way and walk it off on to the piece I made. Once it’s free and on there, I slowly let the jack down guiding it by hand (help is good here to work the jack but not required). Once I have the jack all the way down I just gently roll it out from under the car. Sometimes if the bumpers on or I don’t have the car quite as high as Willie it’s not hard to maneuver it down to the floor on to a piece of cardboard or a Rubbermaid tote lid or something so I don’t drag it across the concrete. Not the quickest way to do it but definitely easiest I’ve done when I’m on a solo mission. My idiot friend will just pull the thing off and let it lay on his chest cavity and maneuver his way out from underneath, we’ve pulled them at the track like that or swapped transmissions real fast that way, but not the recommended way. You could probably get it through the top with a cherry picker and leveler to angle it how it needs but I’ve never tried it as it sounds like a pain opposed to other ways I’ve done. Attached is a picture of the so called “fixture” I’ve crafted, hard to see much as it has a Ford A4LD sitting on it but you get the idea.

 

[99dsmer4g63]

Ya I use a transmission jack personally which is essentially the same as the box built above with a floor jack.

I need to have the car up high and take the transmission off the jack under the car or I don’t have clearance to slide the trans out.

This is a 2g but from what I seen above essentially it sounds the same. Kinda a pain to do by yourself. FWIW I’m 5’7” and weigh about 135 wet. Not saying I’m a little b*tch but the size part all went to my 6’4” brother. The 2g awd is the biggest 4 banger transmission I’ve delt with personally.

I usually enlist my dad for a helping hand for bolting it back up. Much easier with 4 hands.

-Daniel

 

[CrackedDSM]

I made a half assed fixture which is really just a 2x6 with some 2x4’s screwed to it. I get the front end of the car up higher than Willie Nelson, then I slide the floor jack underneath it with said “fixture” on it and jack it up until it’s touching the transmission, then I unbolt it the rest of the way and walk it off on to the piece I made. Once it’s free and on there, I slowly let the jack down guiding it by hand (help is good here to work the jack but not required). Once I have the jack all the way down I just gently roll it out from under the car. Sometimes if the bumpers on or I don’t have the car quite as high as Willie it’s not hard to maneuver it down to the floor on to a piece of cardboard or a Rubbermaid tote lid or something so I don’t drag it across the concrete. Not the quickest way to do it but definitely easiest I’ve done when I’m on a solo mission. My idiot friend will just pull the thing off and let it lay on his chest cavity and maneuver his way out from underneath, we’ve pulled them at the track like that or swapped transmissions real fast that way, but not the recommended way. You could probably get it through the top with a cherry picker and leveler to angle it how it needs but I’ve never tried it as it sounds like a pain opposed to other ways I’ve done. Attached is a picture of the so called “fixture” I’ve crafted, hard to see much as it has a Ford A4LD sitting on it but you get the idea.

View attachment 713929

View attachment 713930

View attachment 713931

I see what you mean. Definitely what I was thinking.

Ya I use a transmission jack personally which is essentially the same as the box built above with a floor jack.

I need to have the car up high and take the transmission off the jack under the car or I don’t have clearance to slide the trans out.

This is a 2g but from what I seen above essentially it sounds the same. Kinda a pain to do by yourself. FWIW I’m 5’7” and weigh about 135 wet. Not saying I’m a little b*tch but the size part all went to my 6’4” brother. The 2g awd is the biggest 4 banger transmission I’ve delt with personally.

I usually enlist my dad for a helping hand for bolting it back up. Much easier with 4 hands.

-Daniel

Man, I’ve put up posts and continually asked locals and always get the same bs about people being out of town or busy. So it’s gonna just be the three amigos. Me, myself, and I.

 

[DSMPT]

I always do it alone and remove it from under the car. So far a low profile motorcycle jack with dolly has been my best friend. In 1g is much easier than 2g.
Like this one.
Amazon product ASIN B07CV56C22

 

[pauleyman]

With some help or some hulk strength, if I turn the trans sideways do you think there's enough room to lift it straight out of the engine bay?


Also I believe it. All this rust and shit is only from the florida salty air. I couldn't begin to imagine how bad it would all be if this car drove on salty wet roads.

You can't turn the trans sideways nor can you take it out the top. The suggestions made are the usual. I stopped using floor jacks awhile ago and I use a cherry picker with a single pickup point. Allows for alot of trans movement to help stab.

 

[CrackedDSM]

You can't turn the trans sideways nor can you take it out the top. The suggestions made are the usual. I stopped using floor jacks awhile ago and I use a cherry picker with a single pickup point. Allows for alot of trans movement to help stab.

Appreciate it! I’ve never messed with 5-speeds before so this is all new territory.


Sincere thank you to everyone dropping knowledge on me!

 

[99dsmer4g63]

You can't turn the trans sideways nor can you take it out the top. The suggestions made are the usual. I stopped using floor jacks awhile ago and I use a cherry picker with a single pickup point. Allows for alot of trans movement to help stab.

I tried this once. I don’t drain my t case and leave the driveshaft hooked and lay it on the ground carefully. Then have a scissor jack under the oil pan. Then two jack stands holding the car up.

Needless to say with all that and then the legs of the engine hoist there’s a lot going on under there then so I scraped that one after having zero room. Unless I’m pulling the engine as well. TBH I think it’s easier to remove the engine and trans together out the top then it is just to remove the tranny alone.

To each their own though. Good luck.

-Daniel

 

[DSMPT]

A little tip, if you have Pepto-Bismol at home, don't throw away the measuring cup that comes with. That can be used to block off the axle holes when you remove them. You can avoid making mess with the fluid while dropping/installing the transmission.

 

[CrackedDSM]

A little tip, if you have Pepto-Bismol at home, don't throw away the measuring cup that comes with. That can be used to block off the axle holes when you remove them. You can avoid making mess with the fluid while dropping/installing the transmission.

Not only do I have a ton of those around the house from my kids cold and flu syrups but I have infinite access to them being in the medical field. This is the shit I’m talking about! Love this forum.

 

[dwb]

I've dropped it from underneath with only a floor jack many times. Car is elevated to the top notch on jack stands. Really not that difficult as long as you go slow and get it balanced on the jack.

Installation is a different story. Cherry picker makes it easier but you can't drop from the top. You have to pick from the bottom. Without a cherry picker I use a floor jack combined with a good ratchet strap under the trans, looped over a 2x4 propped across the fenders. It's a PITA to lift it around the cross member and over the clutch, but doable.

I've never had a helper doing anything on my 1g, besides machine work, so don't get discouraged if you can't find help. Where there is a will there is a way!

 

[DSMPT]

Not only do I have a ton of those around the house from my kids cold and flu syrups but I have infinite access to them being in the medical field. This is the shit I’m talking about! Love this forum.

Recycle and fits great

 

[DreamChaser7]

Holy Cow man, God have mercy on you with that car , I get a headache just from reading the updates! That car seems like a text book example of one that was completely hacked up, rode hard and put away wet by the prior owner. I truly admire your dedication and persistence with it, you’ve come a long way with the car. Sadly I wouldn’t know where to start with your electrical issues, but I do know others on this forum will

I wouldn’t either, the way my brain works I would just start ripping whole harnesses out and making new ones or ordering from Ohms . I admire the people who can just start diagnosing stuff like this one wire at a time not knowing what someone did with said wires before they got it. Maybe when I’m retired I’ll learn that type of patience.

 

[CrackedDSM]

I wouldn’t either, the way my brain works I would just start ripping whole harnesses out and making new ones or ordering from Ohms . I admire the people who can just start diagnosing stuff like this one wire at a time not knowing what someone did with said wires before they got it. Maybe when I’m retired I’ll learn that type of patience.

You guys make me feel good. I don’t even really think about it, I just do it. I never could this in my younger days, but the older I get the more and more I can do it. Kinda cool.

Thank you all for the encouraging words and comments. Very much appreciated. We’re all in this together man. If anyone is nearby when it’s running feel free to stop by and drive it. Y’all helped just as much as if it was in person.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Was gonna drop the downpipe and get basically everything else out of the way today, but then ran into this.

It looks like you have to take the turbo off in order to get the downpipe off. I really cannot express how much I hate the design of this lower intercooler pipe. There is so much room for the same diameter pipe right under the fans or even 3” more towards the front of the car would be fine. He had to grind the motor mount though because it’s so close to the block.

Like. I paid $1k for this stuff and completely wasn’t listened to. All I wanted was a straight, simple LICP. I’m going to have to cut this thing up and just make one myself.

 

[Christo]

It looks tight but I would try to remove the lower I/C pipe that you can and the coupler and it might drop down clear the part that is welded to the turbo. I would try that before removing the turbo, if you already haven't.

Looking at some of the previous pictures posted of the DP and lower IC pipe set up it looks like it might just clear.

 

[CrackedDSM]

It looks tight but I would try to remove the lower I/C pipe that you can and the coupler and it might drop down clear the part that is welded to the turbo. I would try that before removing the turbo, if you already haven't.

Looking at some of the previous pictures posted of the DP and lower IC pipe set up it looks like it might just clear.

I went to remove the LICP by itself a few weeks back to replace something in that area and the fabricator said either the turbo has to come out or the intercooler has to come out in order for it to be removed. The angle that both are at makes it impassable without either or. He said he’ll fix it when he gets back from out of town…in April sometime.


I’m just gonna borrow a cutoff wheel and cut it at the welds so they act like beads for the couplers. Probably just buy a 6-8” straight 2” pipe and make my own LICP.

 

[Christo]

Damn, that is frustrating. Sorry man; keep plowing ahead, it will be worth it.