T176 Trans Rebuild

[loootninja]

Greetings,

I'm rebuilding my T176 transmission for my 1980 CJ5. I've never rebuilt one before, so there will definitely be questions, and I thought I'd use this thread to consolidate them and hopefully it'll be useful to others when I'm done.

First, a little back ground. The jeep's been sitting for a about a year. I had just removed the transmission and transfer case (Dana 300) while in the process of replacing the rear drive shaft u-bolts and installing a Novak hydraulic clutch link conversion when I was forced to leave town on business for about a year. Now that I'm back, I need to get this thing running again. The transmission shifter wouldn't run through its gears and when I drained the fluid there was a good amount of water in the transmission.

I bought a master rebuild kit from Novak and just opened the transmission up last night. In the process of doing so, I put a hole right through the shift control lever housing assembly cover (pics coming later). So first question: can I weld this and grind it down? A new cover costs ~$!70

 

[Lumpy Grits]

:ww:

Take lots of pictures and make notes to reference to the pictures.
I would also number the pictures........
You'll need feeler gauge and a .001 dial indicator and base.
OLG

 

[mriplaybass]

Greetings,

I'm rebuilding my T176 transmission for my 1980 CJ5. I've never rebuilt one before, so there will definitely be questions, and I thought I'd use this thread to consolidate them and hopefully it'll be useful to others when I'm done.

First, a little back ground. The jeep's been sitting for a about a year. I had just removed the transmission and transfer case (Dana 300) while in the process of replacing the rear drive shaft u-bolts and installing a Novak hydraulic clutch link conversion when I was forced to leave town on business for about a year. Now that I'm back, I need to get this thing running again. The transmission shifter wouldn't run through its gears and when I drained the fluid there was a good amount of water in the transmission.

I bought a master rebuild kit from Novak and just opened the transmission up last night. In the process of doing so, I put a hole right through the shift control lever housing assembly cover (pics coming later). So first question: can I weld this and grind it down? A new cover costs ~$!70

You put a hole in the top cover of the transmission? How did you manage that?
It is possible to repair the damage depending on how extensive it is. The T176 has an aluminum shifter/top cover, so it would have to be TIG welded. If you don't have a TIG welder, or know someone who does, the cost of paying to have it repaired might not be worth it because it may only save you a few dollars, and then you still have one that has been repaired.

 

[loootninja]

You put a hole in the top cover of the transmission? How did you manage that?
It is possible to repair the damage depending on how extensive it is. The T176 has an aluminum shifter/top cover, so it would have to be TIG welded. If you don't have a TIG welder, or know someone who does, the cost of paying to have it repaired might not be worth it because it may only save you a few dollars, and then you still have one that has been repaired.

The hole happened whilst trying to loosen a bolt that wouldn't give. Rookie move. Expect more. Pics when i get back from work. I think I have access to a TIG. Guess I'll need to find a feeler gauge. Thanks.

 

[Hedgehog]

you can weld it with a SPECIACL aluminum welding rod. When buying a used Thermal-Arc welder some special welding rods came with the welder. During a transmission rebuild the bell housing turned out to be cracked down by the non critical area dust shield. What the heck, a good time to try the SPECIAL rod. From the internet I learned that the rods work but you have to be VERY fast. So after cleaning the crack very well, I made a quick pass and I mean quick pass, strike and run. OMG the rod worked perfectly with 100% penetration. I took it to my jeep guy and he was amazed. Come to find out bell housings don't weld very well and my weld was perfect. It was pure luck. So, the point is, with the right rod and some luck, Aluminum can be welded wit a stick welder.

 

[mriplaybass]

Stick welding is another way of welding aluminum. Like HH said, you have to move fast. Also, when stick welding aluminum, the work piece should be preheated, not to the melting point, just a little too hot to touch with a bare hand. And like all aluminum welding, clean, clean, clean! Clean the weld area with a stainless steel brush before welding. Any contaminants will ruin the weld. Unlike TIG welding, stick is not very forgiving. Too fast and you get a chicken track weld. Too slow, you blow big holes in the work piece.

 

[loootninja]

Here are the pictures. Shouldn't be a tough weld. I'll see what I can do.

 

[Hedgehog]

..... sometimes it's better to use a socket extension. Done something similar, been there.

 

[mriplaybass]

Not as bad as I was expecting. Although TIG welding is definitely the best way to go short of replacement. Given how high up on the transmission the hole is, I wouldn't rule out some JB Weld. The hole is not in a structural area, and all you are really trying to do is prevent the oil from leaking out. I repaired an area on a Dana 20 transfer case that way and it has never leaked.

 

[loootninja]

Not as bad as I was expecting. Although TIG welding is definitely the best way to go short of replacement. Given how high up on the transmission the hole is, I wouldn't rule out some JB Weld. The hole is not in a structural area, and all you are really trying to do is prevent the oil from leaking out. I repaired an area on a Dana 20 transfer case that way and it has never leaked.

Yeah I think I've decided to grind it down and seal it with JB weld. I'm over my head with what I've got to rebuild this thing with on hand. Hopefully my buddy will rebuild it. If he does, I'll try to watch him and document it.

 

[loootninja]

Ok so we were able to dismantle the transmission. I've got lots of good pictures for posterity and I'll do a better write-up when it's through. We're beginning the rebuild and we've run into a question regarding the reverse idler gear thrust washers.

The original thrust washers look to be metal, and are cut at an odd angle. It's tough to tell if this is by design or if they broke. The replacement thrust washers supplied in Novak's master rebuild kit are plastic and fully round. I've attached a picture comparing the two side-by-side.

Am I supposed to cut these thrust washers before installing them? It seems odd that they'd put plastic in the kit at all, so I'm thinking it's precisely because the metal washers have been found to break. I can contact Novak tomorrow to be sure, but does anyone have any advice for tonight? The instructions make no mention one way or the other.

 

[loootninja]

Novak supplies a Ford thrust washer with the kit, so they advised me just to cut them to size. I'll have more as the rebuild takes shape.