Need opinions. My friend an I are both fairly good with wrenches. To avoid paying someone 500-750 bucks to remove/reinstall the tranny, Im going to try it myself with a friend, pending there aren't too many difficulties. He has done this before on a Talon TSi, and Im getting the full service manual. Any opinions? Im gonna send the tranny to Shep, probably, hoping I can get a decent price on a core swap/rebuild unit.

 

send the transfer case while your at it.

 

Go for it, it's not really that big of a deal. Just nuts and bolts.

 

You have to start somewhere. Pull it and enjoy the first experience!

 

It isn't to difficult, but a little different from a dsm. There are a few extra steps to perform. On the drivers side once you pull the half shaft out there will be another shaft still in the tranny. This must come out before you can drop the transfer case. All you need is a slide hammer to pull it out. Also, to get the throwout bearing to release you have to stick a screwdriver down through one of the access holes in the tranny right in between the bearing and a sort of spring deal. Twist the screwdriver and it pops right off. Everything else is pretty similar though. If you run into any problems give me a PM and I will try to help you out.

 

Thanks for the support guys. I figure, I want to keep this car for a long time and eventually get a beater car so I can have my Evo as my project beast. Money isn't flowing as readily as some, but the end result will arrive with patience. I figure with this mentality, a **** job done by a Mitsu dealership is a **** job no matter how long it takes to wear it out. At least with Shep's build, or quite possibly Turbotrix in NJ, I can have it built, sleep easy AND if I have any problems Im sure these two highly recomended places will have truckloads of information and help to offer, unlinke the diamond star bastards. Anyone know where to get a full service manual, and anything else I should look for?

 

feldguy,

do you know the details of the core exchange/rebuild shep has going on?...i.e. price, stronger parts, etc...this is good info for future reference...

when my **** goes, i'm just gonna go with a stock rebuild just because of the fact that quite a few are in the 11's on a stock tranny with apparently no probs...the only thing that seems like jello is the front diff...

 

People are making this job seem alot easier then it is. First off, if you dont have a lift you will have a super hard time getting the tranny out / in. Also from the post above. You only have to take out the drivers side half shaft. You DO NOT have to take out the other one. That will come out with the transfer case. Plan on this job if its your first time and without a lift to take you 10+ hrs. Keep in mind also that the tranny is probably 40lbs heavier then the dsm one. There is no bench pressing it in on your chest. I've done a bunch of dsm's like that ..and this one is alot heavier. Just a heads up. We dont charge 600 because the car is new, we charge it because its such a pain in the ***. You will soon find out. Good luck

Mark
Turbotrix

P.S We've had two people trailor their car to us, having started the job on their backs and couldnt complete it. Dont want to scare you but just know that its not easy.

 

Never said it was easy, thats why Im polling opinions. What would be the cost for the swap/rebuild? I just may take it to you guys if the turnaround time is acceptable. No offense to Shep, but sending it out is a pain in the *** for me. I wanna do a drive in drive out, as I have access to a truck for the time the car is gone. Now the money has to get coughed up. Mark, I tried calling the other day but I guess you guys had left. I'll try tommorow.

 

Were are you located Feldguy? Im 20 minutes from the GW bridge . If you get a tranny from Shep I can swap it in and out for you and I charge $450, plus it will be done in 3 hours or less. By the way, I would never do this on my back either.
SUPERZ

 

superz, thanks for the offer. Im gonna run it past turbotrix and see what they can do the whole deal for. If its cost prohibitive (I dont think it will be from what people have told me, its quite reasonable), then I'll think about that option. Im looking for ease of operation, ya know? PM me with the details of your place superz

 

I forget not everyone is in the military and has the opportunity to use the auto hobby shop. It is alot easier with a lift and the proper tools, i.e. tranny jack and two other people helping you out.

 

I do agree with turbotrix that thrying to do the tranny rodeo style without a trnny jack is not a good idea. I used an engine hoist to hold the engine and a tranny jack to get it out. I am 6'2" 240 and not fat, and I would not even attempt to take the tranny out without a jack. It is pretty heavy. Hving some sort of hoist to hold up the engine is essential as far as I am concerned. I know that the first time iodine23 took his out the did not have anything to hold the engine up and he said that it was very difficult.

 

You do not have to pull the t.case either. You can tie it out of the way. The first time I did it was on mine and pulled the trans , rebuilt it ,installed a twin disc and had it done the same day.

 

You dont have to support the engine either. YOu may use a spin jack to move the engine a little bit, but not much. The front engine mount holds the engine just fine, trust me.