12 Removing the oil seals is a real P.I.T.A. without one of these removal tools. Do yourself a favor and rent one along with that bearing remover.12 Removing the oil seals is a real P.I.T.A. without one of these removal tools. Do yours 13 This magnet can be found along the bottom side of the clutch housing, near the mating surface. All the metal collected here has been "shed" off the transmission's moving parts over time. Cleaning this magnet thoroughly will keep this gunk from recirculating through the transmission after re-assembly, and will clean the slate for more rouge metal to collect on it in the future, reducing premature wear.13 This magnet can be found along the bottom side of the clutch housing, near the mating 14 With everything stripped off the clutch- and transmission housings, hit each mating surface with a fine sanding disk or some sandpaper to clean off the remaining silicone sealant, to prep the surface for re-assembly, then make sure to wash each housing completely, to remove debris.14 With everything stripped off the clutch- and transmission housings, hit each mating su 15 Remember the main- and countershafts we set aside? Disassemble them completely and clean each part, along with the differential and shift forks.15 Remember the main- and countershafts we set aside? Disassemble them completely and cle 15, cont. 16 Synchrotech will go so far as to tumble or wire-wheel every part, to debur sharp edges (which decreases shedding among moving parts) and bring housings to a factory-fresh finish. If you're doing this at home, a good scrub-down of everything should be fine.16 Synchrotech will go so far as to tumble or wire-wheel every part, to debur sharp edges 16, cont. 16, cont. 17 Now comes the fun part-inspecting components for wear. Pictured above is a brand-new OEM synchro, compared to the one below that came out of our trans. Note the worn synchro's misshapen teeth-a definite sign it should be replaced.17 Now comes the fun part-inspecting components for wear. Pictured above is a brand-new O 17, cont. 18 Likewise, here we see a brand-new synchro sleeve compared to ours. When the nice, sharp, pointy teeth and straight columns of the brand-new sleeves and hubs become dull, rounded teeth and battered columns like ours, you should probably replace.18 Likewise, here we see a brand-new synchro sleeve compared to ours. When the nice, shar 18, cont. 19 Pictured here is one of the selector springs that sits atop each synchro. These, too, get battered over the course of their usefulness. They should be round and circular; if any appear scored, flattened or misshaped, replace them.19 Pictured here is one of the selector springs that sits atop each synchro. These, too, 20 Finally, the gear itself. Made of case-hardened steel, they're pretty tough. Despite the poor condition of this gear's synchro and sleeve/hub, it is in good enough shape to be re-used. The pointed teeth toward the top are relatively sharp, the splines are fairly straight, and the smooth area that is the "cone" isn't scored or otherwise damaged. Inspect that all gears are in acceptable condition, along with the main- and countershafts.20 Finally, the gear itself. Made of case-hardened steel, they're pretty tough. Despite t 21Now, for the improvements! Pictured here is the inside of that brand-new, OEM synchro (left) compared to a Synchrotech carbon-coated alternative (middle). Remember the smooth cone atop the OE gear? This is the part of the synchro that contacts it, creating friction that slows and "synchronizes" the speeds of two gears when shifted. As the friction surface of the inside of the synchro becomes worn to the point where the synchro loses contact with the cone, "grinding" occurs. Brass isn't nearly as effective or durable as the carbon fiber matrix used in carbon-coated alternatives-which is why Honda now uses carbon-coated synchros as OE equipment in the K-series transmissions. Check that all synchros sit atop their gears with a little space between their rows of teeth and the gears'. If the two rows contact one another, replace the synchro and double check the gear.21 Now, for the improvements! Pictured here is the inside of that brand-new, OEM synchro ( 21, cont. 21, cont. 22 Upping the ante even more, Synchrotech has designed a replacement synchro with a full carbon-matrix friction surface-not just carbon-coated brass (pictured above). Though the components were in late prototype stages at the time of this writing, sets of the full-carbon synchros had been distributed to various drivers of street cars, road-race and drag-race machines for testing and feedback. We opted for one, too, and our opinions are given at the end of the article; see the sidebar for what the other guys thought.22 Upping the ante even more, Synchrotech has designed a replacement synchro with a full « | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | » | View Full Article By Luke Munnell Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
