Hiya guys,

I'm in a spot of bother and hoping someone here can help me out.

A couple of days ago I was pulling into a service station driveway and was just selecting first gear when I heard a crunch and my car would no longer accelerate.

Now, I've had this sort of thing happen before in other cars I've owned so I was quite certain that either the selector fork or the shaft for 1st/2nd gear cluster broke.

That isn't my problem (well, you know what I mean), my problem is that I have never removed the trans from a FWD car only RWD. Also, to compound the issue, I recently lost my job so I no longer have access to hydraulic hoists and whatnot. What I do have is a clear space in a friends back yard (dirt not concrete) and a range of fairly basic tools.

What I need to know is this: Is there a bare minimum process to perform the removal or do I have to go the "whole hog" and pull the complete eng/trans unit out of the car (GOD, I hope not).

Thanks in advance
Robbie (babyracer)

 

Sorry to hear about your problem(s). I don't think there is a way around it, I think you have to pull the whole trans to get to where you need to go. The good news is that it's not that hard to remove the trans, you don't need a hoist (although it's recommended). You have to pull out the axles (don't lose the c-clips).

You didn't say which model Hyundai you have.

Anyway, here's some notes I made when I did my "99 Elantra clutch:

Hi all, I had the opportunity to experience replacing my clutch on my 1999 Elantra this week, and I discovered a few tricks that might be helpful to y'all in the future should you need to do this pain-in-the-butt job.

First of all, don't assume your clutch is really bad. My clutch was slipping big time in all gears (read my other thread). I pulled the trans and discovered that my clutch was actually good, and that the hydrolic system was the problem. I would recommend if your clutch is slipping that first try to bleed the system until the fluid comes out clean. Look at the slave and try to determine if it is actually moving the control arm properly. You could save yourself a lot of time.

If you have reason to believe that your clutch is actually worn out and you have to pull the trans and replace it, then here's a few more tips....

VERY IMPORTANT! Make sure you remove the controller arm from the top of the trans! (the arm which the slave cylinder pushes to actuate the clutch) It's an undocumented proceedure that if you don't do, it makes it almost impossible to separate the trans from the engine. I read some posts on this website and others about people trying to separate the trans from the engine with crowbars and the like, only to destroy the throwout bearing and the pressure plate spring. The controller arm forks will not disengage the throwout bearing (which in turn is connected to the pressure plate springs.) Simply removing the arm on top of the trans allows the forks to disengage and the trans will easily slide out.

Engine support while removing the trans...

The documented method of supporting the engine is to get an engine hoist, and hold up the engine from the existing "eyes" on top of the engine. I'm sure that would work, provided you have the hoist. But I found that you have to tilt the engine down a little to allow enough clearance for the trans to slip out the left side of the car. Since I don't have a hoist, I was forced to support the engine underneath with blocks of wood. I found this works just fine. I left the motor mount on the right side of the car, and supported the engine with the wood blocks. I removed a block to tilt the engine down, and the trans falls out easily.

Reengage the throw out bearing with the controller forks.

You have to make sure the controller forks reengage the throwout bearing properly when you reassemble the trans to the engine. You can peer into the bellhousing in the holes underneath. Once you remove the trans, you can see how the forks engage the throwout bearing, and plan your actions to reassemble properly.


Remove the motor mount brackets!

I found that removing the motor mount brackets (on the trans...front, rear, left) was a really big help when I tried to put the trans back in. It's hard to refit the trans if you have to fight the brackets. It was much easier when I removed them. Once the trans was in place and bolted to the engine, it was easy to put the brackets back on the trans.

That's it, hope it helps.

 

Oops, you posted in the Accent forum, my bad...

 

Thanks for the sentiments, I really appreciated that 8)

Oops sorry about forgetting the model......she's a 2001 Accent.

Well your reply certainly gave me some measure of hope. Just to clarify - I knew that I would have to remove the trans fully. I was, however, afraid that I would have to remove both the engine and trans as a complete unit. Something which would be beyond the facilities I am forced to use.

You didn't mention that you removed any hoses, wiring etc from the engine. Does this mean that the engine can be left basically intact with the exception of the mounts?

Thanks again

 

Here's a list of stuff to pull from Autozone:

1. Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the Precautions section.
2. Attach a support fixture to the engine lifting eyes.
3. Drain the transaxle.
4. Remove or disconnect the following:
* Negative battery cable
* Air intake assembly
* Shift cable
* Speedometer cable
* Pulse generator connector
* Inhibitor connector
* Kickdown servo connector
* Solenoid valve connector
* Oil temperature sensor connector
* Starter motor
* Axle halfshafts
* Flywheel cover
* Torque converter
* Transaxle mount
* Transaxle flange bolts
* Transaxle

Here's some instruction on how to remove the axles. The "recommended" procedure is to separate the ball joint, which I did myself, but I have seen instructions where a guy was able to remove the axle by pulling off the bolts from the bottom of the strut to allow enough slop to pull the axle. I recommend you try it that way and avoid separating the ball joint, as using a "pickle fork" can destroy the ball joint boot. It's up to you.

1. Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the Precautions section.
2. Remove or disconnect the following:
* Front wheel
* Spindle nut
* Wheel speed sensor, if equipped
* Outer tie rod end
* Stabilizer bar link
* Lower ball joint
3. Press the stub shaft out of the hub.
4. Pry the inner joint out of the transaxle or intermediate shaft.

 

Yes, you can remove the trans w/o having to pull out the engine. It's basically the same as doing a RWD car, just the axles are a little harder. The trans is light enough, you can just about pull it out yourself w/o dropping it. I was able to lift up and replace mine myself, and I'm totally out of shape.

You might consider a newsed trans from a junkyard. Where do you live, I'll try to find a trans for you? You might get a trans for $100.

 

Excellent!! I can safely say you have allayed all my fears. Thanks so much for that.

I live in Western Australia. A replacement trans was some thing I was going to look into depending on what the problem actually is, but I wanted to find out about this first before I started ripping bits off lol.

 

Oh, sorry, I don't know any junkyards in Western Australia, but I'm pretty familiar with ones in New Jersey. Good luck, let me know how it goes.

 

I will and thank you for the help.

 

Thank you very much! I spent all afternoon and evening unsuccessfully trying to pull off the bellhousing and tranny unit.My Haynes Manual had no mention whatever of the absolutely essential removal of the pressure plate control arm from the top of the transmission housing. Once you take off the nut and two washers and drip some oil on the arm junction, you can wiggle the control arm off with your fingers and then the transmission and bellhousing will nicely come right off onto your waiting jack which should be positioned right under the transmission. I want to thank jsinton;19864 for his help. Now it is 2:26 in the morning and I am going to bed!