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bluesneaky

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Mar 8 09 7:33 PM

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OK I cant get the dern half hafts out of the trany (5sp). I need some advice.

I have read ye ol manual and it says to gently use a prybar and remove them from the transaxle so as to not damage the trany seals, yea right. I was using the ball joint sepraor I bought to get the tie rod ends off on it and I pryed so hard the prongs of the septrator bent. Then I tried a crow bar, dito, the crow bar bent. I bought a big screw driver like in the pictures in the manual but I over did it there and its so long I cant get it under the car and between the trany so thats out for now. Maybe I should go buy another one not so big???

Anyway Whats up? I dont even feel like I am close to getting it out This is the first time I have tried to pull half shafts so experience is at a zero mark. I am having trouble getting the pry bars (whatever) on the drive shaft because it is beveled on the corner edge. lots of things I try just slip off. Hopefuly thats makes sense if you have done this job.

What is holding the shaft into the trany? I read about the circlip but no pictures. Is it the beast that holds it in? The manual says it needs to be replaced when installing the shaft back in. Is that a absolute fact or can I get away with just stuffing it back in the other trany real quick?

Sure could use some experienced help or tips here. I have the hub assembly all loose (going to swap out the whole thing - both sides) but darned if I can get it loose from the transaxle.

Thanks in advance all!

Sneaky

Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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nerd racing

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#1 [url]

Mar 8 09 7:39 PM

I would try getting a big chizel and using it as a wedge, tap it between the axle and the housing. I have had to reef on axles quite harshly to get them out. Are these the donor axles or the ones you are replacing in the car you are driving now?

"In a perfect world all the geeks get the girls"

1995 Ford Aspire 3 Door Black, (B8 F-series)---> RIP
1997 Ford Aspire 3 Door Teal ---> Sold '08
1996 Ford Aspire 5 door Green ---> Parted wouldn't hold her oil
1994 Ford Aspire 3 door Red ---> Former BP, V6 Swapped... Rusted Out...
1995 Ford Aspire 5 Door Blurple --> Sold '11 No Room...

1989 Ford Festiva L 4 Speed Carby Model --> Soon to be an Abomination!
1990 AWD 5 Speed Mazda Protege Black -->(BP GTX Trans) Daily Driver/Donor Waiting to Happen... Soon to be BP+T


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bluesneaky

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#2 [url]

Mar 8 09 7:49 PM

THese are the donor ones. The other car will likely be even harder. they have been in since '95. The donor ones were replaced two years ago - bout 40.000 miles.

So you realy have to give it he** hugh? Not like the book says, grrrrrr. I had a feeling this wasnt going to be a cake walk. Every thing else came apart like a champ. I am going to go see if I have a chisle the right sixe like you sugested. I am working on the drivers side now, it looks more cramped than the passenger side. Guess if I can get this one the other will be a breeze.

thanks for the idea. Gona go see if I can make it work.

TTFN

Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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bluesneaky

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#3 [url]

Mar 8 09 8:01 PM

Alright! I used brute force with the pry bar and it snaped free with a vengence. (looked for a chisel and didnt have one) No gentle pop at all but dang it all its out! Yea fordaspire/460.gif

So can the retainer clip be reused despite the book? If not is it something auto zone or napa will have (or will I get that look like I am from outer space)?

Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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bluesneaky

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Posts: 490

#4 [url]

Mar 8 09 8:23 PM

OK this is going to seem even funnier fordaspire/iamwithstupid.gif , now that I got them out how in heck do I get them in? (yea hold all the coments from the peanut gallery)

I have that retainer clip question (from an earlier post) but beyond that how do I get it to go in if I had to pull so dang hard to get it out? Is it safe to pound on the end of the shaft putting it back in the trany? Does it snap in when its fully seated?


Sorry for so many questions. this part just doesnt seem to be going by the book.


Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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nerd racing

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Posts: 4,219

#5 [url]

Mar 8 09 8:28 PM

ok If the circlip is that strong coming out you should be ok to keep using it, given its still round and not bent out of shape.

What I did to get my shafts back in was take a wooden block and place it on the outer end of the shaft and give it a firm tap and they seated in well. make sure they are slid in properly with the splines on the spider gears though. You will feel it slide in slightly when it is in line with the gears. Good luck man!

"In a perfect world all the geeks get the girls"

1995 Ford Aspire 3 Door Black, (B8 F-series)---> RIP
1997 Ford Aspire 3 Door Teal ---> Sold '08
1996 Ford Aspire 5 door Green ---> Parted wouldn't hold her oil
1994 Ford Aspire 3 door Red ---> Former BP, V6 Swapped... Rusted Out...
1995 Ford Aspire 5 Door Blurple --> Sold '11 No Room...

1989 Ford Festiva L 4 Speed Carby Model --> Soon to be an Abomination!
1990 AWD 5 Speed Mazda Protege Black -->(BP GTX Trans) Daily Driver/Donor Waiting to Happen... Soon to be BP+T


Facebook Me!

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bluesneaky

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Posts: 490

#6 [url]

Mar 8 09 9:19 PM

Thanks for the help man. fordaspire/liebe011.gif I ran out of light today (doing this all on a gravel driveway in the backyard) so I will be back at it tomorrow. Glad you were around to help today, I will sleep better believe it or not. These things realy bother me when I have to go to sleep and a car is beating me, lots easier when the score is Rick 1, car 0.

TTFN!!!

Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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8143925

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Posts: 494

#8 [url]

Mar 9 09 2:00 AM

Hey, i just did mine back in october... I had very little fuss from my passenger side axle, it was in there, but not nearly as well as my drivers side. I ended up using a four foot pry bar on the back side as my dad tapped the front side of the tripod housing with a hammer to get it loose.

As for going back in, they'll be STUPID hard to get in sometimes. Basically the strategy to beat the tranny in this instancei t keep trying different orientations. My passenger side i got third try, drivers side, i had to "put" in. Basically, just get under the car, then take the spline and try to put it in. If it doesn't go in super easy, take it out, rotate it a bit, and try again. If this doesn't work, and you've tried multiple angles with no success, then place it in line, and as nerd said, gently hit it into the diff. You'll know when they're fully in, cause the tripod housing will be almost touching the transaxle, and it'll click in place.

Good luck, and whatever you do, don't have both axles out of the transmission at the same time!

Check her out at my cardomain page

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#9 [url]

Mar 9 09 11:11 AM

when i did a trans swap, couldn't pop it out of the case,

i ended up taking the trans out with the drivers axle still in the case....yes, it sucked, almost didn't get it out, but i managed....

i think a combination of the car being jacked, the car over a stand below pit and having a overhead 4-way chain hoist made it all possible, anyways...



once the case was on the floor, took a 20lb slide hammer and popped it out.after trying a pry bar and a sledge, and taking pieces out of the case...


comes to find out the snap ring was out of center on the axle shaft, and got wedged in the spider gear, and it actually cut spline grooves in the snap ring.....

physically no way i could of done it with it in the car, just couldn't get enough force in any position.

anways, yeah, a solid constant push, and a tap on the hub end, and it'll pop into place, use some thick heavy grease to keep the snapring from moving around, as it needs to be dead center to not hang up and give problems, like i had.

if you've ever had a transaxle apart, you'll understand how the spider gear is shaped for the snap ring to slide in and snap out. They go in *ALOT* easier then they come
out.


btw, what do you mean by don't have both axles out at the same time? how would one easily replace the gearbox? and it doesn't matter 10 years or 100 years. unless the inside of the transmission gets rusty (doubtful) they'll slide in and out of the spider axle gear like butter. it's the snapring that gives problems.

I've done 12 or 13 transaxle jobs, always reused the clips if they weren't chewed up like my example was.

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nerd racing

Grand Master Member

Posts: 4,219

#11 [url]

Mar 9 09 11:29 AM

hope all this helps for pulling the old axles out! Going to the post office now to ship out that cluster man!

"In a perfect world all the geeks get the girls"

1995 Ford Aspire 3 Door Black, (B8 F-series)---> RIP
1997 Ford Aspire 3 Door Teal ---> Sold '08
1996 Ford Aspire 5 door Green ---> Parted wouldn't hold her oil
1994 Ford Aspire 3 door Red ---> Former BP, V6 Swapped... Rusted Out...
1995 Ford Aspire 5 Door Blurple --> Sold '11 No Room...

1989 Ford Festiva L 4 Speed Carby Model --> Soon to be an Abomination!
1990 AWD 5 Speed Mazda Protege Black -->(BP GTX Trans) Daily Driver/Donor Waiting to Happen... Soon to be BP+T


Facebook Me!

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bluesneaky

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Posts: 490

#12 [url]

Mar 11 09 1:27 AM

Hope it didnt matter about having both out cuz I had all four out, the two from the donaor car and the two from the car they were going into.

I got the two donors back in to the keeper car. I taped it a bit with a wood block and the passenger side went in fine. Tried the drivers side and it was a bit more stuborn. I ended up putting a little tear in the boot right on the edge of the boot near the clamp. I am thinking of just putting some RTV on it since it wont be flexing much unless there are easy to install replacement boots that you dont have to take off the axle (remeber the old VW boots that had bolts on em). Anyway No way am I going to take it out to replace the boot.

I still have the two wornout ones to put back in but all they have to do is just stay in long enough for the tow truck to pull it away so Im not too worried about them, heck I'll even put them in with no clip if need be.

BTW, I did try to get new clips at the local NAPA. I got the look like I was from mars. Tried the ford dealer and guess what, obsolete... Guess its a good thing they didnt get to bent up comming out. They did get mared up a little with nicks in them matching the spline but I'm hoping it wont matter much.

Seems like most posts seem to have trouble getting them out like I did, makes me feel a bit better, thought it was just me. I bent the crowbar and pry bar getting them out. Being close to the gravel didnt help much either, the angles to go at it were quite limited.

Again, thanks all for all the advice (and pics!). It did help a lot. Dont know that I'd want to do this 12 or 13 times! I think twice (donor and keeper car) is enough.

===============

Hey I will have to post a copuple pics of what I found on the high mileage car when I did get the suspension all apart. (i swaped hubs/rotors/bearings and all since all were ok). The spring was snaped in two near the top coil on one side (hidden from sight untill removed) and the rotor has a nice big radial crack in it. It was an original rotor (250,000 miles) never been off the car or turned. Got the moneys worth out a that one!

Changed out tie rod ends and ball joints too(well one ball joint -wanted to to do the other but couldnt). and swaped out the shocks too (they were also OEM 250,000 miles). The donor car gives up parts easty but the keeper car fights like heck, everything seems to have rusted in place by the time it got to 250k.

Tomorrow its fight the gas tank day, it started leaking while all this was going on. Grrrrrr

Ziggy 1 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c added, 252k, 43 top mpg (still got 'em)
No Name --- '95 teal 2 dr, 5sp, 98K, bad clutch, sold it b4 I named it
Ziggy 2 --- '95 white 2dr, 5sp, a/c 147k split rear seat, 49.3 top mpg (deceased, mortally injured in towing accident 2008)
Kermit --- '95 teal 2dr, 5sp, a/c 103k, upgraded interior package - the daily driver now
(Had 2 1988 Festivias in the '90's. Over 200k on them too)

All pulled "Trapper" the '89 kamparoo camper on the back roads I should'a been drivin' my jeep on (4x4 aspire??)

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#13 [url]

Apr 18 09 10:26 AM

QUOTE (spranger_than_most @ March 09, 2009 02:00 am)
Good luck, and whatever you do, don't have both axles out of the transmission at the same time!

Could you please expand on this?
I am very very curious as to why not remove both axles.

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#14 [url]

Apr 18 09 6:46 PM

well my beast has had both out at once only about 15000km ago for a new clutch, no problems, there, my real problem was that there was a bit of rust holding the hub splines together really hard

user posted image

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#15 [url]

Apr 18 09 10:45 PM

I am just curious as to why someone would be scared to remove both axle shafts.

I own a repair shop and have been wrenching for 20+ years now and have NEVER had a problem having both shafts out at once.

We do at minimum 2-3 clutch/trans axle jobs a week plus numerous halfshaft replacements.

I have never seen a transaxle come to the shop new or used with one axle hanging in it. We have never had the trans shop tell us to leave a shaft in when we bring one to be repaired.

I couldn't begin to think about what a nightmare some of these jobs would be if you didn't remove both shafts, especially on some awd units.

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