I swapped the trans in my '98 OBW a while ago (bought it with bad trans). Today I pulled the original trans apart to part it out. I found the reason that the car wouldn't even move with the FWD fuse in. Photos attached. Quite amazing! I think that it had been run without gear oil for some time. Not much left of that pinion gear.... Yikes!

 

Steve

Never know what you'll find! Glad you put one back on the road.

I swapped the trans in my '98 OBW a while ago (bought it with bad trans). Today I pulled the original trans apart to part it out. I found the reason that the car wouldn't even move with the FWD fuse in. Photos attached. Quite amazing! I think that it had been run without gear oil for some time. Not much left of that pinion gear.... Yikes!

 

Steve

 

WOW, that looks really bad. Especially that ring gear:eek: If you are parting it out, I'd be interested in the Duty C Solenoid and maybe the clutch pack. Both are in the rear housing. Let me know if you would be willling to sell them. Thanks.

89hatch - PM sent

 

Steve

I changed out a transmission in a 98 legacy wagon that I also bought with transmission out, and it also looked like that, the big gear in the front was busted. What I really wanted to know how did you take the converter bolts out? We went through the top access hole but it was not easy, every thing else was amazing easy. Did you find a way that was more easy? and if so please let me know as we have one more that needs changing out. Also check and make sure your tires are the same size when we pulled the transmission out we found a remanufacterd tag on the bad transmission so we were putting at least the third one in it. So I looked and found that the other owner was running different size tires on it, most likly causing the problems.quote=srponies]I swapped the trans in my '98 OBW a while ago (bought it with bad trans). Today I pulled the original trans apart to part it out. I found the reason that the car wouldn't even move with the FWD fuse in. Photos attached. Quite amazing! I think that it had been run without gear oil for some time. Not much left of that pinion gear.... Yikes!

 

Steve

As far as the torque converter bolts - I went through the top hole also. I just used a socket and small breaker bar to get it loose, then backed the bolts out by hand. When I reassembled trans to engine, I made sure the converter & drive/flex plate bolt holes were close to lined up before bolting the trans to the engine. Then it was easy to get the converter bolts in.

 

This car did have (I sold it a few months ago) the same tires on it when I had it. I think that it may have just had a bad front (output shaft) seal that someone didn't keep up with. The front differential area was basically bone dry (except for the cooked on gear oil sludge). A bit of driving without gear oil and I'm sure it heated up until it sheared apart.

 

Steve

I guess that could have been the reason.

We bolted the transmission to motor first, but make sure we had on of the converter holes up. I heard someone say you could losen motor mount bolts and raise the engine enough to get them from the bottom I dont know if that would work or not.

As far as the torque converter bolts - I went through the top hole also. I just used a socket and small breaker bar to get it loose, then backed the bolts out by hand. When I reassembled trans to engine, I made sure the converter & drive/flex plate bolt holes were close to lined up before bolting the trans to the engine. Then it was easy to get the converter bolts in.

 

This car did have (I sold it a few months ago) the same tires on it when I had it. I think that it may have just had a bad front (output shaft) seal that someone didn't keep up with. The front differential area was basically bone dry (except for the cooked on gear oil sludge). A bit of driving without gear oil and I'm sure it heated up until it sheared apart.

 

Steve