Well I completed my 4L30e rebuild on my 2001 Rodeo. Lesson learned, check one way roller bearings before installation, and there are alot of parts. It is relatively simple, no honestly it is, just time consuming. There are a few specialty tools used, but nothing I couldnt invent or make in my own garage. This is the first auto tranny I had ever seen the insides of before, but have rebuilt a couple manuals, and some motors. I also installed a shift kit and new torque converter while I was in there. Car has been running great for a week now, and has not slipped once or hesitated shifting.
Reason for rebuild: Car got stuck on a curb in reverse and wouldnt pull itself up it. Opened up the tranny, and all of my clutches and seals looked to be in great condition, but I had already purchased the rebuild kit (90.00) so I rebuilt it anyway. I am sure I would have been fine changing just the torque converter in retrospect.
Total cost of shop rebuild (2400.00 not including labor to pull tranny)
Cost of my rebuild (90.00 tranny kit, 40.00 shift kit, 28.00 fluid, 117.00 torque converter = 275.00) and about 5 days on and off of R&R tranny and dissassemble and rebuild.
Factory service manual was a gigantic help along with this transtec link, (page 3-7)
http://www.transtec.com/rebuilder_news/2nd_q95r-n.pdf
which saved my *** after doing it wrong once.
I did rebuild it and put it in the car, and had manual 1st and 2nd, but no third or 4th, it would not shift, and putting it in reverse would cause the driveshaft to stop, turn 1/2" or so and lock. The one way roller bearing assembly was to blame. Actually I was to blame, but it was the culprit. Pulled it and swapped, and reinstalled. All is well.
Tips for doing your own tranny rebuild.
Tools you will need. 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm 17mm 19mm standard sockets. 17mm deep sockets. 17mm shallow socket. Socket extensions. 12mm 14mm 17mm wrenches (preferably swiveling ratching wrenches). Tranny jack (that sucker is heavy) 5/16" 5 point. Petroleum jelly. Pointed ring pliers for inside and outside rings. Wire cutters (dikes). Various Pick tools. Big "c" clamp. 32mm socket if you wish to take the transfer case apart. 2" long staples for air stapler(made my specialty tool) Various pliers like needle nose, 90* needle nose, stubby, etc. A piston ring compressor is handy to have. Socket wrech with a swiveling handle. 6-8 cans carb cleaner, and a ton of rags. A compessor and air gun are very beneficial. Fluid transfer pump. Ziploc bags, a sharpie, and a digital camera. oh, and a torque wrench. New flywheel bolts. They are not reusable.
Also be sure and pic up a transmission filter kit. Rebuild kits do not come with these. ohh and 9.1 quarts of dexron III or IV, unless you add a cooler, then pick up 10 to 11.
Insights -
1. Torque converter is unbolted BEFORE the tranny is removed. Remove starter and dust cover and use 17mm shallow socket, 4" extension, and swiveling socket wrench. if needed place a long bar between the flywheel mounting points and ground to keep the flywheel from moving while breaking them free. There are six.
2. Get a tranny jack. Harbor frieght has a scissor lift operated by 1/2" ratchet that starts at 7.5" and goes to 22.5" for $59.99. I weight-lift daily and very much struggled to lie on my back and lift and balance the transmission and transfer case onto the car. Got the jack after i almost dropped it and snapping my arm the first time.
3. I never can get all of the fuel out of my lines on the rodeo. Be prepared to have fuel spill when you undo the lines. Then when you think its done, shake them, otherwise the first time you touch them under the car, you will take a fuel bath.
4. you must take the left (drivers) exhaust off, you do not need to take the pass off. The y pipe must come off as well.
5. there are 2 lower 14mm bolts, and six upper 17mm bolts on the bellhousing. These are most easily removed by 17mm ratcheting wrenches.
6. Dont lose your balls! the location of balls is specified in the factory service manual and the transtec bulletin posted above. Most cars have three in the valve body area, some have four. There will also be a ball that randomly falls out while dealing with the 2-3 gear assembly. It just goes back in the tip of the shaft (piston). Neither manual tells you this.
7. In disassembling the 3rd gear the staples come into play. Bend them at 90* angles, shave them down a little and voila, you have the ability to keep the snap ring compressed while removing the gear set.
8. Take everything apart and clean everything!
9. The manual does not specify which side of the oil pump gear faces the torque converter, and there are two distinct sides. the smaller inner gear has a key on either inner side, one side is a notched 90* cut, and one side is a 45* cut. the 90* cut faces the torque conveter for proper locking.
10. DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK YOUR ROLLER BEARINGS. They go on both ways, but one way your truck will run, and the other way it wont. Three minute error costs two days. Dont be a chump like me. Put it on, check it. Reassemble fully and check it again.
11. Use KY or petroleum jelly to hold washers and bearings in place when assembling. keeps you from needing a 3rd mini hand.
12. Index your planetary gears. Just line up the id marks, and everything will go in much smoother.
13. A digital camera is your best friend. Take shots as you go, and then when you get confused, you can refer right back to them.
14. Ziploc baggy all of your bolts and selenoids... Name them by the names in the service manual, then you will never have a lost bolt, or an "its too long issue" Plus, it saves soooooo much time in the long run.
15. Work on a clean area. dirt and debris are your most evil enemy in a tranny.
16. A fluid transfer pump is 5.00 at harbor freight. Get one.
17. A shift kit is easy to install if you are in this deep, and only 40.00. get it install it.
18. Be careful, tranny fluid is super slick, and you will near kill yourself if not paying attention.
19. Also go buy a 50.00 tranny cooler and some lines and clamps, and put on up front. very easy to do with the tranny out, and very effective. My system utilizes all factory lines still. I removed the return line from the radiator to tranny, and sent it to my cooler. I then sent the cooler line to the return line to the tranny. Now, it is heated adaquatley on startup, but cooled enough returning and during driving.
20. just undo the front of the driveshaft, and use bailing wire to tie it up out of the way.
21. When you remove a clutch assembly or grouping, leave them stacked as the were. Replace them one by one as you reinstall. Kits come with extra clutches. They are usually not needed.
22. Clutch pack dividers (thick one way bands) only go in one way. Mark them with arrows with the sharpie so as to avoid confusion later.
23. Lastly, do not get excited and ahead of yourself. Stop, label, and do one thing at a time. Take one gearset out, and reassemble it. Set it and its components (bearings, washers, etc...) to the side. Move to the next set.
24. The "C" clamp (I used a giant quick clamp) is for compressing the main selenoid below the main valve body. Use the piston compressor to knock the selenoid and ring into the hole. The use the c-clamp to compress the selenoid into the hole. Then snap your snap ring into place. Then pull up on the center nut and thread, and slip the small u-pin into place. It should keep the threaded end in the air, it should not slip back down.
25. A pair of dikes (nope the wire cutters... the others are just trouble) are easiest used to pull out the compression fit plugs holding selenoids in place. Grab them as firm as possible and work them up.
Things to remove to drop the tranny:
Drivers exhaust, starter, o2 sensors, every tranny sensor plug, crossmember, fuel lines, tranny cooler/heater lines, both driveshafts, y pipe in exhaust, and various lower shields, all shifter linkage, and the 8 bolts (2 X 14mm 6 X 17mm)
The pictures shown are with my clutch packs already reassembled... Click for larger pics...
Reason for rebuild: Car got stuck on a curb in reverse and wouldnt pull itself up it. Opened up the tranny, and all of my clutches and seals looked to be in great condition, but I had already purchased the rebuild kit (90.00) so I rebuilt it anyway. I am sure I would have been fine changing just the torque converter in retrospect.
Total cost of shop rebuild (2400.00 not including labor to pull tranny)
Cost of my rebuild (90.00 tranny kit, 40.00 shift kit, 28.00 fluid, 117.00 torque converter = 275.00) and about 5 days on and off of R&R tranny and dissassemble and rebuild.
Factory service manual was a gigantic help along with this transtec link, (page 3-7)
http://www.transtec.com/rebuilder_news/2nd_q95r-n.pdf
which saved my *** after doing it wrong once.
I did rebuild it and put it in the car, and had manual 1st and 2nd, but no third or 4th, it would not shift, and putting it in reverse would cause the driveshaft to stop, turn 1/2" or so and lock. The one way roller bearing assembly was to blame. Actually I was to blame, but it was the culprit. Pulled it and swapped, and reinstalled. All is well.
Tips for doing your own tranny rebuild.
Tools you will need. 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm 17mm 19mm standard sockets. 17mm deep sockets. 17mm shallow socket. Socket extensions. 12mm 14mm 17mm wrenches (preferably swiveling ratching wrenches). Tranny jack (that sucker is heavy) 5/16" 5 point. Petroleum jelly. Pointed ring pliers for inside and outside rings. Wire cutters (dikes). Various Pick tools. Big "c" clamp. 32mm socket if you wish to take the transfer case apart. 2" long staples for air stapler(made my specialty tool) Various pliers like needle nose, 90* needle nose, stubby, etc. A piston ring compressor is handy to have. Socket wrech with a swiveling handle. 6-8 cans carb cleaner, and a ton of rags. A compessor and air gun are very beneficial. Fluid transfer pump. Ziploc bags, a sharpie, and a digital camera. oh, and a torque wrench. New flywheel bolts. They are not reusable.
Also be sure and pic up a transmission filter kit. Rebuild kits do not come with these. ohh and 9.1 quarts of dexron III or IV, unless you add a cooler, then pick up 10 to 11.
Insights -
1. Torque converter is unbolted BEFORE the tranny is removed. Remove starter and dust cover and use 17mm shallow socket, 4" extension, and swiveling socket wrench. if needed place a long bar between the flywheel mounting points and ground to keep the flywheel from moving while breaking them free. There are six.
2. Get a tranny jack. Harbor frieght has a scissor lift operated by 1/2" ratchet that starts at 7.5" and goes to 22.5" for $59.99. I weight-lift daily and very much struggled to lie on my back and lift and balance the transmission and transfer case onto the car. Got the jack after i almost dropped it and snapping my arm the first time.
3. I never can get all of the fuel out of my lines on the rodeo. Be prepared to have fuel spill when you undo the lines. Then when you think its done, shake them, otherwise the first time you touch them under the car, you will take a fuel bath.
4. you must take the left (drivers) exhaust off, you do not need to take the pass off. The y pipe must come off as well.
5. there are 2 lower 14mm bolts, and six upper 17mm bolts on the bellhousing. These are most easily removed by 17mm ratcheting wrenches.
6. Dont lose your balls! the location of balls is specified in the factory service manual and the transtec bulletin posted above. Most cars have three in the valve body area, some have four. There will also be a ball that randomly falls out while dealing with the 2-3 gear assembly. It just goes back in the tip of the shaft (piston). Neither manual tells you this.
7. In disassembling the 3rd gear the staples come into play. Bend them at 90* angles, shave them down a little and voila, you have the ability to keep the snap ring compressed while removing the gear set.
8. Take everything apart and clean everything!
9. The manual does not specify which side of the oil pump gear faces the torque converter, and there are two distinct sides. the smaller inner gear has a key on either inner side, one side is a notched 90* cut, and one side is a 45* cut. the 90* cut faces the torque conveter for proper locking.
10. DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK YOUR ROLLER BEARINGS. They go on both ways, but one way your truck will run, and the other way it wont. Three minute error costs two days. Dont be a chump like me. Put it on, check it. Reassemble fully and check it again.
11. Use KY or petroleum jelly to hold washers and bearings in place when assembling. keeps you from needing a 3rd mini hand.
12. Index your planetary gears. Just line up the id marks, and everything will go in much smoother.
13. A digital camera is your best friend. Take shots as you go, and then when you get confused, you can refer right back to them.
14. Ziploc baggy all of your bolts and selenoids... Name them by the names in the service manual, then you will never have a lost bolt, or an "its too long issue" Plus, it saves soooooo much time in the long run.
15. Work on a clean area. dirt and debris are your most evil enemy in a tranny.
16. A fluid transfer pump is 5.00 at harbor freight. Get one.
17. A shift kit is easy to install if you are in this deep, and only 40.00. get it install it.
18. Be careful, tranny fluid is super slick, and you will near kill yourself if not paying attention.
19. Also go buy a 50.00 tranny cooler and some lines and clamps, and put on up front. very easy to do with the tranny out, and very effective. My system utilizes all factory lines still. I removed the return line from the radiator to tranny, and sent it to my cooler. I then sent the cooler line to the return line to the tranny. Now, it is heated adaquatley on startup, but cooled enough returning and during driving.
20. just undo the front of the driveshaft, and use bailing wire to tie it up out of the way.
21. When you remove a clutch assembly or grouping, leave them stacked as the were. Replace them one by one as you reinstall. Kits come with extra clutches. They are usually not needed.
22. Clutch pack dividers (thick one way bands) only go in one way. Mark them with arrows with the sharpie so as to avoid confusion later.
23. Lastly, do not get excited and ahead of yourself. Stop, label, and do one thing at a time. Take one gearset out, and reassemble it. Set it and its components (bearings, washers, etc...) to the side. Move to the next set.
24. The "C" clamp (I used a giant quick clamp) is for compressing the main selenoid below the main valve body. Use the piston compressor to knock the selenoid and ring into the hole. The use the c-clamp to compress the selenoid into the hole. Then snap your snap ring into place. Then pull up on the center nut and thread, and slip the small u-pin into place. It should keep the threaded end in the air, it should not slip back down.
25. A pair of dikes (nope the wire cutters... the others are just trouble) are easiest used to pull out the compression fit plugs holding selenoids in place. Grab them as firm as possible and work them up.
Things to remove to drop the tranny:
Drivers exhaust, starter, o2 sensors, every tranny sensor plug, crossmember, fuel lines, tranny cooler/heater lines, both driveshafts, y pipe in exhaust, and various lower shields, all shifter linkage, and the 8 bolts (2 X 14mm 6 X 17mm)
The pictures shown are with my clutch packs already reassembled... Click for larger pics...