Transaxle Teardown How To!

[easyBob]

Transaxle Teardown How To

I’m not responsible for the use of this document. YOU SHOULD HAVE A WORKSHOP MANUAL BY NOW!

This is a step by step tear down of a G25M-R Transaxle. All the pictures are mine , feel free to reuse, just give credit where credit is due. All the information in this How To comes from a Mazda 1995 626/MX-6 Workshop Manual (part names, etc), with a few extra tips from me. This is just part one of a multi-part How To. This How To will not deal with pulling apart the Primary and Secondary Shafts/replacing synchros/clutch hubs, that will be in part two. (To be done at a later date [like next week])

During this How To, I will point out where Manual says you need to use an SST (special service tool) or to replace a part.

This How To assumes you already have the transaxle drained, pulled, and with the throw out bearing/fork boot/fork removed. Look at Travis’s Thread on how to pull your transaxle, it's on PT.

Tools:
10mm socket
12mm socket
14mm socket
2 big sockets to remove the lock nuts (sorry, can’t recall the size/I’ll update when I can, unless someone knows the sizes)
Small hammer
Thin punch
Needle nose pliers
Flathead screwdriver
Dead blow hammer
Small magnet on a stick
Oil dry!!!!!! Well, I needed it at least.

There may be more, but I don’t recall.

First off, a pic that depicts! You may need to look at this later on.
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And please, for the love of God, keep all the parts organized when you pull them off. Read this How To a few times, and study the pictures a little before you begin. Don’t be bummed out if your transaxle isn’t as clean as mine, I cleaned it all and put it back together a few times before I did this.

Now, let us begin….

Remove the Rear Cover. Take note of the black plastic piece sticking out. That is an oil passage thingie. It’s fragile….yes, I found out the hard way!
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Take off the two Lock Nuts. The manual calls for an SST to lock the Primary Shaft so it’s easier to take the nuts off. You don’t need it if you have air tools. Manual says “Replace Lock Nuts!”, which you should do.
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Remove the Primary Reverse Synchronizer Gear. Take note, there is a smaller part inside the gear. Feel free to pull it out and clean it, play with it, worship it, or leave it there.
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Remove the Reverse Synchronizer Ring. Take note on how if fits into the 5th/Reverse Clutch Hub assembly and how it looks. A few missing teeth evenly spaced.
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Remove the Secondary Reverse Synchronizer Gear.
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Take your thin punch and stick it under the 5th/Reverse Shift Fork. There will be a little hole if you look. In that hole is a little pin that holds the Shift Fork to the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod. Please, use a smaller hammer than in the pic, I just put the hammer in there for effect and grabbed the first one I had on hand. Also, don’t hit 5th gear with the hammer, I don’t think it will like you if you did. Manual says “Replace Pin!” They can be reused, but it’s up to you.
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Lift the 5th/Reverse Shift Fork and 5th/Reverse Clutch Hub Assembly off of the Primary Shaft and 5th/Reverse Shift Rod. Manual says “Replace Clutch Hub!”. I really don’t know if you need to; I’ll ask someone more knowledgeable about this part. Manual also says to use an SST on the Clutch Hub, but all you need is a small flat head to get the rings out.
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Remove the 5th Synchronizer Ring. Again, take note of how it seats into the 5th/Reverse Clutch Hub Assembly/number of teeth, yada yada. If you don’t seat it right during re-assembly, the Primary and Secondary Reverse Synchronizer gears will NOT align.
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Remove 5th Gear.
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Remove the Gear Sleeve.
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Remove the Secondary 5th Gear.
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Remove the Lock Bolt. This bolt is close to between the Reverse Light Switch and the Fill Plug.
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Remove the Guide Bolt. Manual says “Replace Crush Washer!”. You don’t need to if it’s still good.
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Remove the other Lock Bolt. This Lock Bolt is smaller and also holds a spring and steel ball.
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Use the Magnet on a stick to get the spring and ball out.
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Remove the Backup Light Switch. Manual says “Replace Crush Washer!”. Again, you don’t need to if it’s still good.
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Remove the Neutral Switch. Manual says “Replace Crush Washer!”….We know, we know.
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Unbolt the Transaxle Case Assembly. Its just a bunch of 14mm bolts.
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Hit the case with the deadblow hammer a few times, this should break the sealer holding the case to the clutch housing. Lift as straight up as you can, because there are two guide pins, and of course other things (primary shaft/secondary shaft/control rods).
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Pull out the magnet.
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TIP: Use the magnet to hold the small bits; springs, balls, pins
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Lift the Reverse Idler Shaft out. You may need to wiggle the Reverse Idler Gear to get it to slide out. Take note on how the “head” of the shaft has a threaded hole. This hole points to the case and is held in by the long Lock Bolt.
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Remove the Reverse Idler Gear. Take note on how it fits with the Reverse Lever (the little level that is touching the Idler Gear).
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Continued...

[easyBob]

Take note on how the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod End sits on the Interlock Sleeve (not shown properly in pic). Unbolt the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod End from the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod. The bolt in my transaxle had locktight on it, but Manual says there may be a crush washer or lock washer on it. Clean off the locktight from the threads when reinstalling.
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Slide the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod up and out of the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod End. Manual says “Replace C-Clip!”. I’m not, but again, if you want to, do it. Also note that the threaded hole in the Shift Rod favors one side. When re-installing, you want those threads to point away from the bolt.
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Remove the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod End.
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Pull this pin. Yes, that is its name… ‘Pin’ It sticks up from the rim of the Clutch Housing, so it’s not hard to find.
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Now, using the needle noise pliers and the flat head screw driver, pull the Crank Lever Shaft out. There is an O-Ring on it, so it may take some work to wiggle it out. Also, don’t just grab the shaft with the pliers, wrap it in a paper towel or two to protect it (the pic is once again for effect). Manual says “Replace O-Ring!”
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Remove the Crank Lever Assembly.
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This part is kind weird, so just go with me on this. I’m going to quote Manual, word for word.
1. Align the ends of the interlock sleeve and of the control lever. Turn the shift rod counter clockwise.

What this will do is rotate the Control End so it is no longer “meshing” with the ball and spring.

This picture may help!
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Fiddle around, but don’t force anything. Think of it like a puzzle from Bits&Pieces.

More from Manual:
2. While holding the 1st/2nd shift fork with one hand and the 3rd/4th shift fork with the other, raise them both at the same time and shift each of the clutch hub sleeves.
3. Lift the control end and remove the steel ball, and, at the same time, remove the control rod from the clutch housing.

What Manual is saying here is, you are going to pull all the gear assemblies out at once. You don’t need to listen to Manual though. As long as you get the Shift Rod rotated, the whole thing should slide out with a little wiggling. The bearings may bump into the diff and breather tube.
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The ball will most likely pop out and be inside the housing (I found mine under the diff, so don’t freak if you don’t see it right away).
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Now just lift the Differential Assembly out.
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The housing should now look like this.
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Now that that is out of the way, time to replace the Primary Shaft Oil Seal. Please note that the seals (all of them) don't need to be removed if you don't plan on replacing them.

Assembly is reverse of disassembly. If you are new at this, like I am, take it apart and put it back together a few times. Note, the 5th/Reverse Shift Rod End does mesh with the Interlock Sleeve, so if you want to use 5th and reverse, make sure it doesn’t wiggle out of position when you put it back together. Also, when you do put it back together, use some trans oil, lube up the bits before throwing them back in the mix. Then try to shift.

Open for comment, enhancement, interrogation, and torture, but only if it’s of a sexual nature (man, it’s been a long day). And yes, I did copy my own post from PT. :P

-Chris