Repeat Catastrophic Lube-Related Failures
Most transmission technicians who work on rear-wheel-drive Chryslers are all too familiar with the devastation associated with poor lubrication. Galled governor supports, galled and/or seized output shafts, or rounded sun and planetary gears are all common failures (see Figure 1). Although towing a vehicle with the drive wheels on the ground will yield the same results, the vast majority of failures are caused by a simple lack of or insufficient lubrication.
What Is New at New Venture Gear?
New Venture Gear is a major supplier of transfer cases to the world’s automakers. A subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, New Venture Gear began life as a marriage of the New Process Gear division of Chrysler Corp. joining with the Muncie transmission division of GM to manufacture transmissions and transfer cases. That joint venture has now been dissolved, with DaimlerChrysler retaining the New Venture name and continuing to design and manufacture transfer cases at its plant in East Syracuse, N.Y.
Simply Complicated
It is in these two vehicles (Tracker and Sidekick) that we find a TCC system distinct from that used in any of the earlier TCC-equipped designs. Figures 1 and 2 show the internal adaptation and description of the components used to control converter-clutch apply. There we see that a TCC solenoid is fitted with some plumbing. The bottom pipe coming from the valve body is band-release pressure, otherwise known as 3rd-gear oil. This ensures that the vehicle will never have TCC until 3rd gear. When the solenoid is energized, this oil is routed through the upper pipe to the pump cover (see figures 3 and 4), where it strokes the converter-clutch control valve into a lockup position.
Goals for the New Year
Are you a goal setter? Do you make to-do lists and check items off as they are completed? Do you know where you want to go and how you are going to get there? What was your sales volume last year? What do you think it should be this year? What will you have to do to get it there? How much more profit will a higher volume net? Will you have to increase staff, equipment or size of facility to get there?
Something Is Missing!
Remember, earlier in the article I mentioned that this was a fleet vehicle. You know what happens with fleet vehicles; they borrow good working components from one vehicle and put it in the vehicle that’s not working. Now, maybe the fleet mechanic had every intention of replacing the borrowed part, but it never happened. It was forgotten, and the fleet mechanic on a different shift ran into the transmission stuck in 4th gear and sent it to this transmission shop.
January 2004 Issue
Issue Summary:
The M6HA and BAXA family originated in the 1997 Honda Prelude and the 1998 model Honda Accord. Other members of this family include MAXA, B7XA, MDWA, B7TA, B7YA, M7ZA, B6VA and M7WA.
Back to the 40s and 50s
The F4A42 hit the streets in 1997 in the Mitsubishi Mirage. Since then it has grown into a F4A51 and has found its way into larger Mitsubishi models as well as Hyundai vehicles. This month we’re going to explore some valve-body-related issues, look at valves that can be installed incorrectly and provide some explanations about valve function.
Manual Updates for a Couple of Mazda Valve Bodies
On occasions technicians may find themselves fighting a loss of line-pressure rise with a GF4A-EL transaxle. The transmission has been unplugged and line pressure still does not rise, verifying that there is, in fact, an internal transmission concern. The pressure-control solenoid has been replaced, the pump and spool valve have been inspected and determined to be in proper working order, and the pan has not been pushed up into the newly installed filter.
The End of the Season
It is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, and I am about an hour away from Daytona Beach, Fla., where I will compete in the final race of this season. The sanctioning body is the Grand American Road Racing Association, the road-racing division of NASCAR. This series, on premier race tracks in the United States and Canada, features 10-12 races per season, all televised on the Fox Speed Channel.
Checking Valve Bodies With a Homemade Hydraulic Test Stand
There are several ways to check valve bodies for wear: wet air tests, wiggle tests, deflection measurements, vacuum gauges or the hydraulic test stand, the last of which is the focus of this article. In our shop I needed to be able to measure the leakage accurately and record the findings before and after the repair, and be able to print the results on paper to hand to my customers.
The Value of Information
Has your computer hard disk ever crashed or the computer just refused to boot up anymore? What happens to all the information that’s in there? In many instances it’s gone. If you can’t find an expert who can somehow drag that information off your existing hard drive and you haven’t backed it up, you’re done. All of your customers are gone along with their service records, warranty and follow-up information.
