H55f - Rebuild, buy new, or have it serviced (1 Viewer)

[SPANNERSPINNER]

Need some advice from the Mud 60 Mob. I've an H55f sitting behind my 3FE in my '89 FJ62. I purchased the cruiser specifically because it had the manual transmission and paid a small premium for it over the customary cost of a good condition cruiser in Souther California. It drove fine for the ride home and for a week after however it seems to have developed some issues since. It tends to grind when shifting (any gear but 5th) and I regularly have issues when trying to shift from 2nd to 3rd and from 4th to 5th. This is completely layman's speculation but it almost feels like the shift gates are misadjusted or not aligned? I'll try to shift from 2nd into 3rd and I will be literally unable to get the shifter into any gear until I fully neutral the stick and then I can get it back into the gear I originally came from. Usually, at that point, I can accelerate and regain my lost speed and then shift into 3rd again.

When shifting into 5th, I don't have the same problem - usually it's just difficult to get in. I can feel the initial engagement, then I have to push on the shift lever with no small amount of force to get it in gear.

Additionally, the stick is in my lap when operating in first and second gear.

Neither of these shifting problems are consistent (eg, I can sometimes get it to work just fine, and other times I have problems).

I'm not sure what to do. I'm all kinds of willing to get greasy and dig in, but transmissions are not something I've ever touched - which means I'd really like to crack one open and see what's inside, but am afraid of hosing something and costing myself a bunch of money. That said, I have no idea what tools are required. I have a slide-hammer-style puller, the usual collection of sockets and end wrenches, an impact and air ratchet, a single floor jack, and a collection of cuss words that have worked for me in the past.

Is removing, cracking, and fully servicing an H55f something the layman should attempt or should I just take it to a professional? Can I get by without a press and special puller tool? I was quoted something between $4k and $6k for the removal and rebuild of my transmission and transfer case but that seems a bit steep considering a new H55f can be had for $2k - $3k, and that neither $2k or $6k are really in my budget right now.

I'm still driving the rig and just dealing with occasional issue but it seems the more frequently it grinds (even if it's minor) the worse off the transmission will be when I finally do service it. Also, I'd like to cuss a bit less when my family is in the truck with me so fixing this would help that, too.

Any and all advice welcome.

--Allen

 

[PabloCruise]

Similar discussion here:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/690911-ccot-h55-kit-3.html

 

[SPANNERSPINNER]

Similar discussion here:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/690911-ccot-h55-kit-3.html

Thanks Pablo. I found that thread in my searches and I must say the pictures of the NIB H55f are quite lusty, and that thread is partially where I base my cost estimates on a new transmission.

There's also a thread out there where it looks like someone did basically what I'm looking to do (they had an issue with 3rd gear, I believe) and came out way ahead for having done what they did, and having done it themselves. That said, that individual appears to have had some reasonable fabrication skills which I currently lack - he made his own extraction tool and appears to have had some previous familiarity with cracking open a transmission. I would love to be able to get away with fixing this for $600 and what appears like a great deal of manual labor and cursing.

 

[PabloCruise]

I think you are referring to this thread: https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/469197-h55f-disassembly-home-made-sst-3.html

 

[SPANNERSPINNER]

Yup. That last post in there is mine (right after yours). Thank you for adding that in here for any unlucky souls who happen to wind up here in the future.

 

[lcolon]

If it is grinding in all gears, did you check that your slave cylinder is functioning correctly? The Clutch may not be fully releasing. Check that the line to the slave cylinder is not ballooning when you depress the clutch.

Interesting that your shifter is "in your lap" in first and second gear. The early bell housing does not have a tilt that the later fj62 do that would rotate the shifter a few degrees to the right. My guess is that the transmission used an early housing as opposed to the later fj62 housing. Good luck!

 

[TobyB]

...check your clutch...


t

 

[Gengis]

I would do it myself if:
The kit comes in at a reasonable price
You have access to scrap metal and drill and can generally bend, weld some very basic "tools".
Not scared to regrind and modify the claws of your slide hammer.
Have patience
A second pair of hands for some of the work

The most difficult part is extracting and installing the rear main shaft bearing.
I will look and see if any of my "special tools” still exist, but they do not mean much out of context.

I'm a 5volt engineer and I did it in my garage by myself.
The most frustrating part was to find some threaded rod the same pitch as the bolts which hold the transfer case on. 3 of these and a 1/4 in steel plate and you can push the main shaft out of its bearing.

To get it back in: Use the old main shaft nut, find a long bolt threaded all the way and weld the hex head of the bolt to the back of the nut leaving enough thread inside the nut to let you screw it back on the shaft. Then slip a length of steel pipe over the bolt and shaft and another steel plate with a hole for the bolt behind the pipe. Find a nut and, with some spacers or different lengths of pipe, you now have a bearing press.

While doing all this pushing and pulling, keep jiggling the lay shaft about to make sure that it's not binding on the main shaft gears and bits.

Just shout if you think I can help any further.

G

 

[Gengis]

Oh, and yes, do check your clutch, it's one hell of a job and a shame to do if it's just a silly old clutch part.

 

[618Henrik]

Okay, here comes the European stereotypi view of the Americans :

Have you tryid to press down the clutch pedal before shifting




ok, start with checking your clutch fluid. And remove whatever carpets are underneat the clutch pedal. Those gearboxes are almost indestructable, the weak part is 5th gear, rest of them almost never fail.

 

[bigmick2540]

I'd check out the cap and spring that holds the shifter in the transmission ,it may have come out some how.
Also the 2 pins that locate and pivot the shifter and the shifter seat and cup .
The pins that locate the shifter work loose in the aluminium housing with lots of use and sometimes fall out.

 

[SPANNERSPINNER]

Thanks guys. I think the first chance to work on this again will come this weekend and I'll survey what has bee suggested - clutch fluid, seat and springs, clutch. I have the big FSM for the rig and have found and downloaded a PDF of the h55f manual and can take a stroll through it as well.

From reading other threads it also seems like if I have to dismount things I should service the transfer case at the same time as the transmission since there is a bunch of shared work involved.

And in aswer to our friend across the pond - you mean that third pedal is a clutch? I thought the H55f was sequential and have been treating that lever on the left side of the steering column like a paddle shifter. That would explain the gear whine on the freeway.

--Allen (mobile)

 

[Gengis]

Yip, you got it. The transfer case comes off to get to the gearbox, and gets pretty much dismantelled in the process, so a good excuse to rebuild at the same time. But we know that you will attend to the clutch first.
Good luck.

 

[langsen]

Have you changed the transmission fluid yet?

 

[SPANNERSPINNER]

Have you changed the transmission fluid yet?

<forehead slap> No. No I haven't. I checked fluid in both the transfer case and the transmission when I first got it in March, and it looked fresh (came back clean on the finger) and they both appeared full, but I was operating on the assumption that is still the case.

I will definitely check that. If this thing has a slow drip when it's warm, it's entirely possible I could be low, and that could source the grinding and shifting problems I've been having.

I really hope I'm not _that_ dumb.