Putting a Metro transmission back together

[California98Civic]

How I spent 12 hours on a Saturday with a 1993 Metro transmission and a friend...

The exposed gears in the main case:


Inspecting synchros:


That odd fifth gear spot (gears not yet in place) outside the main case:


Aha! It's not in neutral:


That was the first time I have worked with an opened-up transmission. Very useful for developing greater familiarity with them for my own transmission rebuild sometime, maybe next year (I hope).

[MetroMPG]

So is it all back together? This was for the final drive swap?

I don't think the external 5th is that unusual (for cars of that vintage, anyway -- can't speak for more modern ones).

[user removed]

The first Z car 5 speeds had the 5th gear behind the center plate and the main case. Reverse gears were behind that. 4th gear just locked the imput shaft to the main shaft and it was direct drive. The counter shaft did not even need to be in the case for 4th to work. My doctors D21 pickup sheared the key off the front counter shaft gear to the input shaft. He made it to the shop using only 4th gear.

regards
Mech

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

So is it all back together? This was for the final drive swap?

I don't think the external 5th is that unusual (for cars of that vintage, anyway -- can't speak for more modern ones).

It is all back together and when I left we had finished replacing the flywheel and clutch and had reinstalled the transmission itself on the engine. He opted not to mod the transmission though, and just do some worn part replacements, mainly gaskets... oh and he needed to get a whole cork he had dropped into it while trying to seal the trans against moisture intrusion!

Last time I was out there I suggested the swap, since it was off, but he didn't want the expense and fretted about climbing hills. "Just shift down" was not a convincing response.

Was a good time though, and another Metro transmission has been put back on the road...

[MetroMPG]

I bet that transmission would have fared just fine with that small meal of cork. Probably good for it!

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I bet that transmission would have fared just fine with that small meal of cork. Probably good for it!

Yeah, that's probably right. It was fun, though, and we got to inspect stuff. We were laughing pretty hard as we struggled to get the transmission back onto the block. At least it wasn't the tranny from his giant diesel pickup!