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A 521 in Massachusetts


Crashtd420

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Nope. The threads in the shaft are much harder than the threads in the nut. Every trans, diff, transfer case I've ever built has had a staked nut on the shaft and I have never un-staked it for removal.

Edited by Stoffregen Motorsports
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It's always the little things. I don't care how much HP you've got, or how long a burnout you can do, if your truck lets air in like a blow drier, rattles like a pig and bottoms out on every bump, it's just another POS. Now that same truck with zero squeaks, good weatherstripping and cushy bumpstops... much more fun to drive.

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It's funny you mentioned the weather stripping and the air coming in....

During the rebuild I filled and plugged a bunch of firewalls hole.... every grommet was either missing or deteriorated..... 

After Sealing all the up I was actually able to feel my heater, even without door seals, wasnt the case before..... 

New door seals are on my list of things to do, but that means I might have to do some panel adjustments too.....

 

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I was able to get the transmission tightened up......

No one mentioned it was a left handed thread...... either way I got it as tight as I could......

2 problems I faced..... 

First was those damn dimples I still couldnt just turn the nut to tighten it.... and no little cut off wheel.....

My solution was a spot drill....

 

20181229-162358.jpg

 

Then I still couldnt hold it still so I said screw it driveshaft needs to come out anyhow.....

 

20181229-155751.jpg

 

And I used the driveshaft to keep the transmission still....

 

20181229-160554.jpg

 

The other nut I did the same thing, and I was able to use a rag jammed in the reverse gear to do that......

Ready for reassembly......

I'm hoping to get my engine oil pan off tomorrow,  so I can seal that while I have the gasket sealer open.....

 

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Ok so something has been bothering me all night.....

How hard is it to replace this bearing?

20181230-092116.jpg

It's in the center plate behind the reverse.....

The rest of the shaft is supported at each end by a bearing in the case but without the case on I found that entire shaft has some play, and it seems like it's that bearing..... 

Part of me says run it but I'm not sure that's what I want to do.... I'm not sure how much that bearing handles, but then again maybe that's part of the reason the front cluster bearing dies..... 

Its #47 in the pic....

Screenshot-20181230-093100-Chrome.jpg 

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Bearing #51 right behind it also supports the countershaft and if it was in the case, the play you mentioned would be much less. Visually inspect and turn it. If the cage and balls look OK then assume it OK. Visually inspect the case for damage where #51 sits too.

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24 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Bearing #51 right behind it also supports the countershaft and if it was in the case, the play you mentioned would be much less. Visually inspect and turn it. If the cage and balls look OK then assume it OK. Visually inspect the case for damage where #51 sits too.

There is nothing wrong in the case.....

But I can move that whole shaft over an 1/8 inch..... that center bearing has play like a loose wheel bearing..... rotates fine, but it just doesnt sit well with me....

I think I can get the shaft out fairly easily to really inspect the bearing but I'm not sure how to actually get that bearing out...

 

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I am starting to get that "love it to death" feeling here, you said it didn't have issues when you were using it before.

I do not know a lot about these transmissions other than changing out the front cases and removing the tail housing if I have to, but if you are talking about being able to move the front of that clustergear/counter shaft back and forth(sideways movements where it is supported by the front bearing, then I suspect they all do that when not supported by the front case.

I do not think that shaft will move forwards and backwards being meshed so many gears, but do not forget the shim in the front cover for that clustergear/counter shaft.

 

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That lower mid plate (countershaft) bearing is like a filter for all the junk that goes through a Datsun 5 speed trans. It is very common for it to get beat up. Like Mike said, do a visual inspection first. If any pits are seen, automatic replacement.

 

How hard is it? Not hard at all...for me.

 

Basically, you need to remove the shift rods and forks, then all the stuff on the tail of the main shaft, obviously the countershaft nut and gear too. Then, with a plastic or dead blow hammer (working with the trans flat on a workbench), you knock the mid plate back a bit on each side at a time. You can also knock forward the counter and mainshafts a bit at a time (6 to one/Half dozen). Be careful when a gap starts to open up between the mid plate and the forward gears. There is a thrust washer on the mid plate just in front of the main bearing, and it has a ball bearing holding it on the shaft. All that knocking around can cause the ball to fall out and get lost on the floor.

 

Once you have it all apart, DO NOT LOSE TRACK OF THE GEARS/SLEEVES/THRUST WASHERS/ETC!!! If you do take it all apart, make "stacks" of gears and their hubs to eliminate the possibility of putting something back in the wrong place or the wrong direction.

 

If replacing other bearings on the countershaft, it is possible to knock the bearing off the countershaft with a hammer, but it's likely you will need a press. Now be super careful here too, because if the puller is touching a corner of the gear, when you tighten down on the puller, the corner touching the gear will chip pieces off of the gear. You'll see what I mean.

 

At reassembly time, make sure to put everything back in the right spots (though you may want to swap synchros around to get a good one on second and third). Put a dab of vaseline in the dimple where the ball bearing goes, then slide the thrust washer over the saft and ball bearing. Make sure the thrust washer goes on in the same direction as it came off. Grooves may be worn in the washer, and if you put it in backwards, you could bind up the gear stacks and fuse them together once you drive it.

 

Nothing else comes to mind other than making sure you get the shift rail lockout buttons in before you reinstall the shift rails (this should be understood at disassembly time too, take it apart in neutral and one rail at a time).

 

If you have any direct questions, send me an email or give me a call.

 

BTW - some threads were reverse while others were normal right handed threads. You obviously found out the hard way...

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Well I have to go back and read but I wanted to post this.....

That center bearing was junk.....

The outer diameter was cracked....

You can see the clean metal and the old metal that I believe was cracked...

 20181230-150546.jpg

 

Transmission is a little lighter now...

20181230-150023.jpg....

 So much for being ready to reassemble.....

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3 hours ago, wayno said:

I am starting to get that "love it to death" feeling here, you said it didn't have issues when you were using it before.

I do not know a lot about these transmissions other than changing out the front cases and removing the tail housing if I have to, but if you are talking about being able to move the front of that clustergear/counter shaft back and forth(sideways movements where it is supported by the front bearing, then I suspect they all do that when not supported by the front case.

I do not think that shaft will move forwards and backwards being meshed so many gears, but do not forget the shim in the front cover for that clustergear/counter shaft.

 

Ya I wanted to ignore it but I couldnt....

The shaft has a total of 3 bearings so the ones at either end locate in the front and rear case and keep it from moving.....

Only because I took it apart did i realize something wasn't right.....

I now know more about this transmission than I wanted to.....

Lot of effort for a $20 bearing..... 

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1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

That lower mid plate (countershaft) bearing is like a filter for all the junk that goes through a Datsun 5 speed trans. It is very common for it to get beat up. Like Mike said, do a visual inspection first. If any pits are seen, automatic replacement.

 

How hard is it? Not hard at all...for me.

 

Basically, you need to remove the shift rods and forks, then all the stuff on the tail of the main shaft, obviously the countershaft nut and gear too. Then, with a plastic or dead blow hammer (working with the trans flat on a workbench), you knock the mid plate back a bit on each side at a time. You can also knock forward the counter and mainshafts a bit at a time (6 to one/Half dozen). Be careful when a gap starts to open up between the mid plate and the forward gears. There is a thrust washer on the mid plate just in front of the main bearing, and it has a ball bearing holding it on the shaft. All that knocking around can cause the ball to fall out and get lost on the floor.

 

Once you have it all apart, DO NOT LOSE TRACK OF THE GEARS/SLEEVES/THRUST WASHERS/ETC!!! If you do take it all apart, make "stacks" of gears and their hubs to eliminate the possibility of putting something back in the wrong place or the wrong direction.

 

If replacing other bearings on the countershaft, it is possible to knock the bearing off the countershaft with a hammer, but it's likely you will need a press. Now be super careful here too, because if the puller is touching a corner of the gear, when you tighten down on the puller, the corner touching the gear will chip pieces off of the gear. You'll see what I mean.

 

At reassembly time, make sure to put everything back in the right spots (though you may want to swap synchros around to get a good one on second and third). Put a dab of vaseline in the dimple where the ball bearing goes, then slide the thrust washer over the saft and ball bearing. Make sure the thrust washer goes on in the same direction as it came off. Grooves may be worn in the washer, and if you put it in backwards, you could bind up the gear stacks and fuse them together once you drive it.

 

Nothing else comes to mind other than making sure you get the shift rail lockout buttons in before you reinstall the shift rails (this should be understood at disassembly time too, take it apart in neutral and one rail at a time).

 

If you have any direct questions, send me an email or give me a call.

 

BTW - some threads were reverse while others were normal right handed threads. You obviously found out the hard way...

I think I've done ok..... found a lot of little easy to loose parts like you said.. those are safe in a storage tray...

Plus I have everything layed out in the order of disassembly...

I took a bunch of pics as I went along.....

As far as the syncros they all look good, every other bearing and gear seems good.....

The only other damage is the reverse gears but its minimal.... 

I think I'm just gonna order that one bearing and I should be ok........

So much for a nice simple bellhousing swap....

 

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$20.00 bearing, I didn't think there was such a thing in these transmissions, I pay a small fortune as I ask for bearings "Made in Japan" for these transmissions, I do not want some  bearing from China, Korea, or some other place I have never heard of before making parts going out right away because I was cheap, it's a lot of work removing and replacing these transmissions, especially in a 521 chassis.

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The 'clean' is cracked from hammering it off or it would have gear oil on it. Normally they don't split around the circumference. The balls wear and/or the cage disintegrates, balls fall out. You might want to think about the one on the mainshaft. Give it a good look-over.

 

Just under $20 was what that was worth from Nissan 20 years ago. The counter bearing at the front is comparable and I have one from Natchi (Japan) for $12.

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Ya they still want $20 or so for the one I need.....

You wanna see not normal....

One of the ball bearings even cracked in half....

20181230-165839.jpg.....

 

I figured the clean metal was from me, if you look at the rest it appears to be darker, it had to have been cracked on the diameter.... I barely hit the bearing center and it fell apart....

Either way it's no good.....

 

I'll give the rest of the bearings and stuff a closer look tomorrow,  nothing else really jumped out as being bad like this bearing....

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