# 95 Pickup Tranny rebuild thread



## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

OK, so I'v posted on or off here for the past year or so. This all started with a mysterious shimmy in the steering wheel in 5th gear. After taking the truck to the dealership they recommended replacing the shocks/motor/tranny mounts. After doing that, still no difference. After getting progressively worse, I noticed a tick/knock coming from under the truck about a month ago. After my won diagnosis, and a trip to the tranny mechanic I've determined I need new bearings. Drivetrain.com had the kit for $100, so I go that in the mail yesterday. I found there is one needle bearing in the set that has been damaged, so I'm going to give them a call and see if they will just send me a new instead of having to send the whole kit back. This is my 1st time doing any transmission work so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :newbie: I'll post pics as I go. My plan is to get the tranny out tomorrow. Hopfully rebuilt next week, the back in next weekend. More to come...


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## scout (Aug 24, 2007)

good luck. I am in the midst of an engine rebuild, first time at this also. Neat adventure. Keep us posted.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...long day...actually I started yesterday when I got home from work...got the stick shift out before dinner:










...pretty straight forward...6 bolts hold a plate down down..got to work pretty hard to move the carpet out of the way to get to it...

...got started this mor'n around 9am. By lunch time I pretty much had everything ready for the transmission to come out, save one bolt on the top of the bell housing...there are 6 bolts that hold the housing on the motor. The top two are the toughest. The one one the top right gave me this most grief...I hold had an inch or so to work with, and no room to get a breaker bar on. Believe it or not I screwed around with it for 3 hours before I got it off...it almost broke me down, but I pulled it together, and finally got it off. Luckily one of my buddies stoped by at just in time to help me maneuver the tranny out, an onto my workbench. I loose more friends that way! 










So to tomorrow I'll get started tearing it apart. I've only got THIS image to work from, and the manual doesn't give any good diagrams. I may make a trip to the local public library tomrrow. I was told by a friend at work that they have very exhaustive manuals with good diagarms, and I can make copies for 10 cents a peice. 

OK, enough talk, time for some LSU/Aubrun game...will update tomorrow...


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...made good progress today...1st step was removing a couple of clips here:










...next was removing the two plugs on either side of the shifter entry, and removing a couple pins:










...now remove the bolts around the bell housing, and start whacking it with a mallet. You can see here where its starting to separate:










...and here we are with the bell housing removed:










...now the rear portion removed:



















...and now with the sift forks removed. There are pins in the shift forks, you'll need a punch to remove them:










Not 100% sure where to go from here. I think I need a bearing puller to continue. If anyone has an suggestions, please chime in. I have a co-worker whos an old nissan mechanic, so I'm gonna bring the chunk to work, and let him give me some pointers.


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## CalHvyMetl (Dec 4, 2006)

Nice post, hope it all works out. So...when mine needs a rebuild I can call you instead of Nissan Service Dept.?


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

*transmission rebuild*

...I'm hoping somebody will find this useful. I didn't see alot of narrated threads, so maybe this will motivate others to snap a few pics with they do a job, and post a thread about it.

...got a little farther last night. Spend about an hour trying to get the snap ring from hell off! Wrecked by crappy pair snap ring plyers in the process.  So had to make a trip to autozone for a heavier duty pair. Then spent the rest of the time working at getting a nut off. The end of one shaft has a keyway cut into it, and the nut goes on (letfhanded) and is bent or notched to keep it in place. I caught hell trying to bend it back out. Anyone know if their is a specific tool for this? Finally got it off after bending or breaking every flathead screw driver I have, and using a grinder to cut the nut some.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...well heres where I'm at now:










I'm not 100%, but I think the gear on the right side of the bottom shaft is pressed on. Once thats off, I can get both shafts out. I think I need a press, or some ridiculously long pulley puller to get it off.

My initial diagnosis off my tranny was bearings. However I found this last night:










This is a woodruff key slot. A gear goes over the top. Both woodruff slots, and the keys where pretty ganked up, and the rear came off pretty easy. From what I understand the keys should hold the gear on the shaft pretty firmly...not sure though as I've never worked with woodruff keys before.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...got everything apart tonight. Put the chunk in a hydro press, and pressed the shafts out. Well, I'm pretty well convinced the counter shaft was def. my problem all along. Here are a few better pics of the damage. I take machine classes at night, and myself the instructor, and one of our senior students all had a confab on how best to repair. First thing we'r gonna do is have the welding dept. next door fill in the damaged areas on the shaft. I could go out and find the correct size key cutter, and buy new keys. Instead I think what we'r gonna do is completely fill in the key ways, the turn it back down to size on a lathe. The mill square slots, then press in square keys that will fit the key ways in the gear. Not a woodruff key, but I think it will do the job. Instructor called it a prat whitney key.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...welded the slots on the shaft closed last night. Had to leave the room while he was welding...watching the end of the shaft get red hot was making me to nervous!  After it cooled and I got it chucked up, there was about .005 runout on the shaft close to the weld. Wish I would have checked the runout before hand, so not sure if the welding caused it or not. Should get it turned down, and the slots cut next week.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...OK, heres the re-machined shaft. You can see the new key that is pressed in about .200" deep. Below that you can see the welded area where the old keyways were filled in, then turned down. Hope to start putting it back together this weekend...


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...wow, this thing may actually work! Got the transmission reassembled over the weekend. I wasn't feeling real confident about it, just because I wasn't able to shit through all the gears very easily without the housings on, but once I got everything together I was able to go though all the gears smoothly. Will get it back in the truck this weekend, and will report back how it actually runs...


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

..well, got everything back together today with "moderate" success. 2nd and 3rd gear shit a little rough. 3rd gear seems to stick a little. 5th gear (the original problem) feels real good with the vibration and banging gone. I'll give it a week and see how it goes. maybe I'll learn the nuances of the "new" gear box. All in all it was a good experience either way. For a do-it-yourselfer with no mechanical back ground to get the thing apart and back together was a triumph for me, and only out $100 for the bearing kit.


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## 88pathoffroad (Jun 6, 2004)

Very nice, thanks for the write-up and pics! Good job, man.


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## DeaconBlues (Oct 3, 2005)

THANKYOU SO SO SO MUCH FOR THIS POST!!

This thread is EXACTLY what I look for when I join a forum. I really needed to read this, and those pics are EXCELLENT! My Chilton's manual is nearly worthless when it comes to anything like transmission rebuilding, but this thread is exactly what I was looking for.

I am trying to fix up a friend's '92 Nissan P/U right now. The transmission is the problem, the local transmission shop wants $800 just to rebuild the manual transmission. I told my friend that for that price, I could attempt my very first transmission rebuild, and if I botch the first attempt, I could STILL rebuild it twice more and buy a new rebuild kit all over again if I had too and still not cost $800.

Maybe it is just in this town, but a LOT of the "professional" mechanics seem to have turned into outright THIEVES!


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...thanx deacon, thats just the reason I posted it...I was sure it would help someone out. Just take your time, and u'll get it. Go to drivetrain.com and dig around some. Somewhere on the site is a blowup of the transmission...that will help you out. And post back and let us know how it goes...


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## Nightrunner (Mar 12, 2008)

Just joined the forum today in search of tranny rebuild info. Excellent thread. Thanks for taking the time to document your project. Repairs like this are old school. Its rare to see surgery like this these days. You are to be commended. 

I have a 96 4WD HB which has been sitting waiting for me to rebuild the trans. The PO destroyed the syncros with insufficient gear oil and I bought it cheap. 

Cheers
Scott


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## nolatruck (Mar 8, 2010)

*how'd you do it?*

LUMBEE:
i can't figure out how to fit a wrench in the tiny space where the top bolt connects the transmission bell housing to the engine. i've tilted the engine & tranny back and forth without luck.

you said you got it after 3 hours of work...any tip on how you could finally fit a wrench in that space? i've got no luck. i don't want to have to move the engine.

________________________
1996 nissan 2x4 manual


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## DeaconBlues (Oct 3, 2005)

*I had the VERY SAME PROBLEM - here's how I managed that one*



nolatruck said:


> LUMBEE:
> i can't figure out how to fit a wrench in the tiny space where the top bolt connects the transmission bell housing to the engine. i've tilted the engine & tranny back and forth without luck.
> 
> you said you got it after 3 hours of work...any tip on how you could finally fit a wrench in that space? i've got no luck. i don't want to have to move the engine.
> ...


I faced the very same problem several years ago.

First, I was very lucky to have a friend who was a Toyota dealership mechanic who told me what to get, so now I pass it on to you.

I called the Snap-On tool truck guy, and PAID a lot for the tools I needed, but I have never regretted buying a Snap-On tool so they are worth what you pay for them. You do NOT need to buy Snap-On tools for this job though.

I use my 3/8" ratchet, a 24" 3/8 drive extension bar, with a *shallow* swivel socket on the end. (A "deep" swivel socket is too big and bulky to fit where you need to get it to.) Those swivel sockets are very expensive, more than $30 each.

I hope the admins here let me post these links:

FXKL24A, Extension, Locking, Knurled, 24"

Snap-on Tools

Now, *I do believe you can do it with just two 12" extension bars *plugged into one another if you cannot buy the 24" bar, after all, in normal mechanic work you seldom need that 24" bar. And other less expensive tool makers offer swivel sockets, not as good as the Snap-On ones though. But you know, that 24" extension is nice to have as it is also handy to use like a club on anyone who tries to steal/"borrow" any of your tools. Also, please note... I have used my 24" extension bar several times, to remove and re-install transmissions, I am really getting my money's worth out of it.

But I must tell you, after having worked on Toyota, Ford, GM, and many other transmissions... *the Nissan truck transmission was by far the most difficult to get out or back in.* I have removed and installed many transmissions, ONLY on the Nissan truck did I have to jack the front end and then the back end of the engine up/down to put the back end of the engine far enough from the firewall to allow the socket to connect with that damnable top bolt in the transmission bell.

I SERIOUSLY WOULD LIKE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE ENGINEERS AT NISSAN on this problem... Life could be made a lot easier if they would just put a pop out plug, you know, a rubber insert, in the fire wall just over that damn top bolt in the transmission bell housing. Back in the 50's there were a few Cadiallac models that had that feature, pop out rubber inserts that allowed mechanics easy access to these troublesome bolts. *IF I owned the Nissan truck myself, I seriously would consider cutting a hole in the firewall and making my own pop out plug with some epoxy "goop" or something.* The pop out would be covered up with the carpet when you finish the job.

I suppose the engineers at Nissan want you to remove the engine and transmission together and then take the transmission off, but that is not what I need to do, so I did it the only way I could figure out. But it bothers me that I have worked on many transmissions, only the Nissan truck gave me so so so much trouble, and it was only that top bolt.

I wish you the best of luck there Nolatruck


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

nolatruck said:


> LUMBEE:
> i can't figure out how to fit a wrench in the tiny space where the top bolt connects the transmission bell housing to the engine. i've tilted the engine & tranny back and forth without luck.
> 
> you said you got it after 3 hours of work...any tip on how you could finally fit a wrench in that space? i've got no luck. i don't want to have to move the engine.
> ...


...hey NOLA, yea its a bear, but I promise once you get past that it gets better...little consolation huh? The only advice I can give is the more different size ratchets and wrenches you have the better...what will work for you might not work for somebody else. With a tight spot like where this bolt is, the size/shape of your hand really can make a difference. I'm pulled my tranny in/out twice, and I think I broke that top bolt loose once with a small box end wrench about 4" long, and the other time I used a ratchet. When I used the box end wrench I specifically remember putting it in a vice and bending to the specific shape I needed to give me the max room to work. I think walmart sells a set of short metric box end wrenchs for a few bucks. I would give that a shot. Good luck. You can do it!!! Give us a shout back when u get it...


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## USR612 (Mar 1, 2010)

I found a service bulletin while searching for info on my new (used) truck. Depending on the bulletin, (it was revised several times) it looks like 5th wasn't getting enough fluid while climbing hills, so they came out with a new case with a higher oil filler plug that accepts an extra litre of fluid. I think I'll just be proactive, park mine on a slope and add the extra litre to the tranny.

1995 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK Bulletin - Vehicle TSB ID 113343

I've got the full bulletin that explains about the case oil level on my desktop. I could email it if anybody would like it, but I'm sure the Nissan dealers can show you their copy.


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## Grug (Aug 20, 2009)

Wowsers, you guys are scaring the crap outta' me..the prospect of having to access that bolt somewhere down the road.

I might offend the purists of this forum, but I think I'd seriously consider the hole in the firewall option. I remember the old VW Bugs had an access hole in the transmission tunnel under the rear seat. From there you accessed shifting linkage, clutch cable and throttle cable.

Think I'll double check the fluid levels in my tranny, differentials and transfer case in the very near future.


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## DeaconBlues (Oct 3, 2005)

*Just remove the gear shift!*

HEY! USR612, don't try to park in on a slope and add gear lube, seriously, it is a LOT easier to add the fluid through the gear shift hole. Removing the gear shift stick is not all that hard. First unscrew the shift stick's "shifter knob" then you need to sort of tug the carpet or floor mat away and back, unscrew 9 phillips screws I think, then lift off the shifter boot. The boot is in two parts or layers of rubber, be easy with it and don't rip it. Unscrew the collar at the base of the shifter, then you will need snap ring pliers, remove the snap ring and lift out the shift stick.

Fill the manual transmission at least ONE LITER OR QUART MORE than what the original owner's manual says. The only way to get the level that high is to have both the "drain plug" and the "fill plug" on the side of the transmission already in tight. The slope you would need would have to be pretty steep, and trying to fill by pumping the gear lube up is no fun, much easier to pour it down through the shifting stick opening.

I know, it *sounds* complicated, but really it is not that hard to remove and re-install the shifter stick, and you don't even need to get under the vehicle on a steep slope.

And Grug, I seriously do believe that the idea of drilling a hole (maybe 30 to 40 mm wide) through the firewall directly over the one difficult to reach transmission bell bolt, is the best idea. It would GREATLY save time and trouble to be able to just pop out a rubber/plastic plug, and have clear access to that bolt from inside the cab. The next time I work on any Nissan pickup I will probably make that modification.


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## jrodtaclet (Jan 7, 2010)

*Shame on me!*

I looked at your post and I admire how much effort and energy you spent keeping us informed. I just did my whole front end, ball joints, upper and lower with tie rod ends and shocks and the whole nine yards and I did not event think of getting pictures to post it no the forum. I promise it will be the last time. Same thing with my Rodeo, I suck, I need to be a better person and share the info.
I hope you guys who read this will always remember there are people who always need the info.:givebeer:


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