Awh man, blew another transmission

[allessence]

Well, was out in West Springfield MA on the highway. Was going to Harbor freight tools to pick up some stuff I left behind last week.

Just took the 291/91 on ramp and shifted from 3rd to 4th, gave it some gas and sounded like a mini explosion and the gear shifter popped out of 4th gear.

So, I shifted into 5th and drove another 12miles to the store and then another 50miles home. YUP, all in 5th gear.

I am so bummin. I was just about in tears, and just yesterday I recieved my AAA membership renewel just in time to see it expired last week.

So, I'm driving on my way home in the car (with only 1gear (5th)) and I decided it was a good time to renew. I have the 100mile free towing.

Anyhow, made it home safely and will start the process of pulling a trans out of another car to start the rebuild. I'll post pictures of the carnage once I swap trans out.

I'm so bummin. It's only been a year since the last swap. Seems they always blow up in the winter.

so, how do I make 4th gear tougher? last one 4th gear syncro broke. I imagine this one is about the same.

[DeLorean]

so, how do I make 4th gear tougher? last one 4th gear syncro broke. I imagine this one is about the same.

haha, if you find out let me know. I think I have lost count of how many total gearcluster failures I have had on 3rd or 4th.

sucks that it happened, but if you have a high powered C-900, you are better off if you just expect transmission failures on a regular basis.

[Geoff]

DOH!
Did you have a steel diff cover on it?

Here's an idea... stop using 4th

[Luke]

Or just use a 4spd where you arent using any gears at all in 4th (besides the pinion gear obviosuly)

DOH!
Did you have a steel diff cover on it?

Here's an idea... stop using 4th

Well thats going to help much all the way by 4th gear...

[Jordan]

less gas/hard driving or http://speedparts.se/shop/prod/sp_vxl_900_79-93.shtml for 6000 dollars. Those Jörgen 4-speed boxes are sort of an amalgamation of good parts year with some custom stuff built in. they are a little cheaper, but who knows how much stronger they really are.

There is also been talk here on this very board about getting some straight cut gears made.. not sure if that is much cheaper and how fun that would be to daily drive

[Geoff]

Well thats going to help much all the way by 4th gear...

Yeah yeah, I'm just curious!

[Crazyswede]

I was looking into the straight cut gear set a while ago but then we decided it wasn't really worth the investment. Both Luke and I have had reasonable luck with stock boxes and lots of power just by driving them smartly. The amount of work and cost of developing the new gearset seemed like it would be better to put somewhere else. I also looked into having the S&R set duplicated and it was going to be pricey. The tooling was going to cost $8000. So unless we had say 10 orders for gear sets it would be a very expensive proposition.

[Hans]

sounded like a mini explosion and the gear shifter popped out of 4th gear.

What year 'box are you using?

[Luke]

so, how do I make 4th gear tougher? last one 4th gear syncro broke. I imagine this one is about the same.

By this do you mean actually sheared the dog teeth off? I can only imagine that happening if the gear wasnt seeing full engagement when you got on the throttle?

[DeLorean]

so, how do I make 4th gear tougher? last one 4th gear syncro broke. I imagine this one is about the same.

By this do you mean actually sheared the dog teeth off? I can only imagine that happening if the gear wasnt seeing full engagement when you got on the throttle?

I was wondering this myself, as Synsros are one thing I have never had a failure with, and I have had a lot of failures. generally I either have a case related failure (sprocket cog support popping off for example, or a diff that does not want to stay in it's house), or all the teeth shed off from 4th or 3rd.

[Luke]

How do all the teeth shed off 5th gear? Maybe the drop gear to drive the intermediate gear? But that most certainly didnt happen while in 5th gear...

[allessence]

I have had the 4speed boxes go as well. I had one in a modded 1978 turbo and it basically failed in the usual ways.

I was running the 30/31 chains and the thing was crazy in every gear. And then of course the 70mph 4000rpm wine was just crazy as well.

So, I switched in a 5 speed with the 30/31 chains and it was great on the highway as well as on the street. Still have the car. Just floors rusted out.

I have had several of the 5 speeds blow (5 at this point) 2 on previously standard turbos with high mileage, and then 3 in this car.

In Rosie there was a 1985 broke a chain drive, then a 1991, the syncro spring retainer ears snapped off letting the spring come out and get caught between the 4th gear and cluster, and now a 1992 from a normally Asp. Not sure of the carnage yet.

I like the 5 speeds simply because for the most part you can still drive them in 5th gear unless there is a pinion/diff problem.

By the way. Max power in the car comes on around 4000-4500rpms. Not the usaul 3000-3500. I also don't dump clutches at launch, and usually double clutch down.

One of these days I need the get the car dyno'd.

[DeLorean]

I like the 5 speeds simply because for the most part you can still drive them in 5th gear unless there is a pinion/diff problem.

eh, not entirely true... what gear you can still get just depends on how much metal chunks get up into your selector shafts and shifter forks. I blew a trans in NH about 2 years ago (I live in south-East PA!) and I HAD to get the thing working again, and I could not get anything but 2nd, sometimes... After pulling the side cover, going fishing with my magnetic pick up, driving it, going fishing again, driving it, going fishing again I got ALL the gears back except for the blown one. After a gearcluster failure you never know what gears you will have and what gears you won't as it will change as the metal bits get into and out of your selector shafts. If you had 5th and nothing else, you were lucky!

[allessence]

Okay, I quess I should have said out of the last 3 trans injuries I have been able to get 5th gear and usually only 5th gear.

Ah, by the way. A guy on the side of the road under the car is usually quite different then a girl under the car on the side of the road. A pair of legs with heels sticking out isn't always a good thing.

I have to admit, I'm one of those feminists types and really believe in tring to do things myself, but when I'm under the car crying it's the last place I want some guy showing up and offering help.

Changing a tire is different. But trying to explain how your car puts out more HP than stock and you end up doing a trans rebuild usually once a year, etc is really kind of boring and hectic. I quess I'm trying to say, there are much better places to meet someone and under a car isn't one of them. At least for me.

Unless of course they are SAAB experts and carry a rebuilt 5 speed in the trunk with a compressor and air tools and can swap it out for no fee in a couple of hours. Pinch me I must be dreaming.

Most of us dream of a guy in shining armor. I dream of someone with 5speed tranmissions in there trunk with tools. Go figure!!!!!

[fiasco]

I would have offered to push you up to speed with my _slightly_ less fragile Subaru so you can get home without completely finishing off the clutch.