Cleaning out transmission halves

[WH 312-8 Fan 9]

So, I got the transmission gutted. This is my first gear box of any kind that I have cracked open. So my rookie eyes tell me that any rust of any sort in there probably isn't good?

I have access to a parts washer at work. I was going to run the transmission casings through once or twice. My main question is, should I press all the bearings out before I run it through? Can I trust a good thorough drying and oiling afterward to keep the needle bearings intact? I'll also have to scrape it out by hand I suppose. Have any of you seen anything like this? worse? Am I over reacting and I should just throw 'er back together?

See that attached photos for a bit more clarity. 

Second thing, I don't have the detent assembly out yet so my shift fork rails are still installed. I just popped out the roll pins to get the forks and their gears out. I posted a picture of the 1/4" press in cap on the outside face of the transmission. How the devil do you get that thing out? I imagine you guys have some creative ways to do it? I'll PM Mike in OH as well.

Thanks for any help!

Edited July 11, 2015 by WH 312-8 Fan

[stevasaurus 22,738]

That trans actually looks pretty clean.  I don't think you have to press out the bearings, just be careful when you rinse them and real careful if you blow them dry with an air hose.  Then oil them a little with some 90wt oil.  The needles should stay in the shell.  On that plug, I would just pull out the fork shafts, detente balls and spring with the stop in it, then just drill it out with a 1/4" drill bit...a 3/16" drill bit just may grab it out for you.  Don't put a plug back in, just do a finger of grease or maybe a touch of silicone calk.  I think you should put the forks back on the shafts before you pull the shafts out of the case, just to make sure you have them mounted correctly.  It is easy to get them turned around wrong. 

[sorekiwi 761]

That ones not dirty, this is a dirty one!



Clean it up with some solvent, and a little wire brushing to get the rust off it.  After washing I like to give the needle rollers a squirt or two of brakeclean - something that will leave them "dry" - while I look for signs of pitting.  If they pass visual inspection and feel good on their shafts I give them a squirt of oil.

If the rollers are going to fall out, they will probably do it on disassembly, or as you are washing them.  The bearing is designed to stay together, if the rollers fall out, then they had enough wear on them to create too much clearance - so you needed a new one anyway.  They are cheap, but often I dont replace them unless I need to.

Gearboxes are a little intimidating at first, but they are pretty simple once you start to understand them.

[WH 312-8 Fan 9]

Holy Hannah. I've got no room to complain. That transmission looks like it was left open and thrown in a pig pen.

I'll keep ya'll posted on getting it cleaned up. I'm hopefully going to get it put back together correctly, Lots of moving parts in there....
That service manual has left a lot to be desired.
 

[stevasaurus 22,738]

Here ya go...I did some videos of an 8 speed trans...the only difference is this has the 10 pinion differential...it should help you a lot. 
http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/49386-6-speed-5060-10-pinion-ls-trans-rebuild/

[jrc0528 20]

My solution to that small press in cap was an EZ-Out bolt extractor.  Just tap it in and twist 'er out!  

If you'd like something more substantial than a smear of silicone to seal it back up, tap it out to 5/16 just deep enough to run in a set screw.

[WH 312-8 Fan 9]

Here ya go...I did some videos of an 8 speed trans...the only difference is this has the 10 pinion differential...it should help you a lot. 
http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/49386-6-speed-5060-10-pinion-ls-trans-rebuild/

Steve

#1) You Rock
#2) You Tube rocks. hahaha
#3) I never would have torn into my Uni-Drive with out the help of this forum. I have the halves in the back of my truck. I'll run them through the parts washer after work tonight. Brush them up best I can and all that
        I guess I was just expecting more of an Epoxy type transmission lining in there like I see all the time in the big Case IH tractors and IH tractors in the shop. Something that would keep things a bit more "sterile" in there. Also, the Hytran that runs in so many of those trannies is designed to absorb like 200% (or some ridiculous percentage) of it's volume in water alone and still keep it's lubricating capacity in spec.
        It would probably be way too much work to put a coating like that inside the casing. Any one tried?

JRC, thanks for the idea with the set screw. I think I'll grab one from parts and tap it out. It's up against the back plate of the frame anyway so it can't get in too much trouble.

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

If you look at the hydro's, they have the inside painted. I am assuming to prevent any contamination in the very tight tolerance hydro system. I think WH was out to save a buck (or two!) because the gear drive system would take a LONG time to be affected to any degree with the minor contamination that normal use would see.

And regular tranny oil changes would make that wear even less. They can really take a beating. I do wonder if some of the bearing failures we see would have been prevented with a coating, but most of the time we buy these things from people who havent changed the oil since they bought it 20 years ago and beat it to death. (I.e. Me before I respected the horses. My dad's horse never had a transmission oil change in the 25 years he owned it.)

I think at this point the only way to effectively coat it would be to have the case baked long enough to remove all the oil soaked in the iron over the years. Probably not worth it, but I have considered it!

[WH 312-8 Fan 9]

If you look at the hydro's, they have the inside painted. I am assuming to prevent any contamination in the very tight tolerance hydro system. I think WH was out to save a buck (or two!) because the gear drive system would take a LONG time to be affected to any degree with the minor contamination that normal use would see.

And regular tranny oil changes would make that wear even less. They can really take a beating. I do wonder if some of the bearing failures we see would have been prevented with a coating, but most of the time we buy these things from people who havent changed the oil since they bought it 20 years ago and beat it to death. (I.e. Me before I respected the horses. My dad's horse never had a transmission oil change in the 25 years he owned it.)

I think at this point the only way to effectively coat it would be to have the case baked long enough to remove all the oil soaked in the iron over the years. Probably not worth it, but I have considered it!

ya, I am with you on that after thinking more through. Trying to put a coating on something at this point would likely end up a futile effort.

I see your point on what Wheel Horse's logic likely was.

[stevasaurus 22,738]

There is plenty of oil impregnated in the casting.  I did see something of a blemish or hole in some of your first pictures on the hump.  What is that about? 3rd picture in your 1st post...the drain plug hole is on the left. 

[jrc0528 20]

There is plenty of oil impregnated in the casting.  I did see something of a blemish or hole in some of your first pictures on the hump.  What is that about? 3rd picture in your 1st post...the drain plug hole is on the left. 

That appears to be the inside top of the case, those holes would be 2 of the upper chassis mounting bolts located under the seat.