^^^
Thank you.
You sound just a wee bit like "Mustie1 Will it Run" on YouTube.
He's published quite a few "fixit" videos on YouTube which I've enjoyed.
He takes somebody else's discarded or cheap, severely neglected cars, motors, bikes, chainsaws, generators, grinders etc and making them run again as good as new.
Some pretty interesting, cost effective tips and tricks to be picked up in many of those videos too.
Just got the 2010 T&C manual from TechAuthority. It’s a card with a foldout USB adapter.
NO TORQUE SPECS for the sliding door track. I looked around the rest of the manual to see if there are any general instructions, but there aren’t. Actually, the SRT manual is way more detailed than the van. Kind of a shame. Anyway, I went with the tried and true “snug then a little oomph” to finish the job. I’ll re-oomph in a few weeks.
It appears the only specs are listed for DOT required items (seats, trans, door latches, engine, etc).
Front struts complete. Video.
When you’ve got 3 kids getting around to working on your car is quite difficult. I’ve got 2 weeks off, so the work WILL get done.
Tomorrow I start on the clutch, fork, bearing, pivot ball. I soaked everything in PB Blaster 2 days in a row now.
I’ll do the left lower control arm after installing the tranny.
I’ll do the right lower control arm when I do the timing belt, etc.
Video
I hate making excuses for my progress, but fortunately we have a backup car now (Mini) that is making my life much easier.
Half-shafts are now out. So far the only snapped bolts are the stabilizer bar bracket bolts. I’ll get that figured out later.
I also had to buy an impact wrench (Nitrocat 1200K) from fbook market. The right side factory axle nut was easy. The left side (wheel bearing replaced once) was way over torqued, but I got it off. My torque wrench only goes to 150 so I’ll get a torque multiplier to torque them to spec.
Next steps: hardpipe, pwr strg lines, couple of brackets, then to the Trans bolts...finally.
The lateral bending brace upper bolt that goes vehicle left to vehicle right (eng toward trans) is so friggin stuck! See attached pic. I’m doing pb blaster on it tonight. Try again tomorrow. It’s only supposed to be torqued to 45 ft lbs!!! What happened to it in the last 15 years? Many of the other bolts were tight but all hand tool loosenable. Some surprised me how easy they came out.
Notes:
-Completely remove air intake to turbo pipe as well as hard pipe while you’re on top.
-If you don’t mind replacing an intake manifold gasket, removing that would me life easier, especially if you’re in a home garage without a lift.
-Plenty of oil in intake pipe, but Throttle Body was totally clean. So the oil catch cans will only prevent stains on your driveway, not necessarily prevent gunk inside your intake.
Finally got it after much heat on the tranny side. Don’t heat the bolt head, I started melting a connector. I also used a 3/8 impact gun. New bolt will be needed.
First, grind down a 6 point 18mm socket to about 1/4-3/8” deep so you get more direct leverage.
Then, remove the inspection plate on the front of the tranny.
Then turn the crank with a 19mm wrench until one bolt is showing on the bottom.
Then take a piece of appropriately sized metal. (I used an old file from a garage sale.) Wedge that metal in some loopy/holes part of the clutch. Your clutch will rotate up when you’re loosening your clutch bolts. This file braced against the upper opening of that inspection window.
Then take your ground socket onto a breaker bar, I used 3/8” in this case. From the front of the car (so you’re pulling on it) nice and easy they’ll come loose.
Trying to get the trans in by yourself without a transmission jack is an absolute nightmare. The transmission isn't a nice square and it is weighted weird. I had my friend lifting it up while I was bear hugging and rotating the transmission from up top trying to get the input shaft lined up so it would slide in. The 2nd time I dropped the trans I used a real transmission jack, rotated motor with my left hand and it only took me dumbass 3 minutes to line it up and start putting bolts in. Learn from my fails- that's what this forum is for. And talking crap. Hope you made some progress!
Got a transmission jack from Jegs ($160 with free shipping, took 3 days). That was a lifesaver, but it’s lowest point raises the tranny much higher than a regular jack.
So I had to remove the left wheel well and bend my front bumper out of the way. Then I had to jack the car up almost to the limits of my floor jack to clear the inner wheel well which is part of the metal structure. I also had to maneuver the strut quite severely to get things to clear. It all worked out. The tilt adjustments were huge on the tranny jack. If they only made regular jacks that are a combination of all swivel casters and the ability to swap out heads (small or transmission style).
In order to tighten and torque the rear engine-tranny bolt I used a combination of extensions so that they came out right next to the metal brake lines on the right side. A 3 foot 3/8s extension (shaft diameter) would be a better choice. Another option is to drain the oil and remove the oil filter. You could also remove the oil filter housing and cooler next to it, but then you run the risk of more snapped bolts.
Finishing things up today, then belts and pulleys!
I pulled the trans once without pulling the motor at the same time.... never again! It's not too much extra work to pull the motor out still attached to the trans, and its WAY easier to get the trans back on the motor out of the car.
Struts done, trans done, halfshafts in, lower control arms done, tie rod ends done, timing belt removed. Timing sprocket was a b**ch, gouged the end of the crank a little, not bad though. It’ll rub out. Bolts are 6mm and need to be flanged and 80-100 mm long to work with the harmonic balancer pullers available at Advance and Autozone.
Remaining: cam sprockets, rear timing cover, water pump, cam cover gasket, plugs & wires, timing belt, pulleys, covers, and done.
It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years already with this car. Purchased in May 2006, drove for the first time November 2006 (more on that later). Okay, so a little more than 10 years. I meant to post this up earlier, I have some time now :grin:
I bought my SRT-4 sight unseen, unless...
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