Fitting the 4x4 Gearbox and Finishing up (Part 2)

Hello there Hivers.

So for the continuation on this post. In the previous post we covered how to properly fit the fly wheel, the clutch and also how to replace the input bush inside the crankshaft.
Prepping the 4x4 for Gearbox Fitment (Part 1)

This post will cover how to fit the gearbox and add the transfer case as well as the prop-shaft and all of the add-ons to the gearbox.

Once you've completely fitted the fly-wheel and clutch system you can now prepare the gearbox and get it on a gearbox jack, I personally prefer using a gearbox jack as it makes the work very easy and it also has an adjustable platform which you can tilt and manipulate the gearbox with in order to align it perfectly.

Not everyone has the availability to use this kind of equipment, what ever method you use to lift up and fit the gearbox you have to make sure that you are indeed safe using the methods you are choosing to use. Having a gearbox land on your chest or arm or even your head will lead to some serious damage and put you in a dire state of pain. So remember safety is priority.

Fitting the Gearbox.

• Once the gearbox is jacked up and ready to join as one with the motor make sure that you have it lined up as close as you can get it. Etc make sure that the two joining sides are as parallel with each other as you can get it.

• Keep the gearbox straight as you push the input shaft into the pilot hole and keep straight for as long as the gearbox is not fully mounted to the engine.

• Moving or dropping the gearbox while its not fully mounted to the engine can cause the clutch to get damaged a little bit. It will probably still work but you will end up with a clutch shudder if it did get damaged and that in turn will cause premature failure due to the clutch burning over time.

• If you finally got it in position correctly you can start to bolt it to the engine. Refit all of the bolts that you need to and replace bolts that are not even there, Be the better mechanic and replace what was lost.

After fitting and mounting the gearbox you can start to work on the torsion bars and cross-member. Most vehicles have similar designs so it should be applicable for most 4x4 or well most Nissan 4x4 pickups at-least. I myself prefer not to remove the torsion bars although a lot of people choose to. This is my method of working around them which I find works better for me.

• Unbolt the four bolts holding the cross-member into place (Two on each side.)

• Start wedging them apart with a tire lever or any levering tool that you can use. Only a little bit is fine it just needs to get moving.

• Using a scissor jack (Found in most cars in order to change the vehicle's wheels in case of a flat tire.) I place the scissor jack in between the body and the cross-member and start jacking it up. Eventually when the tension gets high enough it will start to split more and more, once it opened up enough for me to put a little piece of wood in between I know it went far enough for the transfer case to slip through and fit it.

The Transfer Case

Before fitting the transfer I tend to give it a thorough cleaning around where it needs to seat properly, also cleaning the input shaft that joins to the gearbox is also highly recommended to avoid dust and grime from getting underneath the seal.

• Clean properly and scrape of any grime you find, a cleaner installation makes for a longer life of the gearbox and both the transfer case.

• Applying some silicone sealant on the outer ring of the transfer case can never be a bad idea, because if the seal decides to give in either the gearbox seal or the transfer case seal it has another layer to stop the oil from leaking out. (Even if both seals fail everything will be fine because the gearbox runs on 75w90 oil and the transfer case runs on 80w90 so the viscosity of the oils are very close.)

• Lastly on the transfer case. Entering and fitting it properly is even more important than the gearbox alignment, you have to make sure that the input shaft doesn't hit the seal on the gearbox too hard. Since the transfer case is heavy (Get someone to help you fit it.) Its very very easy to give that seal just a little bump and have you damage it unnecessarily. Work with a lot of care when fitting the transfer case.

Adding the Cross-Member Mounting

• Once the transfer case is fitted you can now proceed to add the gearbox mounting on to the transfer case. Make sure you have it the right way around because it has a taper side that needs to taper to the front of the vehicle.

• Adding the cross-member is very easy, you will see it can only go in one specific way. The one side has a higher edge than the other side.

• Bolt cross-member to the mounting on the transfer case.

• Slowly jack the gearbox and get the correct placement for the cross-member. Once in place bolt down tightly and remove the gearbox jack.

• The gearbox is now firmly and correctly mounter into place.

In place and most of the hard work done and dusted. Only minors remaining.

Fitting the Slave Cylinder.

Its called the slave cylinder because its located beneath the brake fluid bottle housing (Which is more than often referred to as the master cylinder.)

• Depress the shaft into the slave cylinder making for easier installation.

• Hurry up the shaft will push out again. get it into place quickly and at-least insert the two bolts holding it down.

• That's about that with the slave cylinder.

Add most of the electronics of the 4x4 and you are almost completely done with mostly everything around the gearbox except for the gear lever.

Installing the Prop-Shaft.

Before adding the prop-shaft I tend to clean off the input yoke, this one needed cleaning because of over spray that landed on the yoke.

• Take a piece of cloth or a paper towel and pour a few drops of thinners over it making for easy removal of the paint drops and also any other grime.

• Prevent from touching the ground or any grimy object.

• When mounted into place make sure the two guide rings around the center bearing is in fact in place before bolting down the clamp on the release bearing, they tend to move very easily. Sometimes you have to press them into place while bolting them down, they can be very frustrating and stubborn from time to time.

• The prop shaft propelling the front wheels can also be added.

Adding Oil

• The gearbox requires 75w90 oil (Fill up till oil pours out from the filling hole.)

• The transfer case requires 80w90 oil but using 75w90 can also work. (Fill up till oil pours out from the filling hole.)

Finishing up and Cleaning up.

Okay we are not completely out of the woods yet with this vehicle, we still have the gear-lever to install. However we are done with all of the work below the vehicle, I double check everything, clean up and store all of my tools as well as clean the general working area.

I then lower the vehicle and only then continue the work inside the cabin.

Installing the Gear Lever

• Make sure you have a bush on the shaft that pushes into the actual gear selector shaft. They are very cheap and easy to replace and are more than often skipped by technicians, this causes grinding gears and premature failure of the gearbox when left out.

• Add a thorough amount of grease to the end sticking into the gearbox

• Make sure the gasket or seal is in place or use a silicone sealant to seal off the housing and prevent oil leakages.

• Bolt down into place.

• Add sound dampening rubbers and finally add the gear lever cosmetics.

The vehicle is now ready for a test drive! Make sure the motor oil levels are filled up to level as well as the water before starting the vehicle.

A Little Bonus

Even though it was a small strong bar, like really small I somehow managed to break it just by trying to open the fill plug on the gearbox. I went to a bigger tool. And it even broke a Stahlville bit, and I have never seen a Stahlville bit or tool break.

Stahlville is the one I am holding.

Sharing my life experience on the Hive blockchain is a great pleasure for me to do, I have been on the hive blockchain since the days of steemit, I only recently rediscovered this blockchain and I completely forgot what a blast it was sharing my everyday life and its happenings with the blockchain and its community's. I want to give a big thanks to all of the supporters out there making the blockchain great and adding value to it everyday.

Once again your feedback would be highly valued and appreciated.

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