DieselDan
Dedicated LVC Member
SOOO, it's been too long since I have updated this thread so I figured now was a good time. I haven't done much, but what I have done has been documented in some of my other threads.
3 weeks ago my transmission went out. I installed that transmission (a 97) when I bought the car at 86k miles. The car is going on 170k now, so I'd say we had a good run. That transmission was j-modded and I loved it, but after I got the tune, it was just a touch too aggressive for me, but I lived with it. Anyway, after some extensive research, I decided it was to the JY I would go, to pick out a new transmission. I checked pretty much every 98-02ish car that would have a 4r70w to see if it "looked" nice... No leaks, basically. I decided finally on a transmission from a 2001 Mustang GT. the car was hit very hard in the right front and would not allow me to drop the exhaust because of it. So I decided to drop the subframe and take the transmission out that way.
The transmission was clean, dry, and had a black pan... Which suggested to me that it might be a reman at some point. I grabbed the transmission and the torque converter.
I took it home and disassembled it slightly to do the j-mod and replace some springs and accumulators. I also installed a new pump seal, tail shaft seal and tail shaft housing gasket. That non sense about leaving springs out? Forget that, I installed new springs in all 3 spots. I'm not leaving any out, it's firm enough already.
I'm not sure how many here have encountered this, but the j-mod procedure calls for machinists numbered bits. In the past I have just used fractional bits to get the closest size. I always would err on the side of a smaller bit, when the next bigger bit called for was too big.
The next night I installed the transmission by myself on the garage floor. Took about 4 hours since I had my fuel line debacle...
I swapped all of the solenoids in the 2001 back to the 94s wired style. So the installation was straight forward otherwise.
Well, other than the >2000 transmission have an updated tail shaft that is stronger, but it has 8 teeth on the speedometer gear, where a pre2001 trans will have 7 teeth... After a certain year, there are no teeth at all on the output shaft, so be careful if you are ever pulling one from a yard.
This caused my car, with 3:73s, 235 55r 16s, and a purple speedometer gear to read about 10 MPH off.
This brings us to the next project. Installing a module to correct the speedometer. I installed the Dakota Digital SGI-5. You can see my thread here: http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=88403
It breaks down all of the steps needed to install it on a 94 Mark. I would assume all first gens would be the same.
All for less than $90 shipped from Summit Racing.
After calibrating it, I mounted the module under the panel in the center of the dash that has the trip computer controls on it, incase I need to fine tune it for any reason. But for now, installing bigger wheels or anything like that will no longer be a concern with this puppy. It's dead on accurate to a GPS.
That is all I have for now... There is more to come. I scored some nice parts at the JunkYard so we'll see where that takes me!
Some nice Aluminum spring locators from a Sprung Mark...
Pair of nice Mustang Calipers with new Duralast Gold pads.
Full set of SuperCoupe ARC shocks and springs. I specifically keep not calling them struts for Thaywood
3 weeks ago my transmission went out. I installed that transmission (a 97) when I bought the car at 86k miles. The car is going on 170k now, so I'd say we had a good run. That transmission was j-modded and I loved it, but after I got the tune, it was just a touch too aggressive for me, but I lived with it. Anyway, after some extensive research, I decided it was to the JY I would go, to pick out a new transmission. I checked pretty much every 98-02ish car that would have a 4r70w to see if it "looked" nice... No leaks, basically. I decided finally on a transmission from a 2001 Mustang GT. the car was hit very hard in the right front and would not allow me to drop the exhaust because of it. So I decided to drop the subframe and take the transmission out that way.
The transmission was clean, dry, and had a black pan... Which suggested to me that it might be a reman at some point. I grabbed the transmission and the torque converter.
I took it home and disassembled it slightly to do the j-mod and replace some springs and accumulators. I also installed a new pump seal, tail shaft seal and tail shaft housing gasket. That non sense about leaving springs out? Forget that, I installed new springs in all 3 spots. I'm not leaving any out, it's firm enough already.
I'm not sure how many here have encountered this, but the j-mod procedure calls for machinists numbered bits. In the past I have just used fractional bits to get the closest size. I always would err on the side of a smaller bit, when the next bigger bit called for was too big.
The next night I installed the transmission by myself on the garage floor. Took about 4 hours since I had my fuel line debacle...
I swapped all of the solenoids in the 2001 back to the 94s wired style. So the installation was straight forward otherwise.
Well, other than the >2000 transmission have an updated tail shaft that is stronger, but it has 8 teeth on the speedometer gear, where a pre2001 trans will have 7 teeth... After a certain year, there are no teeth at all on the output shaft, so be careful if you are ever pulling one from a yard.
This caused my car, with 3:73s, 235 55r 16s, and a purple speedometer gear to read about 10 MPH off.
This brings us to the next project. Installing a module to correct the speedometer. I installed the Dakota Digital SGI-5. You can see my thread here: http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=88403
It breaks down all of the steps needed to install it on a 94 Mark. I would assume all first gens would be the same.
All for less than $90 shipped from Summit Racing.
After calibrating it, I mounted the module under the panel in the center of the dash that has the trip computer controls on it, incase I need to fine tune it for any reason. But for now, installing bigger wheels or anything like that will no longer be a concern with this puppy. It's dead on accurate to a GPS.
That is all I have for now... There is more to come. I scored some nice parts at the JunkYard so we'll see where that takes me!
Some nice Aluminum spring locators from a Sprung Mark...
Pair of nice Mustang Calipers with new Duralast Gold pads.
Full set of SuperCoupe ARC shocks and springs. I specifically keep not calling them struts for Thaywood
. how are the junk yards out there. are they LKQ or a differnt place. 
