Dropping a 78 Automatic
- left handed kennedy
- I'm New!
- Location: I.E. California
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Dropping a 78 Automatic
Hey everyone,
If you haven't read the bus on fire topic in Troubleshooting (now in Type 2-adm), I'm the person with the 78 Westy that had an engine fire. Well to update what is going on, I got the Megasquirt FI system in with alot of help from a guy that has been running the system for four years. The engine is running great. Also made some modification to the air intake and such, but that is for another day.
So, to my question. After I got the engine running, I was driving home and the automatic trans gave up on me. (My wife now calls the bus "the money pit") I didn't want to tear into it to try to figure out what voodoo had gone wrong on the inside, so I ordered a rebuilt one. Do I have to drop the engine to replace the trans, or can I just drop the trans?
I appreciate the input
John
If you haven't read the bus on fire topic in Troubleshooting (now in Type 2-adm), I'm the person with the 78 Westy that had an engine fire. Well to update what is going on, I got the Megasquirt FI system in with alot of help from a guy that has been running the system for four years. The engine is running great. Also made some modification to the air intake and such, but that is for another day.
So, to my question. After I got the engine running, I was driving home and the automatic trans gave up on me. (My wife now calls the bus "the money pit") I didn't want to tear into it to try to figure out what voodoo had gone wrong on the inside, so I ordered a rebuilt one. Do I have to drop the engine to replace the trans, or can I just drop the trans?
I appreciate the input
John
1978 Westfalia- grey over black (all flat).
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
- left handed kennedy
- I'm New!
- Location: I.E. California
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- vwlover77
- IAC Addict!
- Location: North Canton, Ohio
- Status: Offline
- IFBwax
- IAC Addict!
- Location: PDX
- Status: Offline
It's actually not as bad as it seems... just LABEL everything (as in even the bolts which to go where in plastic baggies), take lots of pictures.. especially at the starter and coil... good chance to clean the engine compartment, swap fuel hoses and vapor lines, and if you really get industrious, change out your fuel filler hoses behind the firewall. How's your gas gauge work? Good time to put in a new sender if yours doesn't work right. I spent about a month just cleaning old bolts and parts and making things shine. It was kind of fun. Your wife can help you bag/label parts as you take them out. Kind of like surgery on M*A*S*H. Oh yeah, and POR-15 the battery trays.
The best navigators aren't sure where they're going until they get there. And then they're still not sure.
Frank Bama
http://www.partypickle.blogspot.com
Frank Bama
http://www.partypickle.blogspot.com
- left handed kennedy
- I'm New!
- Location: I.E. California
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This will be the fourth time I've dropped the engine in the last month. Oh well. It's a learning experience.
BTW, is there anything special I have to do when hooking up the new automatic trans?
BTW, is there anything special I have to do when hooking up the new automatic trans?
1978 Westfalia- grey over black (all flat).
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Be nice to the torque converter and input shaft/seals. "Bleed" the system before attempting to drive away, with a full dipstick reading, select all gears in succession so that you get positive engagement. If you have a rebuilt unit, change the ATF + filter within 500 miles and try to get the torque converter drained out as well. Do the differential oil as well. This for longevity. The classic response from the transmission folks might be, "don't woiwy abouddit" but getting rid of the break-in crud is gooood.left handed kennedy wrote:This will be the fourth time I've dropped the engine in the last month. Oh well. It's a learning experience.
BTW, is there anything special I have to do when hooking up the new automatic trans?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- left handed kennedy
- I'm New!
- Location: I.E. California
- Status: Offline
- left handed kennedy
- I'm New!
- Location: I.E. California
- Status: Offline
Well, after going round and round with various trans places trying to find a 78 auto that was rebuilt, I called the friendly neighborhood Aamco. I believe that I got really lucky because the first shop I called had two aircooled heads running the shop and where excited (huh?) about working on a bus. Two days later and about the same price that it would have cost me to buy a trans, I was off and running! They replaced all the steels, friction plates, valves, pump,planetary gear, seals and torque converter. Lenore is running great now that the Megasquirt system is installed, new heads, Mallory ignition system and trans.
1978 Westfalia- grey over black (all flat).
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
I'm only wearing black till they come up with something darker.
- vwlover77
- IAC Addict!
- Location: North Canton, Ohio
- Status: Offline