I have searched a lot on the subject, but I am new, and don't understand everything clearly enough. I want to buy the proper replacement parts (synchro's, bearings, possibly gears, etc). Drivetrain has rebuild kits, but they don't (obviously) include new gears, and with how badly the previous owner beat the car, I know I'll need new ones. What is the best way of going about rebuilding, or possibly replacing the tranny. I will be taking all parts I buy (must fit directly) to my mechanic and having him drop the tranny out, i don't know how, and I doubt it's easy.... Also, if I wanted to up the gear ratio, I need gears off a geo storm tranny (?). Please don't just say "search"... Trust me I have... I have searched here, clubcav, quad4forum, and google... Still somewhat confused. Thank you.
The tranny you have is actually an MJ1.
Gears are pretty damn hard, and I crunched a lot of gears in my old 2.2 MK7, but after pulling it apart all the gears looked brand new. You shouldn't have to worry about replacing any gears unless you blow up a bearing and lodge some parts into the gears.
Pull your speed sensor out of the top of the diff and take a look at it, if it's covered in metal shavings you've got some carnage inside, if not, all you should need is new bearings, synchros and seals.
If you end up needing gears I've got 3 different Isuzu's in boxes in my garage that I've used parts from, a 2.4, a 2.2 and a Storm tranny, I've probably got what you need. I wasn't lucky enough to find a Storm tranny with 4.11 gears though, so you'll have to search around some more if you really want that. But personally I wouldn't do that to a daily driver.
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
I want to buy a rebuild kit from drivetrain, since they list everything in one convenient ~300 package, but they keep pointing me to the MR8... how can I get access to the MJ1, I search, but I can't get to the exact transmission I want. I would like to just pull it apart and see what i need and save cash... but its my DD, and I don't have time to do it myself and wait on parts. My mechanic just said he could cut me a deal on labor if I buy the replacement parts for it. Plus, like I said, I dont know how to drop a tranny, if I could have it explained somehow, i may try and find a MJ1 in a junkyard nearby and check-it-out myself.
I've emailed back and forth with those guys before, they get pretty annoying with their useless questions.
Just tell them you need a kit for an MJ1. The synchros, seals and bearings are all identical between the MJ1 and the MK7, and 90% of the rest of the Isuzu trannys, but I wouldn't just take their word for it.
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
Is there anyway to get 1 piece synchros for all gears? I doubt it, based on the other threads I've read, but I figure it's worth asking. Also, thank you so much for your help. I didn't think anyone would answer me, honestly, I owe you. Thanks!
Yes it's possible, I did it a couple months ago. This thread has all the info on it that I have.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=41&i=45420&t=45420
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
From what I read, in order to get the 1-piece synchro's to work, I would need the different gears, specifically the matching race they run on (or at least from your post 2nd gear) in order to use the 1-piece synchro. I had read that thread by you while searching around, but it leaves me confused as to how I would go about replacing 1st and 2nd's synchro's with 1-piece. I don't have the matching race that they must run on. Do you have the proper gear and synchro setups leftover from any of your tranny's? I would be more than willing to buy the parts from you haha.
You have to replace your 3 piece synchro first and second gear with a first and second gear that have a 1 piece synchro race. The race is impossible to get off without warping because of how large of a press fit it has, and the race is precision ground. So warping it in any way ruins it. Swapping gears means pressing the input and output shaft apart and pressing them back together with the gears you want. Easy with the right tools, impossible without at least an arbor press.
I have some old one piece synchros, but I don't have a 1 piece synchro 1st and 2nd gear, I'm using both of them.
I picked up the tranny I got them out of for $80 already pulled, so look around on car-part.com for transmissions out of Geo Storms, they are pretty cheap.
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
