Cliff notes: my daily driver Avalanche broke a transmission, repaired with a used version, and I'm driving again after 2.5 days.
Much longer version of this sordid tale of mechanical woe is I was just minding my business Monday night going for some food and in high gear, I was getting a surge. I keep driving to determine where I wanted to eat and figure out what is going on. I finally get about 25 miles away from home before deciding that gut instinct of this E36 M3 is going to go bad fast is hitting. I turn around and book it back to the house, but not without having to stop once and there was no go, nor the "I would be shifting now but I won't" neutral until I back off the throttle....
Finally, I get home just in time to smell that awesome sauce of burnt up trans fluid. Great. Here I am still hungry and now with a broke down in the driveway vehicle. I grab the only car with plates and insurance, a 1965 fairlane ranch wagon, and embark on food foraging. When I am eating, I decide on a used trans at the local JY of all my possible choices. Of course, I have to be in Florida on Monday.... Of course when I want to leave it starts pouring rain. Great. Must be a sign I'm missing somewhere...
Next day, I put that bad boy on credit to the tune of $2500 and have to phone a friend to come pick it up as they won't deliver to a residence. Oh well typical Michigan weather with the rain and grey skies around and I have to make room for this thing in the only garage space available. I move crap out of the way just enough to squeeze this thing between the 7' wide garage door. Make it in and up on stands it goes. Yes, I do have a lift, but then I have to move way more E36 M3 than I want to do. I start taking everything needed off except for the exhaust. It's always a pita. This was no exception. One nut actually came home, none of the others did. Then I find a broken but not leaking manifold bolt, so removing the manifolds is out. Then it becomes an "awww fukit" moment, very Roadkill-esqe, with a sawsall to make a removable section. Of course made a mess with cutting a hole in the trans pan with the blade. Ooops. I eventually get to the point of it almost coming out, just have to undo the bellhousing bolts and some other miscellaneous things, but it's time for a nights slumber at this point...
Next day, couple hours later, the old one is out and the new is ready to go in. I have to break out a different set of jack stands as they go taller so I can slide the new trans in under the frame. Which then leads to an interesting predicament, how to get 250# of trans up 6" to place on the trans jack platform. Easy answer: very crucial balancing act on a ratchet strap using the crossmember bolts for the anchor points. But it goes on without much fanfare because I already lightened it 60# by removing the converter, which now has to go back in. No biggie, couple clicks and where lifting into place... couple bolts started and snug.... Ok converter is next. Wtf? It won't move at all. Well that's dandy. Undo the tightened bolts and lower... Yeah some dumbass didn't make sure the converter was in the pump and bound it up solid. Reinstall attempt, much better outcome with fingers crossed nothing is broke and goes smoothly from here on out. I don't know about smoothly, but at 130am, I called it quits for the day with only the transfer case and driveshafts largely to go. And why between two sealed units is a fiber gasket that's a dealer only item???? Thanks GM.
Now, it's the morning of day 3... scrap gasket material from transfer case and extension housing for 1.5hrs with a razor blade... Place transfer case on jack and again balance this 85# of bs into place. First up and back to clear the welded in crossmember then forward to engage the trans while holding the front driveshaft up to clear the sway bar as it doesn't come off the transfer case readily. But it all goes together smoothly from here on out. I still have to exhaust to fix... 2 stainless 2.5" band clamps from Napa and some grey high temp rtv fix the cut through exhaust pipe. By 330p, it's running and does some good garage shifts just to verify it should move again. So far I have 6 qts of dex6 and a gallon of tractor fluid in it and it's close enough for a drive. Rather uneventful drive otherwise except I hate how it shifts because it's stock. Pull in the drive, check the level, still need another quart. Fill it, in the crosshatch, we good!
Now, to get a nail fixed in the brand new tires at discount and I'm ready for Florida after a stop home in TN....
Pictures along the way:
I like living where income is good and cost of living is low.
