Rebuild Advice

this is not a CJ specific post but is component related. How difficult is it to rebuild the t15 and d20 in our 69 j truck? The rational part of me says to ship them off to Herm however, I’d still like to give it a try. The T15 has what I believe to be input shaft issues ie leaking and grinding when the engine is warmed up. Double clutching doesn’t completely relieve the condition. Feel free to talk me into shipping them to Herm

 

There are a lot of posts here that are very specific on that rebuild. If you are confident in your skills. Why not..

 

The Borg-Warner 3-speeds are pretty easy to rebuild, as transmissions go. There is a seal for the input shaft; that and the shift cover gasket are the only seals in the transmission. A rebuild usually involves the front and rear main bearings, new blocking rings (synchro rings) and a small parts kit consisting of assorted new roller bearings, snap rings and thrust washers. You'll need a good pair of snap ring pliers - I have these Stanley Proto J250G Proto 9-Inch Lock Ring Horseshoe Washer Pliers - Snap Ring Pliers - Amazon.com The transmission is held together with this type of "horseshoe washer" snap ring. I would also get an inexpensive micrometer Anytime Tools Outside Micrometer Professional Grade Precision Machinist Tool: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific and measure and label the thickness of every snap ring I removed, to make sure it goes back together with the same thickness of parts.

If you don't have the long puller shown in the TSM, you can use a press to remove the bearings from the input and main shafts, as I recall. It is possible to wiggle the shaft and bearing out of the case, but as I recall you will need a puller or press to replace the bearings.

Other than that, you follow the TSM, be careful and take your time, keep everything scrupulously clean, and take note of the location and orientation of every part you remove. You can mark the parts as you remove them with an inexpensive engraver like this Amazon.com: WEN 21C Variable Speed Electric Engraver Kit with Stencils: Home Improvement - indicating which side goes to the front can be important.

If it's a '69 with a T-15, it must be a 350 V8. The V8 J-truck transmission is the same as the CJ transmission, except for the length of the input shaft, and the large spacer that goes between the transmission and bell housing. You may have a special bell housing that is very long and no separate adapter; the T-18 has a bell like that, but I'm not sure about the T-15. Anyway, it's no more difficult to rebuild than the CJ transmission.

 

The rebuild is fairly straightforward. Knowing what is worn and what is not however can be very tricky. Many have rebuilt gear boxes over and over when they really needed a new gear and simply did not have the experience to know what was good and what was worn out. The bearings and small parts kit are pretty simple. If it is a truck that you use and not just a garage dweller, it might be best in the long run to farm it out. Only you know the level of your abilities though.

 

I’m leaning towards sending the tranny to Herm. As much as I like the idea of doing it over myself , I really don’t want to remove it if I get it wrong. The shipping rates seem high however. Fasatenal wants $175 one way. UPS wants $110 which seems more reasonable.