Leaks and Unicorns

[eternal21]

My tranny has been leaking for a bit now, so last weekend I decided to change the tranny gasket and fluid. After it was all said and done, it was *still* leaking, so I replaced the gasket *again*, and sealed around the seams w/RTV. Coupled with the drain plug that I can't get to stop leaking either, I decided to screw it all, I'm going to finish amassing the parts for a swap. So far, I have the tranny and flywheel, so I hopped on eBay to find the rest of the parts.

Ideally, I would like to find a 99 Trooper 5MT for parts so that I wouldn't have to source all the stuff individually, but I've been searching for about 8 months now, and that isn't happening. Chances of finding one locally? Slim and none. I checked the ATX craigslist yesterday, no dice, but I checked San Antonio's as I routinely do, and LO AND BEHOLD, there was a 99 TROOPER 5MT FOR PARTS! It was posted 3 hours prior to my looking!

I called the guy, his 18 year old kid hit another car on the passenger's side front, so the fender, bumper, light, and axle are gone. But he only wanted $500 for it! He was the original owner, has all the service records, pretty much new tires on it, and a new clutch last year! The interior is pretty much immaculate, and it only has 127k on the odo. Best part? It didn't have property damage ins, so I have a clear, blue title! I told him I would drive down and pick it up, but he and his wife were out, so I told him to call me in the morning. He said 20+ people called about it *lol*.

I called this morning, and the price had gone up, as there were higher offers. He told me if I would match his highest, he'd sell it to me. It was quite a bit more than the original $500 he listed it for, but the chances of a find like this again were slim and none, so I agreed, and my friend and I drove down there, met them @ Tom Benson's Collision Center, and the rest is history. AAA has free towing for the first 100 miles, and wouldn't you know it was only 92 miles from there to my friend's place :) , where it currently resides in the garage :)

I'm sooooo blessed right now, b/c what are the chances? When I get back from San Fran this weekend, the work will begin in earnest!

[Triathlete]

If you decide to part out the rest you might put it up on the Planet.

[eternal21]

Planned on it, unless I can find someone to take the whole thing when I'm done :)

[eternal21]

Long time coming for an update. After letting this sit for far too long, I've began working on this in earnest the past couple weeks. Saturday was a productive day. I had the drive train disconnected and it was mostly out, resting on the front radiator support. I wanted to pull the engine and transmission together, but it wouldn't come out attached. The bottom of the oil pan wouldn't clear the radiator support, and the transmission horked up the removal angle. Had I removed the A/C compressor, the oil filter adapter, and the alternator, it would've worked. I've been trying to save the donor truck for parts so that I could resell it as a wrecked shell, but then had the epiphany that if someone tried to repair it, the front radiator support would have to be removed anyway, as the truck had been crunched on the passenger's front corner. By the time my buddy arrived, I had already sectioned it. We muscled it out about 45 mins after he arrived.

Going to start removing the drive train from the VehiCROSS in a couple weeks, as I need to clean the garage a bit. Since the header bolts wouldn't budge, I had to cut the headers off. I marked 'em, so I'll be taking them off the engine and taking them to get welded back together in the interim.

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/engineout.jpg

[eternal21]

After 1.5hrs of grinding and fitting, success!

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/todconnected.jpg

[vt_maverick]

Congrats!

[VXorado]

Looks good. What transfer case is originally used with the manual trans?

[eternal21]

The Trooper is a 4WD variant, so a regular, non-TOD transfer case.

[eternal21]

Transmission is off
http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/transoff.jpg

Instead of removing the rear drive shaft completely, it can be zip tied up and out of the way, saving you from having to break loose those bolts.
http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/rearzip.jpg

[evillecutter]

if cars looked at dirty magazines is this what the pictorials would be like?

[eternal21]

if cars looked at dirty magazines is this what the pictorials would be like?

Dunno, but I can say this: I'm *very* pleased with the fact that this was a Texas vehicle. The lack of rust made this a very easy job (breaking nuts/bolts loose). I've worked on a VX from Ohio before, and it was very difficult b/c of all the rust. Even the header bolts, which are notorious for rusting, came off easily when I let them sit overnight after spraying a w/penetrating chemical. This was all done by using hand tools, I didn't have to break out my compressor.

[VXorado]

If you need more room around the driveshaft, the top slip joint section will just slide off. :yesy:



The Trooper is a 4WD variant, so a regular, non-TOD transfer case.

Yeah that makes sense, 2:1 low range ratio. Thanks!!!

[eternal21]

If you need more room around the driveshaft, the top slip joint section will just slide off. :yesy:

Nopers, all is good. I disconnected it from the TOD, zip-tied it up, and there it has sat for the entire procedure. Hasn't been in the way once.

[eternal21]

Getting there. I figure I have a couple days work now that the hard part is done.

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/interior/shifter.jpg

[vt_maverick]

FYI the 5 speed Troopers have a little coin holder tray that fills the void left by those now useless Power and Winter buttons.

[eternal21]

FYI the 5 speed Troopers have a little coin holder tray that fills the void left by those now useless Power and Winter buttons.

Interesting. That may be year-specific, as I have a panel of 5 blanks on the parts Trooper that can replace those buttons. I'm thinking of utilizing them for other functions for some other little Easter eggs I'm planning :)

In addition, the bracket that is highlighted in the pics below isn't used in the swap, but it is helpful. It doesn't fit, but if you bend the "L" shaped tab out just a bit, it'll fit just fine, and keep the lines closer to the transmission and away from the header.

On another note, did B replace your hard fuel lines? The 5MT Trooper's hard fuel lines run on top and down the side of the transmission, whereas the auto runs along the top. I didn't see anything in your thread about them, so I was thinking I wouldn't have to swap them. The auto fuel lines wouldn't sit right, as they bolt to the auto tranny in locations different than the 5MT tranny, and they run smack dab where the shifter would be on the 5MT. So, I lost a couple hours today swapping the lines and running to get some new hose clamps.

Auto diagram on top, manual on the bottom.

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/autolines.jpg

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/enginebay/manuallines.jpg

[vt_maverick]

I believe he did swap the lines but you'd have to ask him to be sure.

[eternal21]

Yeah, he would have had to unless he ran some high pressure fuel lines to the back. No way on God's green earth to get everything in place the VX hard fuel lines *lol*.

[eternal21]

After some wailing and gnashing of teeth, I officially have 5 forward gears :D

A big thank you for bartmanS4 who answered some of my questions, and clarified some of the wiring. He even offered his phone number!

The pedal is so light, I thought there was still air in the line at first *lol*. No error lights, TOD is working like it should.

I know it has been said before, but....they should have come like this from the factory.

[bartmanS4]

Congrats! It awesome eh?
Did you get your cruise control working yet?

[eternal21]

Congrats! It awesome eh?
Did you get your cruise control working yet?

Quite :D

No, not yet. As much as it is a pain to do the wiring in that tight corner, I have horn speakers mounted under each side of the dash, so the removal of one is a chore in and of itself. I did, however get it washed, as it hasn't seen the light of day in about 7 weeks.

[vt_maverick]

Welcome to the :_steering club. :D