This might seem a little slow to you guys... this is my first big project (my hardest project to this day was that time I gave it a tune up: plugs, wires, apex'i power intake). Plus I'm not exactly a master mechanic... I'd barely be considered a helper, but I learn fast so I'm gonna write this down and it may have some messed up ass steps (just correct me). Well I have like no tools or anything cause my parents have always sent their car off to get worked on, so I'm teaching myself.



By the way this is being done in my driveway on jackstands.

With one of my friends there to keep me company and hand me sockets (and talk about his trucks new radio).



Day 1: April 28,2003



Undid all the exhaust, Turbo back (those little rubber things are annoying) and stared at it.

I took all of those mounting brackets off the middle of the underbody... I think there is like 4 of them, they all look like dog bones. Then, I took that really big brace that mounts onto the trans and goes back to the rearend. Then, unbolted the driveshaft from rearend, slid it out and became amazed in victory. On to the other stuff. Took off the back tires and unbolted all of the joints that hold the hub (?). And made sure that the little wires and stuff were off. Yanked on 'em a little and they came out of the rear end (once again victory dance). Dropped the rear end onto a jack and slid it out (smoke break). Got back under and undid all of the connections to the transmission (a ******* shitload of 'em, hoses and electric unreal). Took off the starter. Unbolted the transmission, I think it was 5 bolts... the ones are the top are tough to get to so I jacked up the trans so I could get my hand in. Managed to finally get them off and wiggled the trans enough to unbolt the torque converter on the inside (there's a nice little plate that can be removed so you can see it better , but guess what! the bolts you need to take out are on the other side of the flywheel, how convenient). Unbolted the torque converter and moved it back into the trans with the Mazda tire tool. Dropped the trans ( It's a little tougher than it sounds, definetly watch out there's alot of stuff holding it up). cleaned up everything because my p.o.s. autozone jack doesn't push the car high enough to move the trans out, so I have to wait until tomorrow so I can borrow a better one from my girlfriends dad.



I might have missed something but I'll go back through it in a minute.

Good job so far huh?

guess so... if it wouldn't have been for that whole p.o.s. jack issue I'd probably be on there until 2 am. But I do need a little help on the clutch stuff. I have the flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate.... isn't there other stuff in there too? I've been looking in the iluvmyrx7.com manuals and I found a couple more things I'm missing.



Also anyone know what that wire (small ground looking wire) that goes from the underbody to the maincat/catback link? I couldn't really determine what the point of it was.

thats good progress for one day https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bigok.gif , the little ground strap is for the radio



mike

Day 2: First part.



Borrowed a good shop jack from my girlfriend's dad.

Lifted the car and slid the tranny out (Holy **** this thing is huge!)

Grabbed a dolly and rolled it into the garage.

So now everything is out of the car (major stuff)

-I decided I'd work on the rear end, so I opened the drain plug at the bottom and drained it out (stinks bad) and put some new 75w90 (also stunk bad) in it through the top bolt after I plugged it back up. Both of these bolts came loose easily.

Well I got ready to start putting the rear end back in and decided I'd better go ahead and change the fuel filter (very good idea IMO).

-So the rear end is held by two bolts that go through brackets mounted to the bottom of the car. I lifted the rear end with one hand and stuck a bolt through one side to get it to stay (This thing weighs a freaking ton, I thought I was gonna get a hernia) *IMPORTANT* unless you can bench press a Geo, don't do what I did, use 3 people: One on one side, One on the other side, and one to stick the bolts in. Unless you have a lift and all of that other fancy stuff (A Jack will work too it's just tough to keep it balanced.)

-Went to pick up some parts (clutch slave cyl= 41.50)

-Came back and started sticking back in the side axles (?). Takes a little work, Make sure you stick the axles into the rearend straight and that your car is stable enough for a little pushing. Get them in and start bolting back up the suspension, so the car doesn't look like something found in a junk yard.

-Finished that and decided to go ahead and change the back brake pads, no real big deal here just normal everyday stuff.

-Then I washed up, came inside to write this and I'm now on the phone with my girlfriend and she wants to take me out to dinner (I bet she still makes me pay)

It's 4:20 pm now...I should be back by 5:45.



Also I got some pictures.

This is the automatic flywheel and you can see the disconnected starter to the bottom left.

This is the hose that kept getting in my way when I tried to pull the trans.

This is my car looking pathetic going through it's transformation to greatness.

Something like a cacoon.

this is the rear end and above it you can see the fuel filter. The side axles or whatever they are were kinda not in all the way yet (had to take a smoke break, so I took some pics)

This picture was from this morning when I got up....transmission looking pathetic.

This was before I brought out the good jack.