In a message dated 5/8/2006 11:07:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time, “wavertree” brian59nogales@yahoo.com writes:
My 1984 has a distinct whine and from all the threads I believe it
is coming from the tranny.
The car is not a daily driver as I am in the process of restoring
and replacing many items.
Hi Brian:
If you have a turbine-like whine that is audible at idle when you bend down to listen under the front door, that is most likely the transmission, caused by a plugged filter & gummy fluid. This is particularly likely if the car has sat without regular use for months. The whine (from the transmission pump) will vary with engine speed as you drive the vehicle.
I once read that there is a novel way to drain the fluid from the
tranny but cannot remember who it was.
You can put a universal drain plug, available at most good auto parts stores, in the pan, but you have to dismantle the transmission mount and support the rear of the engine to get the pan off to install this plug. You also obviously need to remove the pan to change the filter, so might as well get used to the process of transmission mount removal.
I will be ordering
components for the tranny from Coventry West, please if any one has
done this tell me what to order.
A filter kit that contains a new filter, gasket & pickup o-ring costs ~ $15. Since you are dismantling your transmission mount, you might as well order the spool bushing and two rubber spring cups to rebuild that mount, particularly if there is any clunking, bumping or grinding from the trans area at WOT in 1st gear.
I have read kirbys book and the ROM in the process in how to remove
the pan, can any body expand on this and relay any experience with
this process, any problems quick hints etc.
On my 85 I did not need to remove the exhaust intermediate pipe & front silencer to get access to the transmission spring mounting pan forward bolts, but I had to remove both sides on my 89, so it appears to vary between models/cars depending upon the exhaust configuration.
See Kirby’s Book for a detailed drawing of the pieces in the transmission mount. It is imperative that they be assembled as shown. The Parts Catalogue has errors and should NOT be followed, as far as the bits on the spring pin.
I will post a step-by-step procedure in a follow-up.
George Balthrop, Clifton, VA USA
85 & 89 XJ-S Coupes; 89 XJ40 VDP
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