I have a 1986 973 I bought several years ago that had a bad rod bearing I unloaded it and everything worked good except the bad knock of course. I finally got around to putting a new engine in it last week started it and it is making a terrible squealing noise like metal on metal. Pulled the engine out far enough to not be in the transmission started it again no noise. I went ahead and pulled the engine went through the pump drive gears and engine coupler found nothing. My question is can I pull the bell housing section off the transmission without 100 springs bearings and shims falling out. I can’t find a picture of the underneath of that online. Thanks for any help or suggestions you have.
Forum member CMark is the resident expert. A serial number would go a long way in helping to answer your question.
When you say pump drive gears, do you mean that you've inspected these? If so, then that's as far as you can go without removing the HPCU. As far as the noise goes; Has the HPCU got oil in it? Did the engine slide up to the bellhousing easily or did you have to draw it in with the bolts?
Yes it’s full of oil and it slid in easy. I haven’t taken anything off the front of the transmission i was going to take the front part off that the flywheel hosing from the engine bolts to but didn’t want to till I knew what might come lose behind it and fall out
86GO3276 is the serial number
So which pump drive gears have you inspected?
The gears in the fly wheel housing on the back of the motor that run the auxiliary hydraulic pump I was just eliminating them as a possibility I haven’t taken any thing off the transmission yet the only thing I’ve done is spun it over by hand and it spun smooth. I’d like to pull the front cover off the transmission the one the engine bolts to but wanted to know what’s under it and if any bearings or tolerance shims or springs or anything else might fall out that I wouldn’t know how they went back.
You can take the housing off if you like. It will be fairly heavy. The input gear will be loose on taper roller bearings and you will need to devise a way to hold it horizontal when you reassemble it so as not to damage the bearings. The input gear endfloat is set up with a shim pack behind one of the cups so if you decide that it needs new bearings then the HPCU will need to come out and be laid flat in order to adjust them.
Do you know what the gasket number is? They couldn’t find a number so I’m assuming it’s silicone now but thought I’d check with you. I appreciate all your help.
Use some kind of gasket sealant. Officially, it should be Loctite 2892. And that serial number makes it a 1997 machine, by the way.