PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

BTW, here is what a failed 4th clutch shaft looks like: This is what I am hoping and expecting to be wrong with the Bonneville's trans.

So you are full on betting this is the only issue with the Trans? Are you able to replace the clutches in this position?

Yes, Yes if I need to.

I got the side cover off today.

On the practice transmission, when I tried to remove the electrical connections, all the clips broke as soon as I touched them. The heat and fluid from the transmission makes them as brittle as glass, they don't want to bend. I learned from that, and this time I used a heat gun to heat up the connectors before removing them. Worked like a charm, ZERO busted clips. Pretty excited about that!




This pic is for agrazela. I am just noting that there is no spring like the other trans and the manual both show. This one had a clip.


Here the valve body is removed to show the chains. They are in MUCH better shape than the practice trans.


There is about 8mm of clearance, well within the 3.2mm requirement.




Here are the clutches. They look pretty worn to me, agrazela can you confirm? Do I need to buy new ones?


Any finally, here is the fourth clutch shaft assembly. Its totally gone.

Compared to the practice trans...

and the one that agrazela sent me...

and all of them together


Here is the oil pump drive shaft assembly. The Bonneville on the left, practice trans on the right. Looks like I'll be using the practice trans shaft instead, its in way better condition.


So thats it for teardown. Now I have to get it back together.

wow, that fourth clutch shaft is GONE

Yeah, I think you found the problem

I bet you'll find the rest of that hub inside the filter.

Those 4th clutches; are those white marks some kind of surface printing? Do they measure near 0.070" thick? If so, I'd say they're OK. Maybe soak them in ATF for an hour or so, lightly rub with a finger, and see if the friction material stays intact.

If you do want to replace them, Rock Auto has them (ACDELCO Part # 24213074) for $5.32 each.

Yes, they have surface printing on them. Both of them are 0.070" thick. There is virtually no wear. I should keep them in ATF until the install?

I thought the metal parts of the clutches was the wear part. Am I wrong? Isn't there supposed to be a coating on the (502) metal parts?

That was easy!

harofreak00 wrote:Yes, they have surface printing on them. Both of them are 0.070" thick. There is virtually no wear. I should keep them in ATF until the install?

I thought the metal parts of the clutches was the wear part. Am I wrong? Isn't there supposed to be a coating on the (502) metal parts?

The metal plates might warp, but the frictions are the wear component. The new metal plates that came with my rebuild kit had no coating I could see. Just soak the frictions in ATF for 30 min before install, so they slide instead of grind the first time you go into OD.

I'm thinking this lady just cruise control'd while locked in OD for those 56 quadrillion miles she drove, which wore out the hub but put little wear on the frictions.

agrazela wrote: I'm thinking this lady just cruise control'd while locked in OD for those 56 quadrillion miles she drove, which wore out the hub but put little wear on the frictions.

Isn't that what it's for?

fuelforthesoul1999 wrote:Isn't that what it's for?

Sure. That shaft that's worn out now has been improved on and was made since 2004 to a higher quality. I think the comment was to reassure Haro how the clutches are good because of the proper use of cruise control.

harofreak00 wrote:Yup, just tape. I'm kinda surprised considering its a pretty well optioned SE, center console, ECC, steering wheel controls, etc...

I might end up buying that CD deck from you now, hopefully the price hasn't gone up

I thought the same thing when I bought mine... (same options, leather, power seats, etc) I only had a tape player.

Is it terribly slower than your ssei?

JBMark33 wrote:Is it terribly slower than your ssei?

Much, much slower.

It's really slow at the moment

Yeah, going into and out of OD a lot wears the clutches.

Rad's right, the 2003+ hub has heat-treated splines that resist wear better. You can see in haro's pic that the hub I sent has a bluish tinge on the splines; I think you can even make out the '03 date stamp.

Wow, February 15/16 of '03! I didn't know they made them that early. Cool.

harofreak00 wrote:This pic is for agrazela. I am just noting that there is no spring like the other trans and the manual both show. This one had a clip.

Oh yeah, meant to comment on this.

Based on what I've read: GM experimented with this clip thing on the shift linkage in 99 and 00. It sometimes comes off, meaning the car will either not go into gear, or can stay in R when you put it in D (or vice versa). Supposedly, after a rash of Buicks driving over pedestrians and ramming through buildings, they went back to the spring/detent system in 01+.

Some of this may be "urban myth," but I do know there is a 1999 TSB about this shift linkage clip thing, that IIRC states the trans can be in the wrong gear vs. the stalk indicator if the clip comes loose.

And I will say this, there was a case a few years ago up in Santa Monica where an old man plowed through a pedestrian-only shopping area and killed like 5 people. He claims he put it in reverse and was trying to back away from the closed-off intersection, but the car went forward. IIRC it was a 1999 LeSabre.

Wow. That really gives me a warm fuzzy feeling about my trani.

Ok, even I can see that shaft is FUBAR'd. lol

mad e-props to you Andrew. and agrazela!

Nice work!

This thread has been amazing, thanks for all the pictures haro wow.

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. I'm having a blast learning about all this stuff.

Today I got a VERY late start because I went to the cities this morning with the girlfriend for an internship interview for her. She needed my support, so I didn't get much done today. There goes my initial goal of having it done tomorrow... oh well.

I started the day by replacing the TCC, PCS and 1-2 shift solenoids.


Then I put the 4th clutch shaft into place and hung the clutches onto it. Something didn't seem right.




After agrezela's input, it seems that I needed to put the shaft a little further in. After that, it was smooth sailing.




Then I installed the gaskets, case cover and torqued it down to spec. Thats all that I had time for today.