I'm not jumping ahead, I just wanted to make sure I had a large enough catch pan.

 

UPDATE:

Finally got the chance to work some work. Pulled the shifter and there are metal shavings in the hole. Got the car in the air to pull the drain plug and the transmission was dry. Is this tranny toast? I have never seen any puddles under the car. It's my fault for not checking the fluid when I got it. Is it worth a rebuild?

 

Most likely, yes. Every gear, bearing, shaft, etc. is most likely damaged from lack of lube.

Most likely, no. On account of, you'd have to go buy a whole other GOOD trans to get all that stuff out of; and then, you'd have a GOOD trans, and there wouldn't be alot of sense in "rebuilding" anything.

Furthermore, the usual reason they run dry, is the case is stretched across the front, and the hole for the front countergear bearing (which is supposed to be a press fit into the case) is now an oval instead of a circle. This NOT ONLY lets the fluid fall out, BUT ALSO lets the gears misalign, which IMMEDIATELY causes them to destroy each other. No amount of "rebuilding" will fix it.



This is the part in question. Observe the stain below it from all the fluid running out. Notice also the witness marks on it from where it's been spinning in the case, up against the back side of the clutch gear bearing retainer. This is one of about a half-dozen of those POSs I had over the years, that failed that way. Seems to pretty much be the way they take themselves permanently out of service.

 

I believe I have an opportunity to get a WC t5. I understand that the cases are "pretty much" the same. Would that be worth a rebuild? I simply do not have the money for much better right now.

 

Not alot of difference in the case, as far as durability.

Most of the parts won't interchange with your older one.

If it fits (would have to be out of a V8 F body ONLY) and works, buy it and don't mess with it; just put it in and drive it.

 

Is it possible to mic that counter bearing hole on my next transmission to determine out of round? Obviously if it is out of round I would not buy it. Or some other way to see if that new-to-me tranny is worth my time? I really would not like to do this again a month from install.

 

If it leaks, it's out of round.

If the bearing has spun (which you can tell if it has the witness marks like in the pic), that's a pretty good sign.

I suppose it's possible to mic it; never found it necessary though. It's always real obvious by other indications.