How To Rebuild A Top Loader Four-Speed

Blueprint a Top Loader
According to Marvin McAfee, you can blueprint your four-speed. Blueprinting is a fancy word for sweating the details. It's the tiny imperfections that can bite you. High spots and score marks in an input shaft will cause clutch disc hang up. Ditto for the clutch hub, which can have the same kind of flaws. Never install anything right out of the box because new doesn't mean flawless. Marvin has dressed the input shaft splines as well as output splines for smooth operation. He also dressed the McLeod clutch hub. His crowning touch is the use of a real clutch pilot bearing, not a bushing. A clutch pilot bearing will yield smoother, more reliable clutch operation, even on a stocker.

Synchronizers mandate careful...        read full caption Synchronizers mandate careful assembly or they will not function properly. A synchronizer consists of three inserts, two snap rings, inner hub (which splines it onto the output shaft), and the outer sleeve. The outer First and Second gear sleeve doubles as a gear and a sleeve for the shifter fork.	Here, the Second gear and...        read full caption Here, the Second gear and blocking ring slide onto the output shaft against the First and Second gear synchronizer. Note the abundance of transmission assembly lube.	The Third and Fourth gear...        read full caption The Third and Fourth gear synchronizer goes on the shaft last. Think of a Top Loader like a puzzle. It goes together in a specific order or it will not function properly. Here, we are loading the output shaft on a workbench before installation.
Anaheim Gear has loaded the...        read full caption Anaheim Gear has loaded the output shaft and installed a worm gear clamp to keep everything together while this subassembly goes in. Output shaft bearing goes on last before the tailshaft housing and speedometer drive gear.	The input shaft bearing is...        read full caption The input shaft bearing is pressed on in a hydraulic press using all of the proper precautions. This is a close-ratio input shaft in 1 1/16-inch diameter.	Fifteen needle bearings are...        read full caption Fifteen needle bearings are loaded into the input shaft and packed with lube for security. After the bearings, a blocking ring fits on this end. These bearings allow the input shaft to ride on the output shaft pilot. In neutral, this shaft spins around the output shaft pilot, which is stationary. It spins the cluster gear/countershaft down under.
Input shaft installation is...        read full caption Input shaft installation is straightforward. You must be mindful of the needle bearings and blocking ring. Both must be present and installed properly. Hold the output shaft assembly and work the input shaft into place. Make sure both snap rings are secure. One snap ring secures the bearing. The other secures the bearing to the case.	Proper seal installation,...        read full caption Proper seal installation, fore and aft, is crucial to keeping lubricant inside for proper function. Use the correct-size seal driver for the seal and The Right Stuff from Permatex around the seal's outside diameter.	Lubricate both seals with...        read full caption Lubricate both seals with transmission lube and carefully install both the front bearing support and tailshaft housing, taking extra care not to disturb the lip and spring.
Use a thin film of The Right...        read full caption Use a thin film of The Right Stuff around the gasket perimeters, too.	A clutch pilot bearing offers...        read full caption A clutch pilot bearing offers smoother function than old-fashioned bushings because it provides more stability than a bushing and doesn't wear out as quickly.