ATX (FLC)

REMOVAL
1. Position vehicle on hoist, raise hood, position fender covers, and disconnect battery ground cable.
2. Remove air cleaner assembly.
3. Position engine control wiring assembly away from torque converter housing area, then disconnect throttle valve linkage and manual lever cable at their respective levers.

CAUTION: Failure to disconnect linkage during transaxle removal, and/or allowing transaxle to hang will damage the Throttle Valve (TV) camshaft joint (located under the transaxle cover).

4. Remove power steering hose brackets.
5. Remove two upper transaxle to engine attaching bolts.
6. Install Engine Lifting Bracket tool No. D81L-6001-D or equivalent to righthand rear area of cylinder with an M10 X 1.5 X 20 bolt, then install a second such bracket to the lefthand front area of cylinder with the same size bolt.
7. Install two Engine Support Bars tool No. D79P-6000-A or equivalent.

NOTE: An engine support bar can be fabricated from a piece of 4X4 wood 57 inches long.

8. Place engine support bars across the vehicle in front of each shock tower. Place second support bar across vehicle between alternator and valve cover. Attach chains from support bar to previously installed engine lifting brackets.
9. Raise vehicle and remove front wheels.
10. Remove catalytic converter inlet pipe.
11. Disconnect engine exhaust air hose assembly.
12. Remove each tie rod end from its spindle.
13. Remove bolts and nuts attaching lower ball joints to struts, separate and remove.
14. Remove lower control arm from each spindle.
15. Remove stabilizer bar retaining nuts and stabilizer bar.
16. Remove nuts securing rack-and-pinion to subframe. Remove auxiliary cooler from subframe, then position rack-and-pinion away from subframe and secure with wire.
17. Remove bolts retaining right side front axle support bearing assembly.
18. Remove halfshaft and link shaft assembly out of right side of transaxle.
19. Disengage left side halfshaft from differential side gear using Differential Rotator tool No. T81P-4026-A or equivalent, then pull halfshaft out of transaxle.

CAUTION: Support and secure halfshaft to an underbody component with a length of wire. Never allow halfshaft to hang unsupported.

20. Install differential Seal Plugs part No. T81P-1177-B or equivalent.
21. Remove front support insulator, and position left front splash shield aside.
22. Position workbench or shop table to support subframe after it is disconnected.
23. Lower vehicle to bench table surface, then position blocks or support for subframe as required. Remove subframe retaining bolts and subframe. Disconnect neutral start switch wire assembly.
24. Raise vehicle, then disconnect speedometer cable.
25. Remove shift cable bracket bolts and bracket from transaxle.
26. Disconnect oil cooler lines using Cooler Line Disconnect tool No. T86P-77265-AA or equivalent.
27. Remove starter support bracket and disconnect starter cable. Remove starter attaching bolts and starter.
28. Remove dust cover from torque converter housing, then remove torque converter to flywheel attaching nuts.
29. Position a transmission jack under transaxle and secure transaxle to jack.
30. Remove remaining transaxle to engine attaching bolts.
31. Before lowering transaxle out of vehicle, ensure that converter studs are clear of flywheel. Insert a screwdriver in between flywheel and converter and carefully move transaxle and converter away from engine.
32. Lower transaxle out of vehicle.

INSTALLATION
1. Reverse procedure to install transaxle, except for the following:
a. Oil cooler and lines must be cleaned using Torque Converter Cleaner Rotunda part No. 014-00028 or equivalent.
b. Install new circlips on left and right side CV joint steel shafts.
c. When installing halfshafts in transaxle align splines of CV joint with splines of differential.
d. When attaching lower ball joint to steering knuckle, install a new bolt and nut. Torque the nut to 37-47 ft lb.

CAUTION: Do not tighten the bolt.

e. When installing transaxle and converter assembly to engine, verify that converter to transaxle engagement is maintained 1/2 inch + 1/16 inch from engine mounting surface to front of converter pilot. Prevent converter from moving forward and partially disengaging during installation.
f. Readjust TV linkage and manual linkage.
g. Check transaxle fluid level.