Rebuilding the Transmission in my 2014 FiST

[sluggyjunx]

Greetings folks. I recently completed the rebuild of the transmission in my FiST after it developed a whining noise. I had noticed the noise, along with a sort of rattle, growing stronger over the months leading up to it getting really bad. The noise was there but it was quiet. I took the car to PittRace with the local Porsche Club / Audi Club for an HPDE back in May. On day three of the event, the noise had grown so loud that I skipped the last couple sessions in favor of hoping to get home. (I live in the DC area) Thankfully I made it home and decided that I would give it a go myself. I have the means; a garage, second vehicle, so I figured what could be the worst that could happen? (failure, need to replace the trans again) - So let's give it a shot. I started doing the research, making lists, etc. Had some friends assist with the removal. (followed along with the OEM shop manual) Breaking apart the trans didn't reveal any "ah-ha!" issues. (bummer) so I gave it my best shot by replacing the bearings I most thought to be suspect. Put the trans back in and, voila - the issue was still there. ( /facepalm ) I decided to pull it back out (didn't have to remove the subframe!) and replace the rest of the bearings, including those on the input/output shaft themselves (those needle bearings on the shaft. had to replace a few gears.)

Well, this time it worked. Was quite a journey. After a couple weeks I took the car to VIR last weekend for a season-ending HPDE with the Audi club. It was fantastic. The car drives and performs nearly the same as it did before, when things were normal. As someone who's never done any transmission work, it was quite pleasing. Anyway, for anyone who's interested, I did a writeup on my blog, here:

http://blog.sluggyjunx.com/rebuilding-the-transmission-in-my-2014-ford-fiesta-st/

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, etc. please toss them my way. I don't get on these forums as much as I'd like (no access during the day) but I'm around. Feel free to message me. Good luck!

 

[draxxus131]

I commend you for searching down those parts and then sharing all of your information!!

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

 

[sluggyjunx]

I commend you for searching down those parts and then sharing all of your information!!

Thanks! I'm hoping others will find it useful in the long run.

 

[spymac]

Fantastic write-up, thanks for sharing!

 

[Nitelife]

Awesome write up. I just bookmarked your blog for future reference. Thanks for documenting everything for other owners!

 

[Fusion Works]

Some interesting things in that manual.

The Ford Racing LSD Installation manual does not mention throwing away the case bolts. It also doesn't mention the torque angle on the bolts. It just says 32NM.

Without this manual you will not know to remove the 2nd and 3rd gear assembly. That snap ring between the syncro hub and second gear is $75 for a fucking snap ring. Thanks Ford. However with a 50ton press the whole gear stack will come off with enough force. HAHA. It will spline that snap ring in the process. Ask me how I know. (You won't destroy that 2nd gear though, lol)

Seriously I was hiding behind a piece of plywood when pressing the output shaft apart. The noises that damn output shaft makes when you are pressing it apart is scary. It will sound like a gun goes of when those gears move. Stupid Ford. Spline the damn gears like everyone else on the planet.

I didn't find the yellow Loctite on that left hand socket head bolt that bad. A little heat and it came right out with a 3/8s ratchet.

 

[Quisp]

Mines been rattling for over 40k. The input bearing failure was common on here year's back. Nice write up I might tackle this along with an LSD.

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[Dannyesco]

View attachment 25195
Greetings folks. I recently completed the rebuild of the transmission in my FiST after it developed a whining noise. I had noticed the noise, along with a sort of rattle, growing stronger over the months leading up to it getting really bad. The noise was there but it was quiet. I took the car to PittRace with the local Porsche Club / Audi Club for an HPDE back in May. On day three of the event, the noise had grown so loud that I skipped the last couple sessions in favor of hoping to get home. (I live in the DC area) Thankfully I made it home and decided that I would give it a go myself. I have the means; a garage, second vehicle, so I figured what could be the worst that could happen? (failure, need to replace the trans again) - So let's give it a shot. I started doing the research, making lists, etc. Had some friends assist with the removal. (followed along with the OEM shop manual) Breaking apart the trans didn't reveal any "ah-ha!" issues. (bummer) so I gave it my best shot by replacing the bearings I most thought to be suspect. Put the trans back in and, voila - the issue was still there. ( /facepalm ) I decided to pull it back out (didn't have to remove the subframe!) and replace the rest of the bearings, including those on the input/output shaft themselves (those needle bearings on the shaft. had to replace a few gears.)

Well, this time it worked. Was quite a journey. After a couple weeks I took the car to VIR last weekend for a season-ending HPDE with the Audi club. It was fantastic. The car drives and performs nearly the same as it did before, when things were normal. As someone who's never done any transmission work, it was quite pleasing. Anyway, for anyone who's interested, I did a writeup on my blog, here:

http://blog.sluggyjunx.com/rebuilding-the-transmission-in-my-2014-ford-fiesta-st/

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, etc. please toss them my way. I don't get on these forums as much as I'd like (no access during the day) but I'm around. Feel free to message me. Good luck!

So after your rebuild and 10/14 track uses you think you gonna need another rebuild? Because I want to track the car I just dont want to rebuild every 40k miles.

 

[sluggyjunx]

Some interesting things in that manual.

The Ford Racing LSD Installation manual does not mention throwing away the case bolts. It also doesn't mention the torque angle on the bolts. It just says 32NM.

Without this manual you will not know to remove the 2nd and 3rd gear assembly. That snap ring between the syncro hub and second gear is $75 for a fucking snap ring. Thanks Ford. However with a 50ton press the whole gear stack will come off with enough force. HAHA. It will spline that snap ring in the process. Ask me how I know. (You won't destroy that 2nd gear though, lol)

Seriously I was hiding behind a piece of plywood when pressing the output shaft apart. The noises that damn output shaft makes when you are pressing it apart is scary. It will sound like a gun goes of when those gears move. Stupid Ford. Spline the damn gears like everyone else on the planet.

I didn't find the yellow Loctite on that left hand socket head bolt that bad. A little heat and it came right out with a 3/8s ratchet.

Brett - sorry to take so long to reply - I can't access the forums during the day and I forget to hop on in the evenings. As for the snap rings, yeah - it blew my mind how expensive it is. The odd thing, to me, is that other snap rings in the same vicinity and of what seems like similar materials are only a few bucks. It's like someone missed a decimal point somewhere and it's never been corrected. Frustrating. I decided not to replace that snap ring, as it was in good condition on removal and re-installation.

Hiding behind plywood - yes! HA! When I took it to a shop the guy doing it was turned away with his oxy-acetylene torch in hand. The second it popped, he turned to me and said, "here! hold this!" and handed me the torch. I was a bit bewildered, but so excited the damn thing broke loose. And yes, you're correct - 50 ton press is required! We tried with my 12 ton. Tried again with my buddy's 25 ton. NOPE! The 50 ton seemed to barely do it. Took a lot of heat to get it to pop. And, yes, FORD: please spline the damn gears in the future! The input shaft took me like 30 min to rebuild!

As for the yellow Loctite - you are correct. Not so bad! BUT - it was bad for me b/c I forgot it was reverse thread and broke a bit in the process. HA! Went and got some impact hex socket and it was no prob with a big ugga-dugga impact gun. Got to have the right tool for the job here. Makes ALL the difference.

 

[sluggyjunx]

So after your rebuild and 10/14 track uses you think you gonna need another rebuild? Because I want to track the car I just dont want to rebuild every 40k miles.

So I really can't say. So far the trans has been working well for me. The only issue I'm having is some interference shifting into 6th on occasion. I did not preform the shifter linkage adjustment (as the manual said to) so it may just be that. Or it could be something else. I'm headed to Summit Point tomorrow for the weekend so will hopefully report back afterwards. Otherwise, the trans has been running great. As an aside, I will never rebuild it again. If it fails, for whatever reason, I will either put in a used one from a wreck or a rebuilt one from Clarke.

 

[Dannyesco]

So I really can't say. So far the trans has been working well for me. The only issue I'm having is some interference shifting into 6th on occasion. I did not preform the shifter linkage adjustment (as the manual said to) so it may just be that. Or it could be something else. I'm headed to Summit Point tomorrow for the weekend so will hopefully report back afterwards. Otherwise, the trans has been running great. As an aside, I will never rebuild it again. If it fails, for whatever reason, I will either put in a used one from a wreck or a rebuilt one from Clarke.

Oh ok. Yeah that would be great information. You think these trannys are common to buy used? And how much is the one from Clarke? Sorry for all the questions. I should've kept my Escort Gt that thing was bulletproof. Lol

 

[sluggyjunx]

Oh ok. Yeah that would be great information. You think these trannys are common to buy used? And how much is the one from Clarke? Sorry for all the questions. I should've kept my Escort Gt that thing was bulletproof. Lol

When I was pricing used trans' on car-part I found them to be anywhere from around $800-$1,400. There were a few outliers priced closer to $600 but they were rare. The tough thing is you never know how the trans was treated prior to its wreck. It's best to find a wreck that involves a car that was struck, rather than a car that struck something. Eg a rear-ended FiST is less likely to be ragged out than one with the front end smashed in from hitting a tree with stickers, tint and lots of bling on the car. When you are playing the lottery, it's best to go with the odds. Regardless, there's risk involved and you won't know for sure until you've had a look at the used part. Mileages varied greatly on the used trans' I found online. Shop on http://www.car-part.com/ and you should find a few. May have to drive to pick it up. You can also check eBay but be SURE you are looking at the trans from a Fiesta ST and not a regular Fiesta - MANY listings are incorrect!

Clarke Transmissions are $3,600 plus a $1,000 refundable core charge. http://www.clarketransmissions.com/fiesta-st-transmission/

Keep asking questions if you have 'em and I'll do my best to answer them.

 

[Dannyesco]

When I was pricing used trans' on car-part I found them to be anywhere from around $800-$1,400. There were a few outliers priced closer to $600 but they were rare. The tough thing is you never know how the trans was treated prior to its wreck. It's best to find a wreck that involves a car that was struck, rather than a car that struck something. Eg a rear-ended FiST is less likely to be ragged out than one with the front end smashed in from hitting a tree with stickers, tint and lots of bling on the car. When you are playing the lottery, it's best to go with the odds. Regardless, there's risk involved and you won't know for sure until you've had a look at the used part. Mileages varied greatly on the used trans' I found online. Shop on http://www.car-part.com/ and you should find a few. May have to drive to pick it up. You can also check eBay but be SURE you are looking at the trans from a Fiesta ST and not a regular Fiesta - MANY listings are incorrect!

Clarke Transmissions are $3,600 plus a $1,000 refundable core charge. http://www.clarketransmissions.com/fiesta-st-transmission/

Keep asking questions if you have 'em and I'll do my best to answer them.

Well Thank you very much! 👍