Lol, ain't that the truth! :D

Yes it had a problem. For the last 800 miles or so, it would always start up in TRANS FAILSAFE MODE. Once warn, I could shut down the engine and restart, and it would be ok again, except for the harsh 2-1 downshift. For the last 400 miles or so, it would start in TRANS FAILSAFE MODE even when started warm/hot.

You'll love it!

Good idea about using left handed drill bits. I guess with those the bolt might come out before using the extractor.

You will have noticed that ZF use tamper-proof screws to retain the rooster comb detent spring in an attempt to prevent DIYers from removing it :thumbup:

Regarding the 12 countersunk screws retaining the F brake drum, I find it’s much easier to slacken them off first, before the rest of the transmission is stripped i.e. when all the weight is still in the transmission. The torque setting for these twelve screws is only 23Nm and clearly it’s the friction at the countersunk face that makes them difficult to remove. I therefore strike each screwhead a couple of times with a hammer & drift to break this friction ‘seal’ before attempting to remove them. They then generally come loose without a problem.

Phil

Edit - Rather than drill down into the body of the screw (and risk drilling right through the clutch piston) you only need to ‘pop’ the countersunk head off by using a fairly large diameter drill just to the depth of the start of the countersink.

Lol, I guess that's what I get for using my torx set with hollow centers (tamper proof kind) instead of a regular set. There was oil sitting in the void of the screw heads, so I didn't even notice the centers.

That's exactly what the issue was. There was very little weight left in the transmission housing, so I had to hold it down with my torso while loosening it, made for an awkward angle.

Appreciate the tip on using a slightly oversized bit to just pop the head!

Just drill the bad boy out, seperate both sections and then grab on to the nub with some vice grips and remove what's left of the stud. they shouldn't torqued down too tight. *hopefully* you can save the threads into the base :)

Thanks once again for all the images and text on your project. It will become a "HOW TO" I am sure for lots of people reaching the 10 years+ and 100K mileage milestone. The challenges and issues you are addressing are ones we all will face sooner and not later. Thanks for all the efforts of sharing your epic adventure.

Good luck down there and hopefully Afton Mtn weather will be kind to you this spring.

Got the bolt out!

Drilled using a bit slightly larger than the threads of the bolt. 5/16 I believe.

Here's just before it popped the top

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_19_01.JPG

And here's the F brake drum with what's left of the bolt exposed, which wasn't much

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_19_02.JPG

Since the bolt was loose in the thread, all I had to do was to tap down slightly with a flat-blade screwdriver and turn it right out

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_19_03.JPG

Here's the bolt

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_19_04.JPG

And the casing. Everything is in perfect shape with no evidence of the mishap

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_19_05.JPG

I also took a closer look at the rooster comb detent spring, which I hadn't cleaned yet, and there was a clear outline of where the bolt heads had been, so I went ahead and re-installed it, lining up the bolt heads with the outlines extending out from the 2 holes. I think I'm within 0.1 mm. I guess when I get to that stage during re-assembly, I'll see if I can confirm that somehow.

The rest of my time this evening was spent cleaning up the oil mess everywhere. So now I'm ready to begin cleaning and inspect all the parts!

glad to hear you got the bolt out with no probs. pays to take your time and have some patience.

Well done Stunt!

glad it didn't turn into a nightmare!

<cough> quit slackin' off and get back to work, Stunt! <cough>

:D

Lol, I know. I sort of have a good excuse through. I really want to get the PTO slip clutch fixed on my chipper so that I can get it out of the shop and dedicate all my table space to the transmission, and I need to use the chipper this weekend for some land clearing I need to do.

So I'm going a bit off topic with these next few pics. Here's the new clutch housing after being installed on the existing shaft with a new u-joint, which was a complete pain (both to get the old one off and the new one on). You can also see the new 4-clutch pack here and the old rusted out clutch housing. If only the 5HP24 was this simple. :D

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_29_01.JPG

And here's the beast of a chipper it mounts to. Can't wait to get that monster out of the shop.

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_29_02.JPG

A little further back view showing the 5HP24. I did get the A and B clutches separated, but I don't want to continue until I'm done with that chipper and can begin cleaning the parts and lay them out in order properly.

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/x5_5_29_03.JPG

And here's the chipper on the tractor for perspective. It alone weights about the same as a 3 series. :D

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/vermeer5.jpg