F**k this week....

Yeah like it says.....

So I stared a new job, and this week was not only my orientation, but also my start date. Its nice to have some sort of work although its not full time, and its not very close to my house. The distance isn't so bad, but with my having to be there at 8:30 in the am, its the WORST time to be driving.

I have to take 3 different freeways to get there, and its probably 80% traffic. And I mean the 1st and 2nd gear, stop and go kind of traffic. Its only a 35 mile drive one way, but I have to leave my house at 7:15am to get there by 8:30am because the traffic is so bad.

So Monday was orientation and then I had to go over to the actual facility to begin training. It was a little stressfull with it being a new job and all, but I got through it. Tuesday was starting off to be better; I wasn't as stressed, and I didn't have to do orientation so it seemed to be looking ok. I take my lunch break and decided to drive over to a close by pizza place and thats when my car starts squeeling super loud.

It was so loud, it scared the shit out of me and everyone in the parking lot was looking in my direction. I quickly realized that it was whenever I used the clutch. Now I knew my throw-out bearing was a little worn and it was making a little noise, but I have had several other Mustangs exhibit the same thing and go many more miles before it became an issue. But this car was not that same situtation.

I get it back to work, and I'm thinking WTF am I gonna do. I have no money, I don't have an extra car, and I don't think its going to make it through the whole week. At the end of the day I start up the car, and its squeeling bad whenever the clutch is in. I know I have to sit through a good hour of stop and go traffic so I try my best to keep it in gear and/or neutral. Part way through traffic it starts to get worse; now its acting like its going to kill the engine every time I use the clutch. Last thing I need is for the TOB to seize on the bearing retainter and cause transmission damage.

I manage to shift it without the clutch for the rest of the way home, but I still have to use it when I stop the car. I get to the last few streets before home and its chattering super bad taking off from stops. I get it home though.

Now I'm trying to figure out how the hell am I going to get to work the next day, because I'm not fixing it overnight, no way. I can't call in sick on my 3rd day of work at a new job. Only solution; share the girlfriend's car til the weekend. Yeah what totally blows about that, she works in the same area as my new job but she has to be there at 5:00am. So I'm getting up at 4am to take her to work, sit through hell hole traffic, just to figure out WTF to do for 3.5 hours until I have to be at work, force her to stay at work until I get out, then sit through hell hole traffic on the way home, and still try to figure out how to fix my car before next week where they are sending my to more training FARTHER away...... FUCK!!!!

There is more to this but I typed a shit ton O words already......

I think I may know what to do during that 3.5 hours........You could fix your car.

Cars suck dude!  Sorry to hear about your misfortunes.  Nice job nursing it home though.

Damn dude... That totally sucks.

Order parts now, and get started tomorrow night. You should be able to get it done in time to watch some of the game...

Tux, in those 3.5 hourse, by the time I drove home through traffic, I'd have to just turn around and go back to make it time for my job.

I got the transmission and the clutch/flywheel out last night. The TOB is totally F'd, I put pictures of it up later. I have all my parts, the worst part was finding someone to resurface my flywheel late Friday night. Hopefully have it together late today.

StalkerStang wrote:Tux, in those 3.5 hourse, by the time I drove home through traffic, I'd have to just turn around and go back to make it time for my job.

I got the transmission and the clutch/flywheel out last night. The TOB is totally F'd, I put pictures of it up later. I have all my parts, the worst part was finding someone to resurface my flywheel late Friday night. Hopefully have it together late today.

I see.  Well, it sounds like you got it all figured out.  Nice job.

So.... Not so straightforward this clutch job......

Got the flywheel bolted up, went to go put the disc and pressure plate on, and it doesn't fit my flywheel. Turns out, while 90% of the Mustangs from 2000 and older have a 10.5 disc, mine was one of the first to have an 11 in. clutch disc.

So instead of using my nice Mcleod clutch I ordered, I had to go to fuck'n Autozone and get a Korean Dontlast clutch kit because I needed the car running. Sourcing this thing was also a PITA because GT's typically don't have 10.5 clutches, and all their listings showed 10.5, so I had to specificy a clutch for a 99' Cobra which always has a 11 in. clutch.

Well at least its running with no issues. Here is the TOB, obviously the one on the right is the new one.

Glad you got her back on the road.  If that job is anything like an F-body clutch swap it's a major pita.  Did you at least have access to a lift?

Nope, did it in my driveway with stands and a jack.

Ouch, that sucks dude.  At least the T-5 isn't as heavy as the T-56.  I don't see how you did it in the driveway.  It was hard enough with a lift and tranny jack!

If only it was a T5....

4.6L's come with either T45's or TR3650's, both have the bellhousing bolted to the tranny from the inside and are a little heavier than a T5.

Huh, I didn't know that, what's the difference between them and the T-5? 

Here's a vid to cheer you up if you haven't already seeen it... Gotta love the sound of the terminator! 

Thats ORP.   Oregon Raceway is a freaking amazing technical track literally 50+ miles from anywhere that sells more than just standard Napa stuff.

Sorta05 wrote:Huh, I didn't know that, what's the difference between them and the T-5? 

http://www.moderndriveline.com/Technical_Bits/t5_history.htm

http://www.moderndriveline.com/Technical_Bits/tremec_t45.htm