Grinding Gears

So at the bottom of the transmission pan is a magnet to collect any metal shaving from gear wear. This magnet is from the replacement transmission and has about 1/8" (2mm) of metal shards in powder form mixed with tranny fluid. That's not bad for 125k miles on the transmission.



This is the magnet from my old transmission pan and as you can see, there is at least 1/4" (4mm) of ground gear powder! Though there are about 180k miles on this tranny, I redid the transmission pan gasket kit about a year ago, so the gears in this tranny are basically just grinding themselves down to nothing! (@.@)

Before & After

Transmission Replacement

Ok, so this is the last thing that needed to be replaced on the car as I've replaced everything else. I paid $465 for the transmission (torque converter incl.) last fall sometime. The price was reasonable, because it was the only one I could find that I didn't have to drive 100's of miles to get. It sat in my garage for nearly 6 months I think.

So this past week, I started breaking down my car. Considering that my tracker is a 4wd, everything below the jeep had to come off. Everything. (@.@) Front drive shaft. Rear drive shaft. Two cross members that support the transfer case and tranny. Both gear shifts (cab-side) Transfer case. Exhaust pipe (from the exhaust manifold side). Starter. And only then was I able to get to the transmission.

Luckily, I had a very good friend (it would have to be a very good friend) helping me with the removal and installation of the transmission, which I could not have done by myself...or, something I didn't want to try! Thank you Spetty for ALL of your help!

The bad transmission we pulled.


The new transmission we installed.

You can see the formatted version here: http://suzuki.off-road.com/suzuki/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=277690



1990 Tracker Specs
Overview
Nov 1, 2005
By: ORC STAFF
Suzuki/Geo at Off-Road.com

Chevrolet's popular, fun-to-drive Geo Tracker adds an uplevel convertible model for 1990.

First introduced in 1989 for the growing personal-use truck market segment, the saucy little four-passenger, four-wheel-drive made its debut in three models -- a two-door, hardtop Tracker, an uplevel Tracker LSi and a Tracker convertible.

The new model, designated Tracker convertible LSi, now sports the same deluxe interior and exterior appointments as its hardtop sibling.

Measuring two feet shorter (142.5 vs. 170.3 inches) with more head and hip room than the S-10 Blazer, the Tracker rivals much larger vehicles in interior space. Front/rear leg room is 42.1 and 31.7 inches respectively. Cargo room is a respectable 32 cubic feet with the rear seat folded flat.

Powertrain equipment is essentially carryover. The engine is a Suzuki-designed 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection, the Tracker delivers 80 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 94 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3000 rpm.

The engine has both an aluminum block and cylinder head and is fitted to a standard 5-speed manual transmission. The 3-speed automatic transmission is now optional on all Trackers in 1990.

Tracker's front suspension is a MacPherson-strut with arm-mounted coil springs. At the rear, there are trailing arms, upper A-arm and rearward-angled shocks and coil springs with a live axle.

A floor-mounted 2-speed transfer case shift lever and automatic locking hubs enable positive selection between two- and four-wheel-drive operation.

Tracker's other standard equipment includes:

* Power-assist front disc/rear drum brakes.
* P205/75R15 on/off-road tires and 15-inch styled steel wheels.
* Full-size, rear-mounted spare tire.
* Flush-mounted halogen headlamps.
* Dual rearview mirrors.
* Tow hooks, front/rear.
* Tachometer and trip odometer.

In convertible form, the Tracker sports a full-folding canvas top with a unique “sunroof,” zip-out rear window and roll-down door windows.

In convertible or hardtop models, the LSi package adds:

* 15-inch, chrome rally wheels.
* P205/75R15 white letter tires.
* Tinted glass.
* Exclusive seats and seat trim.
* Rear wiper/washer (hardtop only).
* Floor mats, front/rear. Intermittent wipers.
* AM/FM stereo radio.
* Spare tire cover.

Tracker sports two new exterior colors and a new standard interior trim for ?90.

Geo Trackers are built for Chevrolet by CAMI, a joint Suzuki-GM of Canada venture located in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, and by Suzuki Motor Company, Ltd. in Kosai, Japan.

1990 Geo Tracker Highlights

* LSi exterior/interior upgrade package available for convertible as well as steel top Tracker for 1990.
* 3-speed automatic transmission and air conditioning are now unrestricted options.
* LSi package now includes automatic locking hubs, AM/FM stereo radio and front and rear floor mats in addition to chrome rally wheels, white outlined-lettered tires, custom cloth interior, intermittent wipers, rear window wiper washer, spare tire cover and tinted glass.
* New charcoal gray center stripe replaces orange on base front and rear seats.
* Two new exterior colors, black and silver metallic, are added for 1990 and dark gray is discontinued.
* 1.6 Liter Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) L4 with throttle-body Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) standard.
* 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive standard.
* 4-wheel drive with manual locking front hubs (automatic locking hubs on LSi).
* P205/75R15 on/off road type tires.
* MacPherson strut front suspension with stabilizer bar and dual trailing arm rear suspension, full coil springs.

Equipment Availability
Conv. LSi
Conv. Hardtop LSi
Hardtop
Gloss black grill S S S S
Flush composite halogen headlamps S S S S
Dual body-color sport mirrors S S S S
Tinted windshield (upper band) NA S NA S
Tinted side and rear side glass NA NA NA S
Roll-up door glass S S S S
Swing-out rear side glass (front hinged) NA NA S S
Platic side windows (non-removable) S S NA NA
Electric rear window defogger NA NA S S
Zip-out clear plastic rear window S S NA NA
Full-size lockable spare tire S S S S
Spare tire cover with “Tracker 4x4” inscription O S O S
LSi emblem on door sashes at B-pillars NA S NA S
Easy-entry front bucket seats S S S S
3-point front/rear lap/shoulder belts S S S S
Individual rear bucket seats NA S NA S
Vinyl door trim with armrest and storage pocket S NA S NA
Full-cover molded door trim with armrest and storage pocket NA S NA S
Instrument panel gage cluster with tachometer and trip odometer S S S S
AM/FM stereo radio with Seek and Scan O S O S
Center instrument panel extension over transmission tunnel S S S S
Tow hooks (front/rear) S S S S
Swing-open right-hand hinged tailgate S S S S
Power front disc/rear drum brakes S S S S
Canvas top with fold and stow feature S S NA NA
S-Standard O-Optional at extra cost NA-Not available
General
Vehicle type Two-door, 4WD
Vehicle class Special purpose
Powertrain layout Front engine, four-wheel drive
Body structure Body with chassis frame
Body material Steel
Seating capacity Four
Suspension
Front MacPherson strut, coil springs,
stabilizer bar
Rear Rigid axle with lower trailing arms
and coil springs
Steering
Type Manual recirculating ball
Ratio Variable 18.5-21.0:1
Turning diameter, curb-to-curb 32.2 ft.
Turning radius 16.1 ft.
Number of wheel turns (power, stop to stop) 3.8
Brakes
Type Power-assisted hydraulic
Front Ventilated disc (290 x 10 mm)
Rear Drum (220 x 34 mm)
Parking brake Lever-hand operated
Wheels and Tires
Wheel Type Rally steel
Wheel size 15x5.5 in.
Tire type All-season, steel-belted radial
Tire size P205/75R15
Spare size Full-size
Front hubs
Tracker Manual
Tracker LSi Automatic
Fuel Economy
EPA Estimates - Manual
City 28 MPG
Highway 29 MPG
EPA Estimates - Automatic
City 23 MPG
Highway 24 MPG
Engine
Type 1.6-liter, four-cylinder, in-line 8-valve SOHC
Block material Aluminum
Bore x Stroke 2.95 in. x 3.54 in.
Displacement 1.6 L
Compression ratio 8.9:1
Induction system Electronic fuel injection
Horsepower (SAE net) 80 hp @ 5400 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 94 lb.-ft. @ 3300 rpm
Manual Transmission
Type Five-speed, all synchromesh
Clutch Dry, single disc, diaphragm spring
Gear ratios
1st 3.65
2nd 1.95
3rd 1.38
4th 1.00
5th 0.86
Reverse 3.67
Transfer gear ratios
Low (4WD) 1.82
High 1.00
Differential ratio 5.12
Automatic Transmission (optional)
Type Three-speed automatic
Torque Converter Lock-up
Gear ratios
1st 2.40
2nd 1.48
3rd 1.00
Reverse 1.92
Transfer gear ratios
Low (4WD) 1.82
High 1.00
Differential ratio 4.62
Capacities / Calculated Data
Engine oil 4.2 U.S. qt.
Fuel tank 11.1 U.S. gal.
Engine coolant NA
Towing NA
Interior Volume (front/rear) 87.0 cu. ft.
Trunk/Cargo Volume 4.7 cu. ft.
Weight to power ratio 27.9 lbs./hp
Specific output 50 hp/liter
Exterior Dimensions
Wheelbase 86.6 in.
Tread width Front 54.9 in.
Tread width Rear 55.1 in.
Overall Length 142.5 in.
Overall Width (Body) 64.2 in.
Overall Height 65.0 in.
Minimum ground clearance 7.9 in.
Curb weight 2,238 lb.
Interior Dimensions
Headroom
Front 39.5 in.
Rear 38.3 in.
Legroom
Front 42.1 in.
Rear 31.6 in.
Shoulder room
Front 52.5 in.
Rear 50.2 in.
Hip Room
Front 51.8 in.
Rear 41.9 in.

Valve Cover Gasket

In May I replaced the Valve Cover Gasket though I'm not convinced it was necessary, but since it was only $12, I decided to replace it anyway.

Here are two pictures to show you the insides of the valve compartment. The valves were reasonable clean and weren't tarnished too bad. This was encouraging.

Head Gasket Juice

Before the Carburetor rebuild and Intake Manifold Gasket job, I repaired my blown head gasket (or block) with a friend who is a mechanic. "What!?", you ask? Let me explain.

The story:
Last November or December of 2006 (2 or 3 months ago), I over heated my car due to the radiator level dropping too low without my knowledge. Well, the engine got hot to enough to expand causing a crack (probably not visible to the naked eye) either in the block or the head gasket. My car idle began surging and dropping regularly when in Park or Neutral. So I began keeping water with me and checking the radiator water/fluid level all the time along with the amount of oil and didn't drive it on the freeway during this time. Though it was Winter, I still used water, since I live in sunny California.

The surging never quit (at the time), but my car wasn't getting hot any more. So I began discussing options with my buddy who is a mechanic and I didn't want to haul my car off to the junk yard just yet nor did I want to drop in $1200-1800 for someone else to fix it.

Let me backstep a minute.

• My car was over heating, but my dip-stick registered plenty of oil*.
• There was no water/liquid drips below my engine (water pump, radiator, hoses, etc.)
• Nor was there any moisture from my tail pipe**

However, I was losing water out of my radiator somehow. By process of elimination, we determined the dissipation to be cause by a crack in the head gasket or block which cause the water to evaporate.

* This was probably due to water sitting in the oil reservoir, which was pushing the oil level up on the dip-stick.
** Keep in mind that just because you have moisture from a tail pipe does not mean that you have a cracked head or blown head gasket. This can also happen if there has been a lot of moisture in the air (rainy season) or if the car has sat for a while.

Most people do not mess with a job like this on a little 4 cylinder, but I had nothing to lose and after some researching on different methods and products, I found K&W Nanotechnology's "Permanent Head Gasket & Block Repair" for about usd$22. So, I removed the thermostat and followed the directions included.

They also have a 200% money back guarantee and though some people will scoff at the idea of a customer actually being able to get their money back is beside the point. This comment is more of a promise that their product will work for you.

Now that this product had been used properly, we started (after waiting the required time) and the engine ran with out any idle surging. It worked!

After I followed the instructions in a military manner, (at the appropriate time) I then poured in a bottle of Bar's Leaks' Liquid Aluminum - Radiator Stop Leak, which was less than usd$10. This was only a preemptive move to make sure there was no leaks in the radiator and also it couldn't hurt anything, but might prove beneficial as the same time.

Now, the next question was, how long would it last, because I like to go off-roading and this product says it will fix your engine back to 100% competent, so my off-roading future looked bright. I drove it gentle for about 4 days or so and then took it out on the freeway. It drove fine and the engine didn't heat up, which is partly due to the thermostat being removed.

Well, now I was really interested in knowing just how strong this stuff was, so I decided to test it out. I made a 60 mile round trip to a friend's place in the mountains and there are two mountain ranges to get over to get to his house, so that would be the ultimate test. It was 20 or so miles of freeway at 70 mph and then another 5-10 of mountainous highway with tons of turns and grade changes, which I took most in 2nd gear for more power and acceleration out of turns.

The Result: Everything worked fine, no problems and the engine stayed cool.

Just this past weekend, I made the trip again and all is still good. My car is fine. The product worked.

Bettery Terminals

I replaced the old terminals with some heavy duty terminals.

Old Terminals:


New Heavy Duty Terminals:


Finished:


I placed the battery strap/handle in a way that would block the washers from bumping into the positive battery channel and creating an electrical arc. Even if the handle was to break from cold or unforeseen incident, the battery bracket is tight enough (and not dependant upon the battery strap/handle) that the washers would not touch the battery terminals.


I purchased this battery in 2003 as you see by the sticker from Kragen Auto Parts store. It is a 7yr battery and I still have the receipt.