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Hydraulic Press Tool for Rebuilding a Toyota A150, R150, R154 or Jeep AX5 and AX15 Transmission


Bru

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In the article "How-to: Rebuilding a Jeep AX15 Transmission—Disassembly & Inspection" in the magazine, what are the dimensions of the angle iron that you used in the hydraulic press to remove and install bearings?  I'm guessing 3" x 13" long and 1/4" thick from the photos?  I'm rebuilding a R-154 Toyota transmission.  Some of the techniques are similar.  Miller makes a rectangular box shaped fixture but they want a whole bunch of money for it.  (Miller tool 8227.)

 

Bru

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Thanks for joining the forums, Bru, we value Toyota owner/members and their input!  What is the application for your R154 Aisin transmission? 

 

The AX15 transmission rebuilding how-to article has been popular, and for those interested in seeing my easy-to-make stands at work, view steps #67 and #70 on the Part 1 page: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Moses-Ludel-Rebuilds-the-Jeep-AX-15-Transmission,-Part-1-Disassembly-Inspection.html.

 

AX-15-67.jpg $(KGrHqIOKkQE1p5zCm(WBNcgz1TR0w~~_35.GIF

At left is the pair of stands in action.  At right is a drawing of the Miller 8227 cage tool.

 

I took my tape measure to the stand “tool", and these angle stands are approximately 10-3/8” to the platform top.  The angle is 3” by a minimum of 1/4" thickness.  (They are considerably thicker at the actual angle portions.)  I match cut the angle pieces to 10” length, the top plates are common ¼-inch thick cold rolled strap stock, welded with my MIG using 0.035” ER-70 wire.  I’m never sparing with welds, inside and out in the case of these top plates.  

 

This is a structural tool and takes a lot of pressure on the stand.  On that note, the Miller caged tool adds a safety feature that you could improvise with strapping between the legs: Consider metal straps either welded or securely bolted to keep the legs from skittering apart.  Even ratchet straps around the two stands (like 1500# rated motorcycle tie-downs) would be advisable if you suspect that the stands could kick outward under force with a particular job. I've personally not had an issue, always making sure the force goes downward.  Judge the load by the flex at the top platforms.

 

Caution: Any time you use a press, the force is a risk.  Be especially careful when pressing off bearings.  Make sure the plates make contact with the inner bearing collars; do not apply pressure strictly to the outer race of a caged bearing!  The force could break the bearing apart and cause parts to fly out with extreme force.  Use goggles or eye protection when pressing.

 

I tossed this stand set together in a half hour for some long ago transmission project, and the combination of the press deck plates with through holes and the height of the stands has worked very well for me.  You’re compressing stout 3” angle for the most part, the ¼” plate stock has offered enough support for these kinds of bearing and gear diameters—the 1/4" top plates are still straight after years of use!  You can always modify this design/approach for a specific or repetitive task.

 

On this note, there's only one feature I'd like to add to my hydraulic press: a pressure gauge.  I'm using air-over-hydraulic pressure and am very good at "guess-timating" pressure applied.  (Over 45 years of this work helps here.)  However, it would be very useful to narrow down actual apply pressures.  Years ago, in my early years at the mechanic's trade, we were given specific press pressures for given tasks, like pressing on an axle shaft bearing or lock ring.  Today, even factory manuals seldom provide this insight and use brusque instructions like, "Use a suitable press."  Really?

 

You’ll become very attached to the New Britain snap ring pliers…a good find!  When spreading snap rings, control is everything.  You can help prevent the time-honored risk of distorting or over stretching a ring by using a quality pliers.

 

Looking forward to your posts, Bru.  Welcome to the forums!

 

Moses

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The R-154 transmission is in a 1987 Supra Turbo.  Its basically a truck transmission like the R-150.  Like the original article said, if you press off the input shaft bearing its ruined because you can only get a bite on the outer race. It's pictured that way in the Toyota shop manual. To press on the new bearing the only contact that is acceptable is the inner race. 

 

Since I don't have a special service tool kit from Toyota, I  made a substitute using a 1 1/4" pipe flange  with a high-rise for the screw in part (about 1/2").    I filed the threads away to get a diameter of 1.6 inches which was enough to clear the shaft  and make contact with the inner race.  Just be sure to support the flange edges with press plates or 2 notched out 2 x 4s on top of the press plates.

 

Another tool l made to drive on the center and end bearings onto the output shaft involved using a 1 1/4 inch plumbing pipe pipe 18 inches long.  The inner diameter is neary the 1.4 inches needed to do the job.  I increased the inner diameter near the end using a grinding wheel that fit inside the pipe.  This pipe is available at Lowes for about $10 ( see Feb 4 post below).  You can put a pipe cap on the end or use a big socket to hammer on.  Always wear eye protection when pounding on metal as chips can fly.

 

Another trick is to use the old bearing as a tool by slightly increasing the hole diameter  with a grinding wheel so that it slides over the shaft easily.  Then use that as something to press or pound against the inner race to save the new bearing from damage when installing.

 

Here is a link to Jack's Transmission in Colorado to see the inner workings of the R-154.

http://www.jackstransmissions.com/pages/r154-supra-5-speed-rebuild-process

 

Bru

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This is very cool, Bru!  Gearhead minds work in similar ways, I also have a shelf lined with various diameter black pipe pieces, each cut for different transmission bearing sizes.  I have numbered "dummy shafts", too, for loading needle rollers on domestic, vintage transmissions.  These dummy shafts are made from oak dowel stock...

 

Thanks much for sharing our 4WD truck world, where the Toyota A150, Aisin AX15 and the AX4 and AX5 transmissions have been very popular.  Aisin gets around, and rightfully so, they build world class transmissions.  It comes as no surprise that a Supra with a turbocharger would benefit from this basic architecture.  Advance Adapters has stories of 300 horsepower V-8 transplants into Jeep 4x4s with the AX15 (alias A150) stock transmission.

 

We value your posts at the forums, members will benefit from your contributions and inventive solutions!  Jacks Transmissions is very thorough in its approach to these transmissions, too...

 

See the AX15 discussion at our Jeep TJ Wrangler forum.  Sounds like you have insights into the synchronizers on the AX15.  (Late 'nineties applications of the AX15 in Jeep vehicles have a synchro design change.)  You may want to add comments at that AX15 thread!  I was impressed with the upgrade parts illustrated at the Jacks Transmissions photos, thanks for sharing.  Those that work with the AX15 or A150 would be popular with the 1990-99 Jeep 4x4 and Toyota 4x4 owners/members. 

 

See the Jeep YJ/TJ Wrangler forum posts for a number of AX15 topics and threads: http://forums.4wdmechanix.com/forum/7-jeep®-yj-wrangler-tj-wrangler-and-lj-wrangler/.

 

Moses  

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Bru...On my "universal" stands, which happen to work well for these Aisin gear removals, the build started with a vintage Jeep transmission project "on the fly".  Turns out that these stands have since served a wide range of transmission gear and bearing jobs.  Works for me! 

 

Keep in mind my suggestion about use of safety straps if you suspect lateral movement, sliding, tilting or whatever.  In my personal use, I've never had these stands tip over or tilt under load.  You can see where the force goes, and I use the heavy press plates as a base...Note in the photos that there is no damage and only minimal distortion at the top plates.  (I would emphasize that some stout pressing has been carefully done with these plates.)  Withstanding this use has to do with the amount of exposed metal under force.  Key to strength and versatility is, as you hint, the positioning and weld placements at the top plate straps.

 

For your benefit and others, I just took a series of close-up photos to illustrate the dimensions and relationship of the top straps (simply cold rolled common 2" steel, cut or sheered to desired length) to the hefty 3" angle iron.  You can see how thick the radiuses are on angle section, which is common for better quality angle iron.  Here are the photos, Bru:

 

post-1-0-94232700-1390674764_thumb.jpg post-1-0-36515000-1390674766_thumb.jpg post-1-0-28329300-1390674768_thumb.jpg post-1-0-38678200-1390674770_thumb.jpg post-1-0-16276600-1390674772_thumb.jpg post-1-0-62480800-1390674773_thumb.jpg post-1-0-72028900-1390674774_thumb.jpg

Nothing fancy about these ER-70 0.035" wire MIG strength welds, they were intended to hold the 1/4" x 2" cold rolled strap in place at the top of the 3" angle iron under load. This "tool" set took less than half an hour to build and has served for over fifteen years since—though not used day-in-day-out. I've likely built over 40 transmissions, axles and transfer cases that involved the use of these stands on the hydraulic press bed plates in one way or another. They've worked well for me... 

 

This should help clarify your questions and concerns around building hydraulic press service stands for the Aisin R150/R154 and similar Jeep AX15 transmissions.  I'm here if you have further questions...

 

Moses

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here are 3 photos showing what I ended up doing. A machine shop recommended a metal supply company called ALRO Steel. They are nationwide metal supply company and lucky for me there was one here. I got two 3 inch angle irons 12 inches long ¼ inch thick, two 2 inch by 5 inch ¼ inch strap irons, and a pipe 1 ¼ inch diameter 18 inches long all for $36. The inner diameter of the steel pipe was just over 1.4 in., which is exactly what I needed so I did not get the plumbing pipe mentioned earlier. I also got a piece a half-inch steel from their scrap box that I could use in the pressing like I saw in the Toyota manual. A local mechanic welded up the stands for $20, which I thought was a deal. I prepped the metal with a grinder to remove the mill scale where it would be welded. I also dry fitted the straps on top to make sure they would be level. I had to grind one angle iron leg top a little bit to make the straps even when faced together. I wanted the strap iron to hang over about 0.35 inches, so I used a magic marker to indicate where to place the angle iron for the wielder. Turned out nice and it cost $62 for everything including the 1 ¼ pipe flange for the input shaft bearing. It needs to be ground out to 1.6 inches.

 

http://www.alro.com/locations/locationsmain.aspx

 

Click Image to view larger.

 

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Very clean work, Bru...I like the professionalism exhibited all around. 

 

I have a shelf with tube sleeves, even some seamless where quality, rigidity and repeated use are the demand.  Invariably, the specialty niche tools meet a narrow range of needs, making "universal" tools that much smarter.

 

My equipment includes a number of Miller niche tools, which I really value.  What's disappointing, though, is that when OE vehicle builders change models and designs, these tools get used less and less.  An example would be my complete set of Dana axle centerline setup discs (Dana 30 to 70!), which are terrific for Dana and Spicer axle work.  Unfortunately, the late Dodge/Ram is not Dana equipped.  Every bit as strong and reliable as Dana axles, the later Chrysler truck axles share common ground with G.M. and use AAM axles.  Great axles, however, different setup tools.

 

This is why independent shops have many "homemade" tools.  I even have special items like brackets to place a Buick Dynaflow transmission on my Mark Williams' Bench Mule.  On that note, you're at Colorado.  The Mark Williams' Bench Mule has been an absolutely indispensable tool for axle, transmission, transfer case, pump, steering gear and other rebuilding chores.  Designed for the 9" Ford axle, the Bench Mule's adjustable versatility is as broad as your imagination!  Check it out, though a bit spendy on the front end, this bench holding fixture will pay for itself a hundred times over.  For one-guy work especially, the Bench Mule is fantastic—you can rotate a loaded transmission, transfer case or even an axle around—with two fingers!

 

Thanks for sharing...We value your participation at the forums, Bru...

 

Moses

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