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Lucky contestant #4; 1996 econo builld
Topic Started: Nov 9 2015, 10:27 PM (793 Views)
bondvagabond
madder than max
[ *  * ]
Picked up a 1996 geo metro yesterday. Had to tighten the belt due to getting diagnosed with M.S. Am having trouble bike commuting any more cause of my symptoms. There was clearly only one choice :cheers

The parameters:

Needed at least a/c equipped, if not working. My disorder makes me heat sensitive and I live in Texas so it's a must have.

Wanted a 1995+ because I had heard the door handles/ windows were a little less lemony than the pre-95's. I had had trouble finding parts for my previous 3 metros and just wanted to mix it up

Wanted a 1996+ so I could hook up my scan gauge to facilitate fuel efficiency experiments.

3cylinder 5 speed since I am trying to be frugal.

Found one that fit the bill within my (redicullously) low budget. But it does need some work...

I was a diesel mechanic before I had to retire this year at the tender age of 33, and I've had a metro or two so I'm confident I can make this thing into a reliable dd.

I'm only good for a couple hours a day, due to my ms fatigue, so I apologize if my build is slow

The symptoms:

When accelerating, shift nob pushes backwards towards rear of car in first gear, occasionally popping out of gear. There is a bit of movement in the drivers front motor mount so will try that unless you guys recommend something different

Trans doesn't like to shift up into second when cold, but when warm, does fine with no noise, maybe wrong trans fluid? The old 90wt gear oil instead of penzoil synchro fluid song and dance.

Does not like to down shift into 2nd or first, hot or cold, but if you rev match like with a non synchro semi truck transmission it shifts great with no gear noise. So maybe synchros?

Bit of a thunk when going over bumps, but wheel bearing feel tight and suspension bushings look okay, so maybe it's that motor mount. When I grab the arm that goes from the front driver mount to the trans I can get about 3/4" of up down movement in the middle of the mount which seams excessive?

According to previous owner the the a/c allegedly worked but lost its Coolant after 2weeks. He said he could see oil dripping near the compressor, and statistically they leak the most, but will put that on the back burner till the other stuff gets sorted, since the weather has finally cooled off.

Always end up throwing an xfi clone cam in for giggles, but previous owner did valves and rings not too long ago so may wait to see if something blows up har har.

Will get some pics up when I can get cracking on it next day or 2, thanks in advance for any diagnostic second opinions.

Edited by bondvagabond, Nov 9 2015, 11:02 PM.
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evmetro


Welcome, nice first post. 1st and 2nd synchro do wear out on these cars, and it would be good to get those replaced soon.
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idmetro
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Welcome aboard! Sounds like you are well on your way to getting your Metro back to health. Your clunk on bumps could also be exhaust related, check to make sure all your rubber hangers are in good shape. Good Luck - Keep us updated. Don't worry about speed, many of us do a little at a time so things go on longer than we might like.
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bondvagabond
madder than max
[ *  * ]
Got a little done today, mostly wasted time in a fruitless search for my scan gauge cable to be able to pull the engine codes.

Lucky for me, when I put the new plugs in that came with the car, all the trouble codes went away. Lower end is much peppier now, like a geo should be.

Hauled a couple hundred pounds of tools to our new house from storage which felt great.

Checked for the cheapest possible cause of my transmission woes, low trans fluid, but it was actually over filled.

Was a little hesitant to pull it into my garage to have it on a flat surface for fluid check...because the car is full of ants! I retracted the manual antennae, you know, for the extra 100mpg, and they must have been living in there. That was a new one on me, seen lots of bees/wasps on old junk I've worked on but never ants :-)

I put the car in gear, and with the hood up watched the engine as I partially released the clutch with the enrage on. The motor is twisting, but I am not sure if the motor mounts are moving more than they should or not. The front left, and rear are moving more than the front right, so maybe they are both shot. I hate to just throw parts at stuff.

I would like to order the trans rebuild kit, they list different trans codes for 5 speeds, any tips on identifying my trans to make sure I get the right parts?

Thanks for the warm welcome guys, I've been a member since 2012, but this is my first post.
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Murf 59
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Where in S Ore are you?
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bondvagabond
madder than max
[ *  * ]
I gotta update that, I'm down in Austin tx now.
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sser2
sser2

Wish you well first of all.

Shifting out of first could be bad engine and transmission mounts. Shifting linkage is rigidly connected to the tranny.

Your shifting might improve with low viscosity synchromesh oil like Amzoil Synchromesh, so you should give it a try. No sync when downshifting may be due to worn synchros. If you are OK with double or heel-toe clutching, you can live with your transmission as-is for a long time. Fixing will require teardown and rebuild.

All metro transmissions are the same except for final drive, so any 5 speed Metro kit should be fine. Make sure the kit has all the synchros, and that bearings and seals are from a good manufacturer (Nachi, Koyo, SKF, Timken). You will also need shifter's accordion boot and grey silicone. Special tools needed are press and impact screwdriver. There is a very detailed description of rebuild procedure with a lot of pictures on this forum.
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Woodie
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bondvagabond
Nov 12 2015, 01:36 AM
I gotta update that, I'm down in Austin tx now.
Transporting ants across state lines for nefarious purposes, eh?

Expect a visit from the G-men.


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bondvagabond
madder than max
[ *  * ]
I bought the geo here in Texas, so Texas Rangers, not g men. You just can't find a geo metro with a/c in Oregon :-)
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bondvagabond
madder than max
[ *  * ]
Well, since I live here in the big city now where a missed shift could be a health hazard, I bit the bullet and bought a transmission rebuild kit, a clutch and a tube of 3m window weld for rebuilding my motor mounts.

I will do motor mounts first, to see if that fixes the popping out of gear issue, I also bought 3 jugs of synchromesh trans fluid, but figure I will get my whole ass in there and throw it in when I rebuild the trans.

Since the codes cleared up I almost went to get the thing smog checked but remembered I need to weld the muffler on first, Will probably hit that tomorrow. Will be good to get rid of the rattle on every bump, as well as the angry kazzoo sound.

Oh, also picked up some ant bate, so with any luck that problem will be sorted out soon. It's funny till it's not, ya know :-)

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