Procedures

Important: Use the following appropriate safety equipment and procedures:
^ Wear safety glasses.
^ Wear safety shoes.
^ Wear solvent-proof gloves.
^ Keep the work area clean.
^ Keep the tools clean.
^ Clean the transaxle exterior before removing parts.
^ Do not use wipe cloths.
^ Do not use rags.
^ Do not use solvents on rubber seals.
^ Do not use solvents on plastic/PTFE thrust washers.
^ Use compressed air to blow out all passages.
^ Use fine wire to clean out small passages.
^ Handle the parts carefully to prevent damage.
^ Use transaxle fluid to lubricate all internal parts during the assembly procedures.
^ Always dip the threads of bolts, screws, or studs in transaxle fluid when installing into aluminum.
^ Always use a torque wrench for proper torque.
^ Use thread inserts to recondition damaged or stripped aluminum threads.
^ Replace all gaskets. Do not use gasket cement or sealers.
^ Replace all O-ring seals. Do not use gasket cement or sealers.
^ Replace the plastic/PTFE seals only when necessary. Use the appropriate seal protector to install.
^ Replace the rubber seals only when necessary. Use the appropriate seal protector to install.

Inspect the manual linkage for the following conditions:
^ Inspect for wear at the pivoting points.
^ Inspect for bent links.
^ Inspect for broken links.
^ Inspect for bent rods.
^ Inspect for broken rods.

Inspect all the seals, the gaskets, the O-rings and the mating surfaces for the following conditions:
^ Inspect for nicks.
^ Inspect for cuts.
^ Inspect for damage.

Inspect the snap rings for the following conditions:
^ Inspect for expansion.
^ Inspect for compression.
^ Inspect for proper ring groove fit.

Inspect the bearings and the thrust surfaces for the following conditions:
^ Inspect for wear.
^ Inspect for scoring.
^ Inspect for pitting.