Removal

TRANSAXLE - 2.3L

Removal
1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist.





2. Remove the battery and the battery tray.





3. Remove the air cleaner as an assembly.
1. Disconnect the breather tube.
2. Disconnect the mass air flow (MAF) sensor electrical connector.
3. Remove the air intake tube.
4. Remove the air cleaner assembly.





4. Disconnect the power takeoff (PTO) vent hose from the clip located on the fill tube.





5. Remove the three bolts holding the shift cable bracket and ground wires and unplug the transaxle electrical connector.





6. Remove the shift cable from the transaxle manual lever.





7. Disconnect the transaxle range (TR) sensor electrical connector.





8. Remove the three upper transaxle retaining bolts.





9. Install the special tools.





10. Install the special tools.





11. Install the special tools.





12. Loosen but do not remove the four retaining nuts holding the bracket to the transaxle case. Remove the LH upper transaxle mount bolt.





13. Remove the six bolts holding the driveshaft to the PTO.





14. Position the driveshaft aside.





15. Remove the four bolts and remove the cross brace.





16. Remove the seven retainers and the LH splash shields.





17. Remove the seven retainers and the RH splash shield.





18. Remove the bolt for the mount and the two bolts for the cross brace.





19. Remove the rear nut and the cross brace.





20. Remove the drain plug and drain the fluid.





21. Remove and discard the LH front axle wheel hub nut.





22. Remove the frame bolt from the LH and RH control arms.





23. Using the special tool, separate the LH halfshaft from the front wheel knuckle.





24. Using the special tools, remove the LH and RH halfshaft.





25. Remove the two intermediate shaft retaining nuts.





26. Remove the intermediate shaft.





27. Remove the two nuts which hold the exhaust bracket to the rear engine mount.





28. Remove the two nuts and bolts on the other end of the exhaust-to-rear engine mount bracket and remove the bracket.
29. Remove the six bolts holding the engine bracket to the PTO and remove the bracket.





30. For vehicles that are not equipped with a PTO, remove the dampener.





31. Remove the three bolts and the PTO assembly.





32. Remove the three bolts holding the transaxle front mount plate.





33. Remove the fluid cooler line.





34. Remove the fluid cooler tube.
1. Disconnect the output shaft speed (OSS) sensor electrical connector (black).
2. Disconnect the turbine shaft speed (TSS) sensor electrical connector (white connector).
3. Remove the transaxle fluid cooler retaining bracket bolt.
4. Remove the fluid cooler tube and position it aside.





35. Remove the OSS sensor.





36. Remove the wire harness clip retainer and the ground wire from the starter bolts.





37. Remove the three bolts and remove the starter.





38. Remove the starter motor isolator.





39. Remove and discard the four torque converter nuts.





40. Push the converter back from the flexplate. Use a suitable transaxle jack to support the transaxle and remove the bolt from the lower front case.





41. Remove the four remaining transaxle-to-engine bolts.





42. Remove the bolt from the transaxle rear mount.

Caution: The torque converter is heavy. Install the special tool before lowering the transaxle.





43. Move the transaxle, back far enough to install the special tool.
44. Lower the transaxle from the engine compartment.