Hey everyone,
Context:
I am a complete mechanic novice, barely know how to change tires and bulbs. I'm not dumb, but, there will be many things obvious to anyone with any sense of mechanics that I miss because it wouldn't occur to me. And my first work is a doozie.
I have a 2009 Envoy I got for a song, that has sat for 2 years because of TC and CV issues, apparently. The previous owner got it as an out-of-town family gift from the original owner who was unware of issues until inspection time, and neither of them know more about cars than I. I'm on my own and no one remembers anything about it at this point because it was too expensive to warrant fixing. The mechanic didn't have it on file, and I have no other info.
It drives in 2wd, and it recently sat for a year with a dead battery. Fob does't seem to work either and I swear it used to.
I'm open to any and all advice.
Symptoms:
Was told it needed new Transfer Case, and, passenger CV wobbles like a drunk on a bicycle at the high (non-wheel) end. Was told it needs new CV, but after research of my own, seems the CV Disconnect is more likely culprit of said wobble (I can shove the CV around at least 1/4" at the top).
It has 212,000km on it (127k miles).
For practice, and cheapness, I went to a junkyard to pull parts off a Trailblazer and an Envoy. It took me 6 trips because I didn't know what I was doing or didn't have a tool I needed, but I think I have all the donor parts now. Junkyard trips are easy because if you screw up, oh well, it doesn't have to go back together.
What I've pulled:
- Transfer case from a ~2004 Envoy, I think? Mine needs and NP8 but I forget if this donor was an NP5 or NP8 (I think it was NP8), and I don't know the difference. The junkyard list said they were compatible (true/false?). I didn't know what I was doing, so, laugh it up, I ended up taking the nose of the tranny off along with the TC instead of just the tail of the TC, sorry next guy who might've needed that tranny. The transfer case had already been sniped of its motor, so I pulled the motor off a different transfer case from a Trailblazer that I'm more sure was an NP5 (would that be compatible?).
- CV from the same Envoy. Someone had already sniped the disconnect, but they kindly left the CV they removed to get to it, so I just bought it as-is. Dunno if I even need a new CV but if it's been rattling around in the Disconnect, can't hurt.
- Passenger CV Disconnect from Trailblazer. And Disconnect actuator while I was at it. And I didn't own a 35mm (34?) socket so I ended up pulling apart the CV at the high boot and taking some of it with me. I'll finish ripping it out later.
What I've purchased:
- A gasket for the TC where it mates with the tranny. Tranny shop picked this for me so I presume it's right.
- A pair of Jackstands because I don't have the benefit of it being pre-lifted like it was at the junkyard. (I also own a 2 ton floor jack).
Help?:
- I am going to attempt to follow the Disconnect Rebuild tutorial: http://offroadtb.com/4wd-disconnect-rebuild/ . Apparently I need some pink synthetic grease?
- I almost didn't buy a TC gasket because it didn't occur to me. Again, not dumb, just no mechanic instincts to know that there would be such a thing between those components. Is there a gasket for the disconnect too?
- I almost didn't buy any fluids, because they pre-drain them at the junkyard and it didn't occur to me. I don't know what fluids to buy or how much. "Auto Trak II" for the Transfer Case?
- Are there any tools I will need to get this back together, that I didn't need to take it apart? I have a manual (needle?) Torque Wrench but I've never used one before. Vital? Or is "snug" good enough?
- I did not source a Front Differential because the 2-year old inspection/repair list apparently didn't say it needed one, and also because it involves lifting an engine and moving and changing enough things that it scares me off of touching anything. Hopefully it's fine. I was considering doing a fluid change on the diff anyway, while I'm down there, to give it hope. I don't know what fluid or how much. One tutorial says 75/90?
- I plan on doing the work this coming Sunday evening when stores will be closed, so, anything I might need to buy or need to figure out immediately other than fluids?
- Any other obvious-to-you advice that a novice might miss, like "Oh, every time you take apart X, you always do Y"? Anything the rear driveshaft needs? Any of the suspension components I'll be disconnecting need anything?
Buy/Give/Sell?:
- I live in the Canadian Prairies. It gets down to -20'C (-4'F) here. Does that change any fluid choices?
- Is this an okay vehicle for Canadian winters? It will never see off-road use except perhaps to pull myself out of a snowy ditch or something, so 4x4 doesn't matter much. RWD in Canada seems a touch foolish with occasionally icy and slippery roads, but I can't just leave it in 4Hi on any trip (a few minutes into any trip I'll hit clear pavement, can't just pull over and switch it back when I merge onto a plowed highway with good grip). From what I understand, Envoys do not have AWD, they are only 4x4 or RWD. The auto-4WD seems to work poorly (by other's description, I haven't tried because I want to drive it to the place I'll be working on it and 2wd seems okay for now, last time it moved it was driven 700km [450 miles] on the highway before it pulled in to be inspected) and in unexpected ways for street driving and is not dependable. I read somewhere that newer years (mine is 2009) might have something more akin to AWD than strict 4x4 that won't cause tires to skip on pavement? Some kind of traction control maybe? Is that a transfer case change? I'm quite confused about that or how to tell what I have. I don't know if I want to keep this vehicle or sell it or give it back to the friend I bought it from (who has only driven it once before it sat for 2 years).
...
I think that's it. I'm trepidatious but excited to attempt to fix a car for the first time in my life.
Any advice at all would be much appreciated.
Context:
I am a complete mechanic novice, barely know how to change tires and bulbs. I'm not dumb, but, there will be many things obvious to anyone with any sense of mechanics that I miss because it wouldn't occur to me. And my first work is a doozie.
I have a 2009 Envoy I got for a song, that has sat for 2 years because of TC and CV issues, apparently. The previous owner got it as an out-of-town family gift from the original owner who was unware of issues until inspection time, and neither of them know more about cars than I. I'm on my own and no one remembers anything about it at this point because it was too expensive to warrant fixing. The mechanic didn't have it on file, and I have no other info.
It drives in 2wd, and it recently sat for a year with a dead battery. Fob does't seem to work either and I swear it used to.
I'm open to any and all advice.
Symptoms:
Was told it needed new Transfer Case, and, passenger CV wobbles like a drunk on a bicycle at the high (non-wheel) end. Was told it needs new CV, but after research of my own, seems the CV Disconnect is more likely culprit of said wobble (I can shove the CV around at least 1/4" at the top).
It has 212,000km on it (127k miles).
For practice, and cheapness, I went to a junkyard to pull parts off a Trailblazer and an Envoy. It took me 6 trips because I didn't know what I was doing or didn't have a tool I needed, but I think I have all the donor parts now. Junkyard trips are easy because if you screw up, oh well, it doesn't have to go back together.
What I've pulled:
- Transfer case from a ~2004 Envoy, I think? Mine needs and NP8 but I forget if this donor was an NP5 or NP8 (I think it was NP8), and I don't know the difference. The junkyard list said they were compatible (true/false?). I didn't know what I was doing, so, laugh it up, I ended up taking the nose of the tranny off along with the TC instead of just the tail of the TC, sorry next guy who might've needed that tranny. The transfer case had already been sniped of its motor, so I pulled the motor off a different transfer case from a Trailblazer that I'm more sure was an NP5 (would that be compatible?).
- CV from the same Envoy. Someone had already sniped the disconnect, but they kindly left the CV they removed to get to it, so I just bought it as-is. Dunno if I even need a new CV but if it's been rattling around in the Disconnect, can't hurt.
- Passenger CV Disconnect from Trailblazer. And Disconnect actuator while I was at it. And I didn't own a 35mm (34?) socket so I ended up pulling apart the CV at the high boot and taking some of it with me. I'll finish ripping it out later.
What I've purchased:
- A gasket for the TC where it mates with the tranny. Tranny shop picked this for me so I presume it's right.
- A pair of Jackstands because I don't have the benefit of it being pre-lifted like it was at the junkyard. (I also own a 2 ton floor jack).
Help?:
- I am going to attempt to follow the Disconnect Rebuild tutorial: http://offroadtb.com/4wd-disconnect-rebuild/ . Apparently I need some pink synthetic grease?
- I almost didn't buy a TC gasket because it didn't occur to me. Again, not dumb, just no mechanic instincts to know that there would be such a thing between those components. Is there a gasket for the disconnect too?
- I almost didn't buy any fluids, because they pre-drain them at the junkyard and it didn't occur to me. I don't know what fluids to buy or how much. "Auto Trak II" for the Transfer Case?
- Are there any tools I will need to get this back together, that I didn't need to take it apart? I have a manual (needle?) Torque Wrench but I've never used one before. Vital? Or is "snug" good enough?
- I did not source a Front Differential because the 2-year old inspection/repair list apparently didn't say it needed one, and also because it involves lifting an engine and moving and changing enough things that it scares me off of touching anything. Hopefully it's fine. I was considering doing a fluid change on the diff anyway, while I'm down there, to give it hope. I don't know what fluid or how much. One tutorial says 75/90?
- I plan on doing the work this coming Sunday evening when stores will be closed, so, anything I might need to buy or need to figure out immediately other than fluids?
- Any other obvious-to-you advice that a novice might miss, like "Oh, every time you take apart X, you always do Y"? Anything the rear driveshaft needs? Any of the suspension components I'll be disconnecting need anything?
Buy/Give/Sell?:
- I live in the Canadian Prairies. It gets down to -20'C (-4'F) here. Does that change any fluid choices?
- Is this an okay vehicle for Canadian winters? It will never see off-road use except perhaps to pull myself out of a snowy ditch or something, so 4x4 doesn't matter much. RWD in Canada seems a touch foolish with occasionally icy and slippery roads, but I can't just leave it in 4Hi on any trip (a few minutes into any trip I'll hit clear pavement, can't just pull over and switch it back when I merge onto a plowed highway with good grip). From what I understand, Envoys do not have AWD, they are only 4x4 or RWD. The auto-4WD seems to work poorly (by other's description, I haven't tried because I want to drive it to the place I'll be working on it and 2wd seems okay for now, last time it moved it was driven 700km [450 miles] on the highway before it pulled in to be inspected) and in unexpected ways for street driving and is not dependable. I read somewhere that newer years (mine is 2009) might have something more akin to AWD than strict 4x4 that won't cause tires to skip on pavement? Some kind of traction control maybe? Is that a transfer case change? I'm quite confused about that or how to tell what I have. I don't know if I want to keep this vehicle or sell it or give it back to the friend I bought it from (who has only driven it once before it sat for 2 years).
...
I think that's it. I'm trepidatious but excited to attempt to fix a car for the first time in my life.
Any advice at all would be much appreciated.