In need of a spicer 4 speed and clutch

[Dlsnow]

I have an mci 7 with an 8v71 setup to a manual 4 speed spicer

The transmission 1st and 2nd are locked up and the clutch is locked up -
- or is there somewhere that can reman the spicer - so far every place I have called says its too old and nobody knows it well enough and they are all concerned about parts availability.

I have looked into converting to an automatic and would prefer to stick with the manual

Where can I find a spicer and clutch?  The bus is in central wisconsin (Wausau area).

Dave-

[Len Silva]

Pull it out and take it apart.  It's probably nothing serious.

[bevans6]

The Spicer 8844 in your bus is possibly the simplest transmission on the planet.  Really.  Aside from being big and needing a large wrench to undo some of the nuts, it really is a basic transmission.  Once you get it out take the top off (find the book, you have to do something with the reverse shift fork that I forget) and you will pretty instantly know what you need, and I believe Luke can supply parts and bearings.  I had a spare one for a while but I took it to salvage.  It might be as simple as a broken spring in the shift finger lockouts.

The biggest gear on the bottom with the helical (slanted) teeth is first gear.  The gear up one with square cut teeth is two things - it is the sliding hub that engages first and second to the main shaft, and it is the output gear for reverse.  The little square cut gear on it's own off to the left is the reverse idler gear.  The row of helical gears in a line off to the left is the layshaft.  The helical gear above the reverse output gear is second gear.  I think that's all you can see, but above it is third and fourth/input gear.  The way it works is power comes in at the top to fourth/.input gear.  If fourth gear is selected that input gear is locked to the main shaft and power goes straight out the bottom.  Otherwise the power is sent down to the layshaft by the input gear, and the layshaft spins all the other gears all the time.  Which-ever gear is locked to the main shaft sends power out the bottom.  If first and second are locked up, the reason is that the big square cut gear that is both reverse and the sliding hub for first and second isn't moving right.  It could be it's selector fork locked up, or reverse idler gear is in the way, or something is broken to make it not slide back and forth.  That big hub is just slides on a splined section of the main shaft, and the same splines it slides on engage the first and second gear to select those gears.  Hard to explain in words, looking at the box and sliding the gears back and forth makes it instantly obvious...

Brian

[Dlsnow]

You bus nuts always give me a boost in confidence.

I am having the bus towed from the shop it is at over to my buddies place where we can work on it.

I have read that I need a transmission Jack to get this thing out - any pointers on removing it?  So far I know i need to slide it forward as straight as i can after removing all linkage and the bolts holding it on.

Will have an update in a few days.  Thanks Len and Brian

[Stormcloud]

I have a complete Spicer 8844 here, removed from my MCI7 a year ago.
I wouldn't put in a used clutch,  but those pieces are here too ( I think).

Shipping might be kind of pricey. I spent about $650 on shipping the automatic from North Carolina to North Dakota, wrapped on a pallet.

If you need, send me a PM and we can chat.

[bevans6]

What I would do is remove the engine and transmission as a package - just slide it out with a fork lift or pallet truck as described elsewhere - then take the trans off the back of the engine with a engine lift and set it down on the floor, or a dolly.  That lets you also see the clutch and flywheel, the throw out bearing and fork, pilot bearing, etc.  They are probably all due for service if not replacement.  Then undo all the bolts and nuts holding the top on and take the top off, you will see exactly what I had in my picture.  Then first thing you do is see if the gears slide back and forth and look for missing teeth and such, or a big chunk that looks missing.  Then put the top of the gearbox in a vise and see if you can shift it into all the gear positions.  There is a lock-out so that you can't move the reverse shift rod unless the box is in neutral, then the solenoid moves the 1/2 shift lever over into the reverse position and 1/2 is now locked in neutral.  Same if the 3/4 shift rod is moved, the 1/2 rod gets locked and vice-versa.  I bet that locking mechanism is buggered up or stuck.  It is accessible by taking the top of the transmission apart (with the manual, there are tiny little springs and sliding bits that actually do the locking of the shift rods).

MC-7's are supposed to be pretty roomy so you might do it in the bus.  You could try just taking the top off in the bus, I guess.  But if you are unhooking stuff so you can slide the engine at all, may as well take it out.  Edit - you need to be able to lift the top of the box up about 10" straight up so the shift forks clear, so you need that much vertical clearance over the box.

Brian