Drivers side output shaft 2000 2.2l

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svrwthr

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Short story first:
Thought I had a great deal after I blew the engine in my 1999 2.4l and my buddy has taken 8 months to even think about changing it. Then I found a 2000 2.2l 147,000 miles for $650 and talked her to $500. The lady said she hit a rock with on passenger side and the only thing wrong was a leak in the steering pump she thought and a bad tire and rim on that side. Took alum rims and tires off '99 and put on '00. Time to check the leak. Well the leak was on the other side and is coming out the output shaft seal. Not a big issue for a great shape, mileage, and price.

To the problem:
What a pain in the butt to get that seal out. I noticed a slight groove in the drive axle (CV) end so I decided to get a new one ($50, still a deal). But as I was removing the seal I notice excessive up/down/in/out play in the spline shaft coming out of the transmission housing. I have changed a few CV's in my time but never touched the the splined drive end so I never noticed play in any because of never touching those other than putting the CV back in. Some sites for other makes and models say that there is play in passenger side but I have not seen anything about play on a Sunfire drivers side. Is this normal. So I am here at this site that I have read a lot of good information on, to see if anyone else has noticed play in the drivers side output shaft? I would like to know yes or no before I put the new seal and CV back in a get her on the road that way if play is normal I can go on, if not then I start a transmission swap which I can do compared to the engine on the other. I can get a salvage transmission for $150 to $250 which is still a better price tag in total than having the engine done on the 2.4l. Have three of these cars now and new Corolla. I love Sunfires for some odd reason.

Thanks for any response and have a wonderful holiday.
 
Siting it has no leak. But idle running it leaks. I figured the leak is coming from the output shaft seal since it comes from there and got a new one ($6 no loss there if not the issue).

I thank you for the link. Mine has this kind of play without the half shaft on. With the seal on there should be even less play than what he shows unless he has already taken out his seal. I am an Electromechanical technician that deals with gear reducers on a daily basis but with those, any play in the shaft and leaks is usually the outer seal. Once replaced it tightens it up. Most of the time we throw them out because they are not rebuildable. But I was just wondering if this is normal on this car.

I do have another exact same year and model but I am not pulling it apart to compare. I have no garage and working on present one outside in the snow, yeah, ouch. Seems to me from the replies on the video that the in and out play is normal. As for the up and down on the video, his most likely might be a really bad seal and I am going to have to make an assumption that the up and down might be normal without the half shaft in. With a new seal in, it should button the play up.

What I will do is make a video, put it on my youtube account. Put it back together with a new output shaft seal once it gets back in the mid 20's outside. And see if it leaks still. Then make a follow up since it seems that this issue needs more insight for others that may be experiencing the same issue. I can also follow it up down the road if the leak is gone and comes back. To me, if I had a garage, I might have just bought a salvage yard transmission since they are abundant and range up to maximum $250. I say maximum of $250 because there is one here in town that is a high end salvage company that wants exuberant prices for their stuff and they are at $250. But I have found a standard/average salvage yard to be in the $125 to $175 ballpark and that I can do plus I can do the tranny myself if I "borrow" a garage.

Merry Christmas
 
I know how hard to work on cars when it's cold out, I live in Upstate NY. When you put the new seal in, idle the car and run it through all gears and check for leaks. Also, try the up and down play with the half-shaft in. Take a video, post the link here, and we will go from there. I know that some play is acceptable in some cars. I have 99 sunfire 2.4 Manual Trans. and there is a very little in and out play, which is normal.

By the way, I used to have a prizm (corolla) too, but got rid of it as it was very slow for me.


Keep us posted.
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You can't go wrong with those prices!! For me it was very hard to find a Manual Transmission for the 2.4L, I had to borrow a friend's garage to replace the Trans and everything went fine as I had access to better tools and had a lot of space to move around.

See how much play you got after you put it together and go from there.
 
Here is the video of the play. Sorry for the breathing but it is still cold out, I was squeezed in the wheel well, and my face was in the camera back in order to get the video. Will have the CV and seal in in the next couple of days. I got lazy over Christmas and it was -3 the last two days. Looks like it might be in the mid 20's the next few so I will finish up soon. http://youtu.be/ldb2XN6s2po
 
The video turned out great actually.
In some vehicles, that is normal even though it does look like it's loose.
In your case, if you still have excessive play when you put the half-shaft in, then there is a problem. You will have approximately 1/8" to 1/4" in and out, that is normal. If you have about the same play up and down, left right and other directions and there is no leak, noise or vibration, you should be good.

To check for play correctly, especially in and out, put the suspension components back together, spindle nut, etc. so the half-shaft has no where to go and post back the result.
 
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