Freelander Reverse Repair

A Case of Mistaken Identity, Part 2
“Impossible?”
By Ed Lee
Before digging into this article, you should first read Wayne Colona’s article, “A Case of Mistaken
Identity,” which appeared in last month’s Transmission Digest. If you didn’t catch it in the March issue,
please take a minute or two and read it before proceeding. What follows will make a lot more sense
once you have read his article.
When filling the front-wheel-drive Jatco 5-speed, it is not difficult for the technician installing the
transmission to mistake the band anchor stud for the fill plug. In fact, as Wayne explained, it’s not dif-
ficult to make this same mistake twice. When you consider that the shortest R&R time is 4.5 hours
on Volkswagen, and the longest R&R time is 9.6 hours on the Freelander, it is important to figure out
a way to rectify this problem without removing the transmission from the vehicle.
Don’t Drive if No Reverse
It is important that you identify the problem immediately. Do not road test the vehicle to check out
the forward speeds if you are having a problem with reverse. The reduction band must be anchored
to the case by the anchor stud to prevent rotation. If you try to drive the vehicle without the stud in
place, the band will rotate, wedging itself between the drum and case. This will prevent the drum
from rotating and will burn the clutches that try to apply for a given gear. If the clutches lose their
service ability, then the transmission must be removed.
First you need to realize what is involved in the process of returning the band to its anchored posi-
tion. The band looks like a shrunken-down version of the forward band in a 4T60-E. When the band
is in its proper position in the case it looks as it is pictured in Figure 1. The anchor stud fits into the
oval hole on one end of the band and
Figure 1 the servo pushes against the other
end of the band for band apply. The
natural spring tension of the band aids
in its release of the drum as the servo
releases its pressure on the band.
The band’s spring tension would make

you think that reinstalling the anchor
stud into the band would be impossi-
ble. The first hurdle you have to over-
come is removing the tension from the
band. This can be accomplished by
removing the cap from the servo cavi-
ty. Once the cap is removed you can
see that the servo release movement
is limited by a snap ring. The servo piston and return spring are located under the snap ring while
the adjusting threads and the adjustment jam nut are located above the snap ring.
Leave the snap ring in place, loosen the jam nut
and back out the servo pin adjustment until about Figure 2
7/8” of threads are exposed. (See Figure 2.) This
will allow you to rotate the band closer to the posi-
tion needed to reinstall the anchor stud. If you have
not backed the adjustment out far enough, you will
still have tension on the band and if you back the
adjustment out too far, the band will rotate past the
servo pin.
At this point, the task still looks impossible. To make

it possible, chuck the anchor stud in a lathe and
drill a hole down the center of the stud. An “R” drill
bit is a good choice for drilling the hole since it is
the tap drill bit for 1/8” pipe threads, and you will
need to plug the hole in the stud when you are finished. Don’t forget to tap the threads into the head
end of the stud before proceeding. You will not want to remove the anchor stud to tap the threads
once you have it back in place.
You’ll need a tool to position the band while reinstalling the anchor stud. The tool shown in Figure 3
was made from .102 music wire, although any number of substitute materials can be used. The two
important things are that the tool be as rigid as possible and have as much of an arch as possible
and still fit down the bore of the stud. The right-angle bend of the tool will help to guide the blind end
of the tool.
If the band is wedged between the drum and the

Figure 3
case, tap it free. Center the band, then rotate the
band until the servo end of the band is resting
against the servo pin. The oval hole in the band will
now be exposed through the anchor stud hole in
the case. Put the band alignment tool through the
center of the anchor stud as shown in Figure 4. The
tool can now be used to position the band as the
anchor stud is installed into the case. When the
anchor stud is successfully installed into the case,
plug the hole in the stud with a 1/8” pipe plug and
adjust the clearance on the band.
In World War II, an Army engineering company had the

motto, “Difficult tasks we do immediately, impossible tasks
take a little longer.” When you’ve successfully replaced
the band anchor stud without removing the transmission
from the vehicle, you’ll surely be able to relate to
those soldiers.
Figure 4
Ed Lee is a Sonnax technical specialist and a member of
the TASC Force (Technical Automotive Specialties
Committee), a group of recognized industry technical specialists, transmission rebuilders and Sonnax
Industries Inc. technicians.
©2005 Sonnax

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A Case of Mistaken Identity, Part 2

Don’t Drive if No Reverse

The band’s spring tension would make

At this point, the task still looks impossible. To make

If the band is wedged between the drum and the

In World War II, an Army engineering company had the

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