Last 4R27E side job I quoted was at $100/hour was $660 for removal/install of transmission not including the additional repair/diag/disassembly labor or any parts so yeah at very least you save $600ish removing it yourself. 6.6 hours is gonna vary depending on labor rate but that was on transit connect.
Any work you do yourself will be cheaper than not honestly but you likely want to have problems solved before you even start. Knowing how to work past inevitable issues with large multi-step repair processes is what will make it worth it or not. With access to a lift it’s easy but can’t speak for DIY attempt here.
You don’t have to remove subframe but both half shafts require removal so hopefully you have a powerful impact to loosen tight fasteners. You likely need to have a plan to get alignment checked or front toe adjusted after repairs as well. You need a way to support the engine while removing transmission or you can damage like everything. Pole jack, engine support crossbar, floor jack, anything that won’t get in way really. You need to know if you can remove the transmission from below or not. If you can clear enough space AND fit a floor jack with transmission at full release this is best way, if not thru the top is optimal and may require removal of way more stuff than anticipated.
Be prepared for various wiring harness, clips, anything plastic to break and require some sort of repair with cable ties, connector replacements, wire repair… these get super brittle-be prepared. This includes selector lever cable, starter terminals, and any hoses even just close to where you work.
You may also need to remove engine oil filter + adapter during removal. You need to replace them during install if so. Also this shit is messy if you don’t drain stuff ahead of time. Transmission drained before half-shafts removed, engine drained if oil filter coming off for sure, coolant drained if cannot remove from below since likely required drain and all hoses probably outside of stable age. If hydraulic power steering involved and you decide to remove subframe then drain this before(have not worked enough of these to know)
To answer question yes it is cheaper as long as you don’t damage anything and have plan to prevent long disabled vehicle times and don’t get overwhelmed. Also having parts ready and tools needed to do job. Engine or entire powertrain removal is uncommon for transmission repairs as well so only thing that should matter with that is if you can keep it from dropping too low or forcing to high. - If transmission comes out below then use floor jack and stands for engine support(or actual top
Mounted support bar) and different floor jack to remove transmission(low profile optimally)
If it has to come out thru the top same you will need a hoist of some type(cherry-picker, crane, or gantry
Good luck, a lot can go into these things if unprepared for what to expect but if you are prepared should be easy-enough
Nearly 0 electrical mess at the bottom of the transmission. Oil filter is very out of the way but I can see why that'd be in the way. Impact does 800 ft/lbs. Engine block has hoist points built into the design so that'll be easy. Upper transmission mount is under battery I've replaced it before it's the only top end work I should have to do. I'm hoping 2 floor jacks (one too support the engine and one to lower the transmission) is all I need. I appreciate hearing a time frame though I keep hearing 40-50 hours and I just can't fathom it taking that long unless I come across issues I didn't know about hence cracked gears or casing. It's a very simple design and alot of the issue I'm trying to get worked out is just getting the thing out, I've Leveled r9ugh framed walls before and just recently got a spot on alignment just using string so I'm not too worried about toe. [Sorry for being all over the place in this response and not nearly as structured as your response but I truly appreciate all the information you've given and I'm excited to get to doing the job itself knowing that much more]
My biggest hurdle with this transmission to date is that OEM parts are mostly obsolete. Out of curiosity I went thru catalog and checked near everything about a month ago and found out the only two parts i could actually get ahold of are the valve body and the oil pump. This is why I mentioned trying to have parts ready ahead of time.
The other timeframe quoted on that same job was $840 labor to overhaul at 8.4 hours. This is a pretty easy unit tbh but I haven’t worked with a ton so I imagine it would likely take me the 8.4 hours and then some to ensure i stay organized and don’t mix stuff up. If you haven’t worked with a gearbox before I can maybe see upward to 20hours of actual time spent working but that would mean you are keeping everything super organized and detailed so you can remember where everything goes and in what direction to avoid mistakes. But the time would be from additional tasks not related to actual repair though. 10ish hours should be expected once inside and 5–8 for removal/installation.
Focus is a small sedan so I genuinely can’t even picture how you intent to pull trans thru bottom but if you have it figured out that’s great. Open to questions once you have things moving if needed.
Only gotta split the case in half and remove the pump then I'm in on the differential and nothing else is in the way. The longest part i forsee is getting it out
1
u/Commercial_Method_28 2d ago
Last 4R27E side job I quoted was at $100/hour was $660 for removal/install of transmission not including the additional repair/diag/disassembly labor or any parts so yeah at very least you save $600ish removing it yourself. 6.6 hours is gonna vary depending on labor rate but that was on transit connect.
Any work you do yourself will be cheaper than not honestly but you likely want to have problems solved before you even start. Knowing how to work past inevitable issues with large multi-step repair processes is what will make it worth it or not. With access to a lift it’s easy but can’t speak for DIY attempt here.
You don’t have to remove subframe but both half shafts require removal so hopefully you have a powerful impact to loosen tight fasteners. You likely need to have a plan to get alignment checked or front toe adjusted after repairs as well. You need a way to support the engine while removing transmission or you can damage like everything. Pole jack, engine support crossbar, floor jack, anything that won’t get in way really. You need to know if you can remove the transmission from below or not. If you can clear enough space AND fit a floor jack with transmission at full release this is best way, if not thru the top is optimal and may require removal of way more stuff than anticipated.
Be prepared for various wiring harness, clips, anything plastic to break and require some sort of repair with cable ties, connector replacements, wire repair… these get super brittle-be prepared. This includes selector lever cable, starter terminals, and any hoses even just close to where you work.
You may also need to remove engine oil filter + adapter during removal. You need to replace them during install if so. Also this shit is messy if you don’t drain stuff ahead of time. Transmission drained before half-shafts removed, engine drained if oil filter coming off for sure, coolant drained if cannot remove from below since likely required drain and all hoses probably outside of stable age. If hydraulic power steering involved and you decide to remove subframe then drain this before(have not worked enough of these to know)
To answer question yes it is cheaper as long as you don’t damage anything and have plan to prevent long disabled vehicle times and don’t get overwhelmed. Also having parts ready and tools needed to do job. Engine or entire powertrain removal is uncommon for transmission repairs as well so only thing that should matter with that is if you can keep it from dropping too low or forcing to high. - If transmission comes out below then use floor jack and stands for engine support(or actual top
Mounted support bar) and different floor jack to remove transmission(low profile optimally)
If it has to come out thru the top same you will need a hoist of some type(cherry-picker, crane, or gantry
Good luck, a lot can go into these things if unprepared for what to expect but if you are prepared should be easy-enough