Removal (2.5L)
- Remove air cleaner cover, air intake hose assembly and air filter. Remove battery, battery tray and support brace. Disconnect necessary control cables, electrical connectors and oil cooler lines at transaxle.
- Remove dipstick and dipstick tube from transaxle. Remove manual control lever assembly from shaft on transaxle. Manual control lever assembly is lever assembly to which gearshift cable attaches to on transaxle.
- Remove starter. Remove rear (firewall side) transaxle mount through-bolt. Remove rear (firewall side) transaxle mount-to-transaxle bolts. Raise and support vehicle. Remove necessary lower covers for access to transaxle.
- Remove front wheels. Slightly raise transaxle with transmission jack. Remove through-bolt from driver-side transaxle mount assembly. Remove bolts and driver's side transaxle mount assembly from top of transaxle.
- Support engine with hoist. Loosen tie rod end-to-steering knuckle nut. DO NOT remove nut. Disconnect stabilizer bar link from damper fork. Damper fork is bolted on bottom of strut assembly and attaches to lower control arm.
- Remove damper fork-to-strut assembly bolts and damper fork-to-lower control arm bolts. Remove damper fork. Loosen lower ball joint-to-steering knuckle nuts on both ball joints. DO NOT remove nuts. Remove axle shafts. See appropriate AXLE SHAFTS article in DRIVELINE/AXLES.
- Remove exhaust pipe for access to crossmember located below transaxle. Remove front (radiator side) transaxle mount through-bolt. Remove crossmember located below transaxle. Remove engine-to-transaxle support braces located at lower front edge of transaxle.
- Remove torque converter cover. Place reference mark on drive plate and torque converter for reassembly reference. Remove torque converter bolts. Slightly push torque converter back toward transaxle. Remove transaxle-to-engine block bolts. Remove transaxle assembly.