transmission installation

[scott h]

Please tell this will work. I was not able to get my clutch alingment tool to center the disc, too much slop from side to side. i had previously done a test install, mating trans to motor before actual install. I lined up the clutch disc as even as possible along the edge of the pressure plate and tightened the clutch down. On my tremec the adapter plate is such a tight fit with the trans you can't get the trans in without using the bolts to pull the trans into the adapter. So that is what i did, i did not have to use any real force while tightening , just worked in a pattern to get the trans to go in a straight as possible. Being a novice to this i feel pretty comfortable in assuming that if the transmission shaft did not line up with the pilot bearing i would not of had such an easy time getting the trans properly in place. i hope that if i had not lined up the input shaft with the pilot bearing i would have met with enough resistance to know some thing was wrong.

[Jim Harding]

Scott, if the tranny went in all the way with no real resistance, then I'd say your home free and should not have any issues.
There are only two issues that will interfere with the installation. The first is getting the input splines to engage the clutch disk. Sometimes it's necessary to have a second person rotate the crankshaft via the harmonic balancer bolt until the splines line up, or If the tranny is in gear, you can also rotate the input shaft via the tail shaft. The second is with the input shaft entering the pilot bearing. This is sometimes the most difficult, as the sloppy fit using the plastic clutch alignment tool leaves a lot to be desired. The best alignment tool is a salvaged input shaft, but is usually not part of our everyday tool chest. To overcome this, it is sometimes necessary to relieve pressure on the disk so it can allow the input shaft to properly line up. This is not possible using a HTOB, but can be done by applying force to the clutch fork if you're using something other than a HTOB.
Holding the tranny in position while going through the giggling motions to get it lined up is made easier using some alignment studs (headless bolts) to take the weight off your arms. Tony Naumoff posted a picture of these in the thread about my HTOB issues.
At any rate, congratulations, looks like your moving closer to getting back on the road.
- Jim -

[TurnpikeBoy]

If you got the trans all the way in, tight to the adapter and the bellhousing, WITHOUT breaking off the trans bolt ears, you'll be fine. If there are any gaps between the face of the trans and the adapter - trans not all the way butted up - then something is holding it up.

Check carefully. It's not a real problem to use the bolts to pull the trans in, but you got to understand this must be done very, very carefully or you run the risk of snapping the bolt ears off the trans case casting......and that's ugly. Sounds like you did this. And as long as everything looks mated up, you should be just fine.



-Roger

[scott h]

it seems like yesterday may have been one of the first days without even a minor glitch. I don't even reall cussing one time!