i'm trying (as in all day) to get the tranny mounted into my 77 wagon. the main shaft will not go into the new pilot bearing. all parts are correct. my mechanic friend says it's a common problem, i've never had it happen. what do you do? there is about a 1 inch gap all the way around the bellhousing.

Grease up the end of the shaft? This usually helps it slip into the bearing easier.(sorry kids:rolleyes:)

Try turning the engine over a little, it also might help.

thanks turbone but i did all of the above. anyone else? it really is not going. i don't get it. a clutch alignment tool of the same size as the shaft fits in fine.

regardless if the clutch is aligned or not(trust me ,i have not hade a tool for the las t three engine outs)it is something you need to step away from it.get back at it tomorrow and i bet it will happen ....like a fairy showed up and put them in the correct alignment position. seriously.just because the shaft is aligned with the bearing does not mean the splines are aligned with the clutch.

John, do you have the pressureplate barely tightened,so the clutch can move around? I always had trouble until I just left it loose, and then tightened through the starter hole

damn good call...

 

 

 

John, do you have the pressureplate barely tightened,so the clutch can move around? I always had trouble until I just left it loose, and then tightened through the starter hole

John, do you have the pressureplate barely tightened,so the clutch can move around? I always had trouble until I just left it loose, and then tightened through the starter hole

 

That was going to be my next suggestion. I've had to use that technique a few times, and it works good.

thanks for all the suggestions. i just got back from the shop because i just couldn't leave it alone.

 

"all parts are correct" i said. never take my absolute statements to be true. i pulled the p plate and clutch disc out (for the second time) and the new disc has a slightly deeper "hub" for lack of a better word,than the old disc, so it is physically impossible for this shaft to pass into the bearing by a 5mm difference. this may not be the cause of all the trouble, because it seems like the shaft should at least be getting started in the bearing before it is prevented frombolting up.

 

at one point it seemed almost mounted far enough, so i suspect that i have two problems, one being the incorrect disc, and the other being that as mick suggested i did torque the plate down before mounting the tranny and during some attempts it was not passing through the splines. but i did rotate the flywheel during this ordeal quite a bit, so i dunno....

 

how little space do you think it is possible to have between the tranny and engine bellhousings WITHOUT the splines on the shaft lined up? because it seems like i was too close for that to be a possibility, yet too far for it all to be blamed on the 5mm difference in the depth of the hub? if you think it matters this is the 77 wagon.

 

either way i am a ********************* for being careless when i first compared the old disc to the new. i checked the diameter and made sure the splines fit and thought all was good.

 

i'm done for now and will probobly be waiting till monday for a new disc. i have put trannys in before and never had it be this big a deal. a day of my life i can't get back. good thing i'm not an NFL fan.....

(but i did watch iowa state vs. kansas hoops for two hours! great game, but like the tranny job, the wrong outcome.)

possibly a dumb question but, is it 4wd? my trans on the 87 wouldnt go in till i twisted the output shaft a bit and lined the splines up. then it just popped in. I know nothing about 77's. 5mm isnt much tho, so maybe this doesnt apply...

Leave pressure plate loose - tighten through starter hole. That's how I always do them since I had the exact same problem as you. Never had a problem since.

 

GD

Leave pressure plate loose - tighten through starter hole. That's how I always do them since I had the exact same problem as you. Never had a problem since.

 

GD

 

 

i believe this is the real issue i had. never had it before, but i am sold.

 

i have remeasured everything i i believe this disc should work even with the difference. it should not bottom out on the shaft.

 

i'm gonna leave it alone for today. probobly monday after work i'll give it another go.

 

thanks again all for the help.