I just replaced the pilot bearing, clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing on my 65. I'm having a hard time getting the 4 speed stabbed back in. In goes in far enough for the splines to engage but stops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch before getting to the bell housing. I think it's an alignment issue with the pilot bearing or the input shaft doesn't want to slide through the throwout bearing. I checked both of these on the trans before installation to make sure the trans would fit. Everything else new matched the size of the old parts. I used the clutch alignment tool and I have a transmission jack so I can get it lined up good as far as I can tell.
Does anyone have any tricks to make this go any easier or do I just need to keep man handling and twisting and shoving until it slides on up?
assuming you used a line up shaft,,if you have it that close turn the output shaft in the tranny..does it act like its engaged[make sure it is in a gear]
if it does it may be just that you have the pressure plate off just a little and will be hard to finish going in
you can install a few screws in the bellhousing and tighten them down to see if it draws it in.
when you have pressure on the bolts[not alot] then try to pull tranny back and forth to loosen up bolts,,,then continue to tighten up more
dont overtighten the bolts and only tighten them slightly to avoid breaking a ear off the bell housing but usually this is harder to do than you would thinbk
i think tho you should re align the plate using the line up shaft ..make sure the line up shaft if centered as you look at the pressure plate opening
hope this helps...if not ,,repost
Input shaft may not be going into pilot bearing........CAREFULLY try drawing tranny in by LIGHTLY tightening the 4 bolts to the bell housing.....be careful not to snap off the 4 ears ( tapping the tranny with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer may help. ALSO once the input shaft goes thru the clutch and the throw out bearing is on the slide collar you can lightly depress the clutch pedal. T this will help align the shaft, pressure plate, and input bushing.....KEY operative words here......LIGHTLY, CAREFULLY, SLOWLY....All the above have worked repeatedly for me.......E the A
Make sure, when you're under the car, that you are not letting the tail shaft end of the tranny hang down. Push up in the front of the trans, and at the rear, and rotate it (rock it slightly back and forth as you squarely try to shove it in. The trans has to be level with the
engine!!!
You can do as the other folks stated, as well. All good info. A helper pushing in the
clutch with the trans almost in will allow it to slam home.
Thanks everybody. I finally gave up on doing it alone and had my wife get in and gently depress the clutch as many of you suggested. That got it close enough to get bolts started at all four corners then I "gently" tightened them a little at a time. In between tightening rounds I changed the jack position and pushed, shoved, shook, and cussed until it finally seated. Next time I think I'll wait until I can have a helper around to do the light clean work topside while I lay under it and do the dirty work, ha.
Truly you must be an old goat as it takes a stout man to wrestle in a gearbox by himself. We're getting ready to drop the engine and rebuilt trans in my 65 also, but I made good and sure I had a a couple of hearty friends along to help out. BTW I had a really good experience with Ed Hartnett up in Lansdowne PA. He rebuilt both transmissions in the Goat and the Vette and is about a talented a straight shooter as I've met.
Let us know how you make out once your 65 is back on the road.
Ha, this thread made me laugh. When I replace the clutch in my 68, the only jack I had was holding up the rear of the engine so I had to slide the trans up onto my chest and lift it in place with my arms. Took me about 4 trys to hit the splind hole, my arms were beat. Then I tried to push it forward and it stopped about 1/2" short, took me about an hours worth of cussing and wiggling to get it to move, then it just slide in like butter. I was like "what the hell was that all about?". Oh, did I fail to mention that this was on a gravel driveway! Damn rocks
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
