Nate and Andy have been so helpful with their advice as my friends and I are installing new clutch parts on my 52 3/4 ton. But as you said, the transmission is much harder to reinstall. We are using the studs for the top holes, but even once in, we are having some difficulty getting it to go fully in, so that we can then screw in the bottom bolts. If it is lined up properly, and established on the top studs, should we expect the transmission to push up flush fairly easily? For us, it has not. We suspect we are not lined up quite properly. But any fine details on how it should move up tight once it is hanging on the top studs? Tough, cold day for us on the floor of the garage in northern New England. We plan to go back at it two days before Christmas. These guys are saints to be helping me out, but then so are you guys for your advice. Thanks for your thoughts in advance!! Eric
Eric, Have one of your frends push the clutch in while your pushing on the tranny, shuld go right in. Chris
Tranny Installation As Chris mentioned , did you use a clutch alignment tool ? . the clutch disc *must* be prefectly centered in the flywheel so the pilot shaft of the tranny slips into it . I always have the tranny in 2nd. gear too , this helps the splines match up better . Sometimes you just have to get it 3/4 the way in , then wiggle the back of the tranny as you shove on it and all of a sudden ~ ZOOP ! it'll slide that last bit into place .
Yeah, like Nate says. As I said in my previous post, getting the input shaft to set into the pilot bushing can be a little tricky but a little wiggling and pushing as per Nate and it should all of a sudden just pop into place. If it is still setting on the guide pins as previously outlined and you used a clutch alignment tool, you can probably do this yourself without the help of your buddies. After mine fell off the jack and smashed my finger, I installed the trans by myself with a lift, broken/smashed finger and all the following week. Could barely get the bandaged finger into the glove, but it was fairly straightforward. If I could get the input shaft to pop into the pilot bushing by myself with a broken finger, you should be able to get it in there as well. Good luck and keep us posted as to your progress. BTW, I don't recall any pictures of your truck. You know how we all love pictures. Maybe I'm wrong and you posted some already, but I don't remember seeing any. Please post some, 'K? We would all love to see it. I know all about laying on the cold concrete to do jobs like this. When I am driving around town, I always keep an eye out at the curbs for people who are re-carpeting their house. You can usually pick up a nice neat rolled up length of carpet that you can then cut into pieces to lay on in the shop/garage/dirt floor etc. Keeps you a bit warmer and cushions against the small rocks/metal bits/debris that tend to push up into your back as you are laying on the floor. If you are really lucky, you'll find a nice piece of thick, heavy good quality carpet which is even better. It certainly won't be too clean, but who cares? You're just laying on it in your work clothes. The older I get, the thicker the carpet I need. On cold days like this (snowing here today), I may put down two layers of it. Andy
Clutch allignment tool? Now I'm stumped..... A clutch allignment tool? Don't have that, and don't know what it is or where one would get it. Is it a must? Is it expensive? Thoughts? Eric
Eric, Okay, because you are just learning I won't rank on you for that one. Yes, there is a clutch alignment tool. When I bought my "kit" it contained a pressure plate, clutch disc, pre-greased throwout bearing, pilot bushing and CLUTCH ALIGNMENT TOOL. A clutch alignment tool is a short wood or nowadays plastic tool that looks just like the input shaft of the transmission. You are supposed to insert this tool through the clutch disc and into the pilot bushing in the crankshaft when installing the pressure plate. Without it, the disc will most likely never be centered in the proper position to insert the input shaft of the tranny into the pilot bushing. MOST clutch remanufacturers supply one to you when you purchase the aforementioned kit. I am certain you can buy one, or I would be happy to LEND you mine long-distance if you PM me with your address. Look at the picture of the clutch kit that our host, CP, sells and you will see the tool in question. I do not see on the website or in the catalog that they sell it separately, so drop me a PM and you will have it in time for your buddies to come back. You must start from scratch and take the tranny, pressure plate and clutch disc out. Or at least loosen the pressure plate enough so that the clutch disc can be moved enough to insert the alignment tool. It will be all gravy from there, brother. Andy
Sounds to me like you have the input shaft splines started in the clutch disc. If you push in the clutch that will release the disc and it should go into the pilot bushing. It's worked for me in the past. Chris
Frustrating I guess it is a tribute to Chevy Duty (or Classic Parts). They didn't have the size pressure plate/friction disk that I needed for my 3/4 ton. So I end up paying quite a bit more for them from Kanter Auto Parts in NJ. But Kanter doesn't include that nice clutch allignment tool in their package and also make no mention of it. Oh well. I will see if CD will sell me one. But I admit I am also hoping that pushing in the clutch will allow it now to just slide in.... Thanks to all of you. Eric
Stupid question By the way, once the allignment tool is in place, how do you get it back out when you push in the transmission input shaft? Maybe it is obvious, once I get my hands on this tool, but just wondering.... Eric
Eric, You use the alignment tool when assembling the clutch disc and pressure plate to the flywheel. It is inserted through the clutch disc into the pilot bushing and holds the clutch disc in it's proper centered position until the pressure plate is bolted down. Once installed, the pressure plate will hold the clutch disc in place and the alignment tool is then removed. Then you install the tranny. Andy
Yo Eric, Today's the 23rd. I thought your buddies were going to give you a hand with the tranny today, so I thought I'd drop a line to see how it is going. Merry Christmas. I'm sure it will be merrier if the tranny sets into place. Andy
This reminds me of the clutch replacement job I did on my wife's Eclipse. I had taken the transmission out of nearly every rear wheel drive vehicle I have ever owned,(including the '59 Apache) but this was the first front wheel drive insertion. A friend came over to help, and we were discussing our experiences installing manual transmissions after clutch work. [Him] "You know it's not going to go in very easy, it never does." [Me] "Yea, there's gonna be a lot of kicking and screaming." [Him] "You know it. Might be a skinned knuckle or two." [Me] "And quite a few new curse words created." [Him] "Yep, we'll try and try and try again, and it seems like it will never go in, when all of a sudden- it slips right in there!" [Me] Yea- we might even get this transmission installed too!" Chris - and that was *with* a clutch alignment tool..
