Mark_Milner

(1) It sucks getting older, doesn't it? I remember doing this sort of thing in an afternoon. Now just getting under the car takes a week.

(2) Pilot BEARING or pilot BUSHING? The bearings are TIGHT and very hard to get in. The bushings are typically more forgiving, and most last forever. The bearing can go dry and then you need to do all this for a $15 part.

(3) The guide bolts are to align the transmission AND hold the weight so it isn't dropping down. You can just use the lower two holes as they are easier to reach and get out after. Did you use shouldered bolts and cut the heads off? A threaded bolt is smaller diameter and introduces more slop in the alignment.

(4) Once you raise it level with the transmission and you have guide bolts in place, you shouldn't need to raise/lower it over and over to align.

(5)Yes, but why? You would need to install a hanger to keep the engine from rocking on the rubber mounts and tearing one apart, plus to prevent bashing the firewall.

You could put the transmission in place, 1/2 inch out, with longer bolts SNUGGED, not tightened, so that the transmission holds the engine.


If you posted where you live in your profile, maybe someone close would stop by and give you a hand. Amazing what having a little support can do for getting things fixed.



Did you use the right throwout bearing for the clutch disk? The typical three finger are different than the typical diaphragm. One way to check is to push in the clutch pedal or pull the clutch fork to depress the clutch** and see if it moves. If it doesn't, then you have bottomed the throwout between the transmission and the clutch because it was too long.

** - DO NOT do this unless the transmission is still in place. Otherwise, the clutch disk will fall down and you will have to dig it out and lift it up to the right alignment point.

Powershift

I went on Ebay a few years back and checked for used trans input shafts for the old Muncies. Found one in decent condition on the input shaft (pilot bearing) end and bought it. Then had a local area machine shop cut it down and cut off the gear, and put a nice design on the end for me to grab.

When I was still working for UCC, the guys in the machine shop would do this for me for free as a favor in their spare time. That or my Fluor-Daniel construction crew.

My Dad (Ford Dealership Mechanic) gave me all the ones he had when he put up his wrenches many years ago, but they are all for FORDS and MERCURYS. Some for the old flathead engine transmissions.

Oh well................now I have a collection of at least 8 or 9.....maybe more. But like other garage tools, you can always use one more.



Larry

wmf62

Larry
thanks for the thought....

I just checked ebay and did a google search and can't find anything.
Bill

vettsplit 63

Speeedway sells one with 26 spline input. Kinda pricey at $60, but it isn't plastic.

wmf62

thanks, I appreciate the effort, i'd like to find one out of a junk transmission; I don't use one very often, so hopefully it would be cheaper.
Bill

SherpaPilot

Well, no luck today. I think I will begin to dismantle everything tomorrow and start over again. Thanks to all of you who offered your experience. I told my wife that if I ever died and went to Hell, the first thing the Devil would do is make me remove/install Muncie transmissions in old C2 Corvettes on my back forever..

Westlotorn

My neighbor came knocking on my door with a similar issue. He tried for a few hours with no luck and then came for help.
He is younger, bigger and much stronger than I so this was not a physical advantage but I looked at where he was and how he was stuck, I slipped the trans into a gear so it was not in neutral, this way I could work the tranny and put a little more twist on the clutch and it helped.
It popped in on the first try, maybe 1 minute total. My neighbor was very embarrassed but very thankful since he was at it so long with no success.
I think it helps if you have done it a few times so you know what it feels like and what is normal so you know when to back off and when to shove it in.
Sometimes just another set of eyes or an extra hand makes it all go easy. Hope you have similar luck.

Powershift

Replacing the evaporator core on a factory AC C2 car.......especially during the heat of the summer.............is probably an even more challenging project.

Hang in there, you will finish it one day soon and be back on the road.

Larry

ILBMF

I was thinking the same thing while reading this thread...trans IN gear!

Powershift

If it's not in gear, you can't rotate the input shaft to align the clutch and trans input splines if needed. Sometimes needed, and sometimes not.



Larry

buns

SherpaPilot, if you are interested I can loan you a clutch alignment tool free of charge. All you have to do is send it off to someone else when you are done with it. Forum member 427Hotrod has it now. Just send him a PM with your address and he will send it to you.

Please visit the post below for the details of the tool.



https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ar-future.html

SherpaPilot

I was able to borrow an old output shift from my tranny shop. Yesterday I removed the transmission, bell housing and clutch. Sure enough, the brass bushing was slightly deformed on the outboard lip, just enough to inhibit the entry of the transmission. After a lot of cleaning up and polishing both the bushing and the shaft, the clutch was re-installed and properly aligned. I used a 90 degree square and noted the position on the tunnel once the alignment shaft was fully seated. The new clutch, bell housing and transmission were installed. The transmission once again refused to travel the last 1.5 inches to the bell. I forced my wife to get in the car and depress the clutch while I worked the transmission from below. Just as you guys suggested, it fell in flush with the housing. I couldn't believe my eyes and quickly bolted it together. Lesson learned here: Never use those plastic alignment tools. I have nothing but the easy parts remaining to finish up this job.

Thank you to all of you that offered your advice: it was very helpful..

Powershift

I am very happy that you were finally able to complete this job. The lessons learned will never be forgotten, and the next one () will be much smoother and easier.



Larry

DansYellow66

They are always so suspicious when summoned to the garage for a little help. You would think they were being asked to get under the car and slide the transmission in. Good deal it's solved.

domenic tallarita

This always worked for me. I lock the trans in reverse and a forward gea. That makes the input shaft one with the trans. Then I twist the trans to verify that the spline is in the clutch plate. You can feel that because the trans will not twist any more. Then I know all that is left is to get into the bushing.

Dom

larrywalk

I agree with Domenic - it always helps to lock the gears by reverse plus a forward gear. Then, one can rock the trans side to side to realign the splines of the input shart with those of the clutch disk.

The last 1/2 inch of the problem should be easy IF the disk is really centered; however, I have never found that the plastic dummy alignment tool is of a large enough diameter at the tip to assure an accurate alignment.

As a workaround, before starting to tighten the bolts of the pressure plate, oscillate the end of the alignment tool in a small circle to average out the excess clearance within the pilot bushing. By doing this as the PP bolts are incremently snugged, one can get a feel for the disk becoming centered. With practice, one can get the alignment centered enough so one doesn't have to have a helper press the clutch pedal in to free the disk.

I am very annoyed that the manufacturer of these alignment tools can't make them the same diameter as the tip of a real input gear!

larrywalk

Back to the original question: To move the car without the trans holding the back of the engine... What I do is place a 2x4 across the fenders at the bell housing area with thick rubber pads to keep the board off the paint, and use a ratchet tiedown strap around the board to hold up the end of the motor. (One may need to screw in a couple of long 3/8" bolts at the lower trans mount holes in the block if the bellhousing is not present.)

domenic tallarita

Larry,
Right on, I have a old input shaft that works great and as you say if rotated all is centered. Thing is not to forget to move the reverse lever out of reverse, right!

Dom

Westlotorn

PARTY ON!!!!!!! The clutch is in, a couple hours of parts install and you are driving again. Glad it worked out.