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Thanks guys. I am going to start wrestling it all back together tonight and will send photos of progress. Not going to move anything at this time and see how it goes. The new tunnel insulation I bought from Paragon and it wasn't there when I removed the tranny. We will see how it goes.
If your car is a early 63 the tunnel insulation was not used in production from the factory so if the bend down tabs are not present that may explain the lack of insulation.
Someone may post the approx date of start up for the insulavtion.
The clips for the insulation can be easily purchased from Paragon or Long Island, etc. They go in with aluminum rivets. DR REBUILD has excellent aluminum rivets. Use a rivet gun with low air pressure (30-40 psig) to set with a bucking bar and a helper. I guess "pop" rivets could also be used for this, although they would not be correct/original looking.
Don't forget to try and get a cut off trans input shaft for clutch alignment purposes. Job can be done without, but is a lot better if you have this item. Also good for installing new pilot bushing. If all else fails, let me know and I can lend you the one I have........probably 2 days away by Priority Mail. The trans alignment pins can easily be made by cutting the heads off a few bolts and then cutting a screwdriver slot in the end for ease of removal with a Dremel or hacksaw. About 5 inches long is best I believe. My pins are currently being used by a friend right now who is a bit lazy to make his own.
Larry
EDIT: I know Columbus is a big city............but do you know a guy named Chris Duckworth?? He is a Corvette guy who lives there and has grown up with these cars. He is the original owner of my 2011 Corvette Grand Sport. He has a new C7 at this time.
Last edited by Powershift; 06-24-2019 at 10:55 AM.
happened by the Cobra car show yesterday in London, Ohio. What a great show and group of cars. Local officials set up drag strip through downtown,. I'd read about it but never attended. Posting a video of the start. Over 150 cars and people waiting in line to get a ride. Lots of fun!
That's insane. NO COPS !! WOW !!. Not real safe however.
Hi Tbarb,
This car had insulation and the bend down tabs are there they must have removed it once it got torn up from trying the clutch install that I am attempting. It's not going well and my 18 year old isn't much help! lol. I got a perfect throwout bearing from O'reilly auto parts in 1 day ship. Its a national bearing part # 614018. $22 which was a great price and its exact to the one I pulled out. So I have everything I need and just did a dry run. I think I removed the pressure plate and clutch disc with the bell housing still hanging on the tranny. I can't even get close to an angle to get the trans shaft near the TO to line everything up. Although my son had a hell of a time trying to keep things steady while I tried to position the bell housing. ugh. I am seriously thinking of moving the engine forward.
My experience is that you should not need to move the motor forward BUT you do need to lower the rear of the engine as far as possible just so you don't damage anything against the firewall. Remove the top shield and maybe the distributor cap and let her down in the back.
Even after that It's a tight squeeze to get the input shaft just up inside the bellhousing. My memory tells me if you turn the transmission 90* you can get it further back in the crossmember then up inside the bellhousing and turn it.
Have you had the flywheel checked by a machine shop. Lars posted some good information about the release dimension for the pressure plate and you should read it if you haven't already. Mount the flywheel, torque the bolts, drop of blue locktite then the disc and pressure plate with the correct bolts.
After that install the bellhousing, another poster mentions installing the transmission and bellhousing at the same time, I have never done it like that so I don't know if It's easier. I have always installed the bell, tightened it then install the clutch fork, T/O bearing then the transmission.
The difficult part is not damaging the new tunnel insulation getting the transmission into the bellhousing. Another hand is a good idea if It's available. After the transmission is in I always adjust the clutch to make sure the free play and engagement is ok. Years ago I had a issue with a pressure plate that was not shimmed correctly and when adjusted foe free play i could not get the clutch to disengage so to get it to work I had no free play. I removed it and sent it back for rebuild and reinstalled and all was good. Ever since then I don't go any further until everything with the new clutch checks out, I think this problem I had speaks directly to what Lars posted about the pressure plate release measurements.
You can remove/install the transmission and bellhousing separately - but at the same time - but it's really a pain in the rear as you need about 4 arms and hands to hold everything. It somewhat works on a lift, especially with a helper as I showed in my thread that I linked earlier.. But trying to do it on the floor looks like torture. Why not just bolt the bellhousing in place, lower the back of the engine (watch the distributor at the firewall), shove the transmission up over the crossmember as far as possible and lever it up with the input angled to the side a little and keep shoving it back as you lift the input and it should go into the bellhousing and TO bearing. Hang it on the bellhousing dowels temporarily and crank the back of the engine back up until the transmission can be squared up with the bellhousing and then shove it into place while it rides on the dowels.
A tear in the aluminum foil surface of the insulation is almost inevitable during installation or removal - but a piece or two of aluminized surface duct insulation tape makes an almost invisible repair.
Last edited by DansYellow66; 06-25-2019 at 07:52 PM.
Hi Dan,
Great advice. I am going to torque the flywheel. I have the engine dropped. I am going to get the trans on the trolly jack and see how close I can get. I am doing to remove the exhaust for some more wiggle room. I probably should have done that already.
As I said in a very early post. Pulling the engine to change a clutch has to be easier and cleaner..
Hi Mike, thanks, I am prepared to as last resort. The car is raised higher and I don't think I could raise the hoist high enough to remove the engine. My thought is to just move it forward with the shroud and radiator pulled out. I did notice besides hoses, electrical, airbox, fuel line and mounts that the clutch lever linkage is attached at the motor. I assume the nut gets removed and it slides over?
One more suggestion: Sometimes the clutch fork can not be installed after the bell housing is bolted up (depending on the clutch and the fork). So, just to be safe, I'd recommend installing the fork on the ball stud before bolting on the bell housing.
I just went through this with an 11" clutch. After failed attempts, I finally tried rotating the engine about 15deg, and it finally went in.
Here is one of the pictures I posted here. Just popped up on an old thread. You can see the engine dropping down, dead level and slightly off balance to the front which is held by the ratchet strap for final leveling.
You can also see the spreader bar to keep the hang chain off the valve covers and FI.
The exhaust manifolds are on in this pictures. I have pictures of how I attached the manifold bolts and hangers.
PS. Yeah, I know, my plenum flags aren't installed yet.
Hi Mike, tried to send you a PM but says you have full mail box. Would like some photos of the side hardware you used on the engine pull. Also how is the clutch linkage Z bar removed? All the other disconnects are straight forward, hoses, electrical, airbox, fuel line, mounts, exhaust. etc. I am not yet ready to move the engine but prepare to do so if needed. should know this evening if this is going together smoothly. Thanks. I can send you my email if needed.
I was going to send you photos but when you changed your mind and said you were pulling the transmission instead, I gave it up. I am out of town again now and don't have access to the pictures.
The Z bar has a slotted, open hole on the frame mount. Just loosen the nut a little and pull the thing off the frame and engine ball stud. after you disconnect the clutch rods.
If it came out, it has to go back in without pulling the engine.
I can R&R a Muncie from a 66 or 67, 45 minutes each direction. I do not pull the bellhousing with the trans, in my opinion it is not helpful to do so.
I have not pulled a trans on a 63. However, my suspicion is that due to 1) the input shaft bearing retainer diameter, and 2) the possibility that there might be less clearance between floor and frame on a 63 as a result of the body-mounting configuration, it's actually easier to pull the engine and trans together for this job.
thanks Supreme, I agree, if it came out should go back in. I have a new dolly I am using. The jack gets in the way and trying to keep the tranny from falling on me is a pain. Working on it more tonight.
thanks Supreme, I agree, if it came out should go back in. I have a new dolly I am using. The jack gets in the way and trying to keep the tranny from falling on me is a pain. Working on it more tonight.
If you don't like that little sled I posted a picture of earlier, get one of those small 12" x 18" furniture dollys from Harbor Freight and put it on that. Roll it under the car, lift the tail up and hang it over the cross member, grab the bearing retainer at the front and lift the front up and at the same time push it back over the cross member as you raise it and then from the 7 or 8 o'clock position try to slide the input tip past the edge and into the bell housing hole. Just having to lift one end of the transmission at a time doesn't take much effort.
Here is one of the pictures I posted here. Just popped up on an old thread. You can see the engine dropping down, dead level and slightly off balance to the front which is held by the ratchet strap for final leveling.
You can also see the spreader bar to keep the hang chain off the valve covers and FI.
The exhaust manifolds are on in this pictures. I have pictures of how I attached the manifold bolts and hangers.
PS. Yeah, I know, my plenum flags aren't installed yet.
Originally Posted by DansYellow66
If you don't like that little sled I posted a picture of earlier, get one of those small 12" x 18" furniture dollys from Harbor Freight and put it on that. Roll it under the car, lift the tail up and hang it over the cross member, grab the bearing retainer at the front and lift the front up and at the same time push it back over the cross member as you raise it and then from the 7 or 8 o'clock position try to slide the input tip past the edge and into the bell housing hole. Just having to lift one end of the transmission at a time doesn't take much effort.
Hi Dan, that's exactly what I have. I worked well and easily maneuverable. Now just waiting on my buddy to head over. You definitely need another set of hands. Thanks for all your input. I will post some photos of progress.
If you haven't actually got the transmission back into the car yet - here is another tip there is always a good possibility you may need. Before putting the transmission in, hook up all the clutch linkage. Once you have the transmission on the dowels also go ahead and slide the yoke in place. Often, especially with the plastic clutch alignment tools, the input will hang up on the disc or the pilot bushing and won't slide in the last inch or so. Don't try to pull it in with the bellhousing bolts as it literally can break the ears off of the transmission. If it hangs up, first put one of the levers into a gear and rotate the yoke slightly (which will turn the input) and see if it will slide in. Is still a no-go, then have your helper get in the car and slowly push in the clutch while you are underneath pushing on the transmission. Once the clutch starts to release, it will self-align with the beveled section on the input and slide on in. If by some slim chance it doesn't, twist the yoke slightly again and it will - but I don't think that will be necessary. Good luck
good morning gents,
Tranny is up in the tunnel, looks like I have good clearance. I went to torque down pressure plate and the disc is different than original. The pressure plate looks exact. The new disc is 10", old disc is 10.5" Old disc still has plenty of meat on it. The new disc has an additional width to the input that goes on the shaft. On the flywheel side of the old disc there is an additional 3/8 metal shaft extension than on the new disc photo below. Question , would it be ok to use my existing disc seeing there is still life left and has it has this extra shaft input 3/8?
Photo of the old disc left to new disc right, lots of material still left on the old disc.
photo of the extra 3/8' on the old disc flywheel side, new disc below doesn't have this.
06-24-2019, 10:27 AM
