I want to start by apologizing for becoming a pestilence of questions and "help wanted" threads on this forum, but I think I have run into every potential problem there is to be had in a motor swap. I finally have the engine running ok, enough to where I was ready to take the car out on the maiden voyage for the new engine.

Push clutch in, start car, move shift lever over to Reverse linkage (manual trans), push up and GRIND. I turn the car off, and look at the linkage. Everything moves as it should, and when the car isn't running, I can change gears pretty much no problem through all gears, including reverse.

I adjusted the clutch linkage all the way out to the end of the rod, and still have the same problem. In fact, I can now move the shifter to all gears without pushing the clutch in. But when I try to engage gear when the car is running, it just starts to grind badly and I don't try to force it.

The clutch is the same one that was previously running fine mated up to the old L-48, along with PP and flywheel. It is a different bellhousing, but a stock casting (original was cracked).

I'm sure I have done something wrong on reassembly. Ideas?

 

Common problem with rebuilt clutch parts the total package leaves you with no adjustment. I got a different clutch and pressure plate and every thing worked and that was all I changed.

 

The parts aren't rebuilt, though...I just swapped them onto the new motor from the stock L-48. Did I put them back together wrong?

I can remove the rubber boot fron the bellhousing and look in, and have my wife step on the clutch, and see the throwout bearing engage the clutch teeth, so I know that much is working.

 

Were you careful to place the disc with the appropriate side to the flywheel? Sometimes there is a sticker that says 'this side to flywheel'

 

How was the fit of the pilot bushing to the input shaft?Can you put the trans in gear-push clutch in and start car and still idle?

 

first, those fingers are the pressure plate,not the clutch. You did use an alignment tool,right? I have seen clutch hubs broken from not using them. Not sure if chevy uses different lenght "push rods" in their clutch applications.Parts supplier can tell you.Make sure holes arnt "hogged out" from use,who needs the extra play there.Clutch installed backwards was a good suggestion already made. Engine not running and shifting ha very little to do with shifting while running.In fact,you dont even need a clutch to shift after car is rolling.Its called "floating the gears". Ask any "big" truck driver, we do it all the time,but I learned it in cars. You have to determine if its the rod lenght, throw out bearing lenght/height, --PP finger height and clutch thickness.Sounds to me like its a simple problem,hopefully ,rod lenght.

 

Put it in second and then move it up to reverse. Let us know what happens.

 

I believe you posted this on another forum as well. I would check the length of the clutch fork ball stud and make sure it is the same length as the one in the old bellhousing.

 

Thanks for the responses. I'll try to address your comments...

I may very well have installed the pressure plate backwards. It's my first engine swap and first clutch assembly (re-assembly, actually) so there's a good chance that's it.

I have not tried putting the trans in gear and then starting the car to see if it will idle...I'll try after work to see what it does.

I did use an alignment tool. I marked the flywheel, PP, and clutch housing to make sure I got it all back together correctly aligned.

The fork ball stud is the same one that came off the stock bellhousing assembly, but it is a different bellhousing. The stock bellhousing was cracked badly, so I bought a re-pop 621 housing. I guess there's a chance that the housing dimensions are a little off...would it be worth it to go buy the longer stud and install it to see it that would work?

Thanks for the help guys. I'm ready to torch this car right about now, and the thought of pulling the driveshaft, tranny, and clutch is enough to make me self-combust, but it looks like that's what I'm going to have to do, unless I can find another obvious problem

 

couple of things.

I realize this is somewhat obvious, but did you wait a few seconds after pressing in the clutch before shifting into reverse? There is no synchro for reverse and you have to wait for it to slow down before shifting. Did you try shifting it into first with the clutch depressed to see if it goes in without grinding.

Also, at what point in the pedal's travel do you begin to fell stiff tension start? If stiff tension is not appearing in the first inch of pedal travel, we are dealing with a linkage issue. If it is getting stiff where it is supposed to be, we may have a more complex issue on our hands.

Second, did you align the holes in the bellhousing and block? I only know big blocks, but my big block did not have locating pins. Instead, there are holes on each side of the bellhousing that must be aligned in order to center the bellhousing. If this if off, I would suspect that the trans input shaft could be hanging up on the pilot bearing and causing some rotation of the shaft even with the clutch dis-engaged. If this were the case, you would have needed some heavy pressure to seat the trans into the bellhousing. Did your slide in or did you use the bolts to "pull" it onto the housing?

Also, you cannot get the PP on backwards. You could have put the disc in reversed, but I don't think this would cause the problem you are experiencing.

You also need to ensure that you have the correct installation of the T/O bearing onto the fork. The spring has to go inside the the U shaped channel of the bearing. Do you remember if you installed it this way?
Good luck

 

I'm not sure if I waited long enough each time to put it in reverse or not...I'll double check it and make sure I wait a while before I try to slide the shifter into reverse next time. It felt like it did not want to go into first at all, but no grinding. I didn't want to force it. I'll double check on that, too.

My bellhousing has the dowel pins, which lined right up on the install. The input shaft slid all the way in until about 1/4 inch of space or so, which I used the bolts to pull the rest of the way. Could this have messed up the pilot bushing?

I will double check the throwout bearing...I can just barely see it with the rubber boot removed from the bellhousing. Pretty sure it's in correct though...it hung there on the clutch fork no problem when I slid the input shaft through.

Thanks for the help.

 

Don't pull the tranny up to the bellhousing using the bolts. This a sure fire way to remove one of the ears on the transmission. Consider yourself lucky if you still have all 4 of them.

Your clutch is not relasing fully and that is why you get grinding. You want to adjust the rod so you have 1" of free travel before you encounter resistance. This is measured at the pedal pad. Push it down with your fingers and measure the travel. This is the first thing to check and adjust if required.

Maybe you can put it in 4th gear with the engine off and jack up the rear of the car with the frame on jack stands and see if you can rotate the tires with the clutch pedal down. You should be able to rotate it easily with the clutch pedal pushed all the way down. It will not turn easily with your foot off the pedal.

Next is to be sure the disk is not installed backwards and hanging up on the flywheel bolts. This is a good possibility if you do not know to look for the right way for it to go. It only works one way.

If that does not fix it, you need a new clutch. You may have let the tranny hang while you were installing it and the weight of the tranny can bend the disk causing this condition. The pressure plate spring can get warped and that can cause this condition but since you did not have any problems before the swap, I would suspect the bent clutch disk at this point if you let the tranny hang half way installed.

Good luck!

-Mark.

 

You didn't answer the question about pedal travel. At what point in the pedal travel do you feel tension or that the T/O bearing touches the PP fingers?

Also, be sure to try the suggestion made by Dwncchs and put the car in first, press the pedal fully and see if the car will roll freely or try to crank it over. This will confirm if or how badly the clutch is holding on with the pedal depressed.

These steps will give us some data to help you.

 

Sorry bout that. I experimented with the linkage rod to see if the throwout bearing was not fully engaging the PP, but it currently has maybe 1-2 inches of travel before engaging. I adjusted it all the way out, but it didn't make any difference. I will try Dwncchs method when I get home. I can tell you that the car will not start if I don't push the clutch in...I'll see what it does when it's in gear.

Thanks again for all the help...I really appreciate it. If anyone lives in Anchorage, feel free to come by and get in on the fun.

 

The pedal has 1-2" of travel or the T/O bearing has 1-2" of travel?

 

[QUOTE=Quil;1565577777]I can tell you that the car will not start if I don't push the clutch in...I'll see what it does when it's in gear./QUOTE]

Are you saying that the car will not start in Neutral without the clutch pedal depressed? If this is the case, you likely have some type of alignment problem.

 

1-2 inches of travel at the pedal. When I took the boot off the bellhousing, I could see inside enough to see the throwout bearing engage the PP fingers when my wife stepped on the clutch. Now whether it is fully engaging is another story, but it looks like it goes a good ways in there.

 

[/QUOTE]Are you saying that the car will not start in Neutral without the clutch pedal depressed? If this is the case, you likely have some type of alignment problem.[/QUOTE]

That's not necessarily true.. There is a safety switch that has to be made by pressing in the clutch in order for it to crank.. Most have bypassed this..Mine still works...

 

Are you saying that the car will not start in Neutral without the clutch pedal depressed? If this is the case, you likely have some type of alignment problem.[/QUOTE]

That's not necessarily true.. There is a safety switch that has to be made by pressing in the clutch in order for it to crank.. Most have bypassed this..Mine still works...[/QUOTE]

Good point. I was assuming it strained while trying to turning over. A better test would be to put the car in neutral and insure wheels turn freely.

 

What about the shifter rods..The rod should be toward the top. When you bolt on the rods, they should go up not down...Reverse goes down...If you have them upside down, you would grind it there...