I'm working on installing an SST T5 transmission kit onto a BB and having trouble getting the trans the last 1/2" up to the bellhousing. I bought the kit with the hydraulic throwout bearing so pushing in the clutch is not an option as I've seen everywhere as a solution to this problem. I did dial in the bellhousing before anything (0.002" misalignment) as well as taking the measurements to set the gap between the bearing and diaphragm fingers. I have the bolts in the trans to help guide it in (not torqued down) and tried shaking it while pushing etc but just can't get it to slide in any further. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Never use the bolts to suck it up! I would venture to say the splines are not lined up or the clamped down clutch disk is just enough off center so the input shaft is not centering in the pilot bearing. Did you put the tranny in gear? Sometimes if you can't get the splines to mesh by rotating the whole tranny back and forth you can push the rear yoke on and rotate the drive shaft end back and forth.

The clutch alignment tool has to be perfect before you TQ down the pressure plate. When I did my blow proof bell housing and TKO600 the paint on the interior of the center bell housing hole was so thick that the tranny front ring could not go in. I had to sand out the paint for the tranny to fit in.

 

10-4 on using the bolts to pull it in. That was not in my thought to try. Don't need a cracked housing on top of this!
Not sure but I was thinking that it is already through the spline on the clutch since the tip of the trans shaft only goes into the pilot 1/2" or less. I'm at 1/2" or less from flush with the bellhousing. I did use the plastic alignment tool and thought it was centered but maybe not. Yes, the tranny is in gear. I did try the driveshaft in the tail to rotate thinking it might help the splines align. That is also why I think the shaft is already through the clutch disc (sorry forgot to mention that on first post). No paint on the bellhousing in my case. Just raw aluminum that came with the kit. Thanks!! TM

 

Sometimes it's best to walk away and get rid of the frustration before attempting it again. Get a buddy over to jockey it around.. I've even lower the rear of the engine on a floor jack to change the angle of stuffing it in. I've also fought cars that had interference with the shifter coming up through the consol. I was a professional race car mech for many years and I got my butt kick quit a few times!

 

Will do! Help coming later today. Walked away last night after wrestling with it and getting frustrated. Will try changing the angle some more and see if that helps too. Engine is hanging on the picker lowered down to height of trans sitting on wheeled dolly. I don't have a trans jack so doing the best with what I have.

 

Those plastic alignment tools are crap. There is to much slop and this allows misalignment. I have an old input shaft from an M20 tha tI use and it s spot on. I have done several TKO swaps and with this tool rarely is there a problem. The plastic tools I always had an issue.

 

Cut the head off a couple long bolts and hack saw a screw driver slot in the end. Then thread them in to the bell to use as guide pins. Did you confirm the pilot bearing was correct size for the input shaft? But it sounds like the splines are not lined up.

 

I got the trans in as far as it would go then threaded the mounting bolts through the trans into the bellhousing as guides. The pilot bearing came installed in the RAM flywheel for the clutch kit and the plastic tool did fit. I test fit the clutch disc to the trans spline before installing it on the flywheel so everything should be a match.

Just used my scope to take the following photo. You can see the splines of the input shaft are mated with the splines of the clutch disc. Does this mean that the alignment of the disc to the pilot bearing is off?
Thanks!

 

why do you say you cant use hyd clutch? put 4 bolts in snug where trans is. step on clutch. wiggle trans. try to slide in. repeat until it goes.

 

I can't use the clutch fork to operate the clutch as I've seen suggested on other threads. Also in my case the engine is not in the car. I'm trying to get the tranny installed onto the engine so I can set it on the frame. Body is off on a dolly in the back of the garage.

 

Yes your alignment to the pilot bushing is off.

 

if its that frustrating and you dont have a spare input shaft laying around, I would pull the tranny back off, pull the bell housing and get it ou tof the way, then slide the tranny back into the clutch as far as it goes, then loosen the clutch bolts just enough to get the clutch to shift so you can get the input shaft to seat into the pilot bushing, then tighten the clutch back up. Then pull the tranny back out and reassemble. Since you cant use the hydraulic clutch to do this, its the next best thing instead of trying to use the plastic tool

 

Thanks guys. That's what I was afraid of but hoping somehow it would be simpler than that. Guess I will be spending time taking it all back apart now.

 

engine is not in car. remove trans. get ruler or calipers. measure distance from trans flange to bell housing flange. remove bell hsng. install trans without bell housing . measure. loosen up clutch bolts. use trans as pilot tool. feel pilot go in and drop that missing half inch. slide trans out or hold it level . clutch should stay put. tighten clutch bolts. put bell on with 2 bolts. slide tranny in. fit? good. if not, repeat... guess i shoulda read rescue''s post.

 

IMPA. It is easier to install the motor and then put the transmission in place. That is unless you have a fixed solid tranny crossmember. Smarter people cut out and mod fixed crossmembers to make them bolt in which makes installation so much easier.

 

I agree, but he needs trans to go right in while he has it out and with room to work.

 

Find a cut off piece of input shaft and reinstall the clutch with the real input shaft piece.......maybe a forum member will let you borrow one.......saves a lot of bullshit and headache......I borrowed the last one I used!

Jebby

 

Make sure your pilot bearing is deep enough in the crank too.

 

Ok everyone, Round two...

Pilot bushing came installed on the flywheel from RAM and it is flush with the surface of the flywheel.

I pulled the trans back out and removed the bellhousing. Before loosening the clutch plate I decided to try mating the input shaft again with a little red grease on the edge of the shaft face. The shaft went into the pilot bushing fine leaving a slight residue of red grease at the edge of the pilot bushing. There was no grease left in the bottom of the pilot however there was some dark/dirty residue spread over the narrow tip of the shaft that rides in the pilot so I know it went in.

Next, as best I could (throat of caliper is not quite deep enough) I measured the raised "shoulder" on the face of the trans that should mate into the opening of the bellhousing and got 4.668". I left the caliper at that distance and tried to fit it into the opening of the bellhousing but could not.

Do you think it's plausible there is a defect in the bellhousing or shoulder of the trans face or should I keep looking for other issues?

Thanks again for your help!!
TM

 

gkull and derek: are you suggesting mounting the engine to the frame first then installing the tranny? I'm a novice at this but thought it would be easier to mate them outside of the frame and drop them onto the frame together. btw, crossmember has been modified to be removable.