Tips for torque tube alignment during re-assembly
 

Just wanted to post this up as a few people have asked how I did it. When I pulled the torque tube out of the bellhousing during disassembly, I slid it right back in to make sure the alignment still worked. The drive train was on two transmission jacks, one under the tranny and the other under the torque tube (as shown after removal in the first photo). I then slid the drive train back until the front end of the shaft was just out of the clutch disc. I then put two marks on the bottom of the cylindrical section of the torque tube, one at the front and one at the rear where the tranny is. Then I used my Black & Decker laser level and shot a line under the torque tube and using a carpenter's rule took measurements from the mark on the bottom of the torque tube to the light beam. In the second photo, you can see the level. I drew a line around it so I could re-locate it if it got moved. In the third photo, you can see the measurement (its a little blurry, I was having a hard time holding everything and taking a photo :D ). Both front and back were different and I wrote them down and carried on with the clutch removal. When I re-installed, I used the tranny jacks to get the torque tube in the same approximate location and then adjusted until I got my original measurements back. Then I measured the gap from the bellhousing to the torque tube flange at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions (side to side) until they were the same, moving the rear of the differential to correct. Once all the measurements were done and correct, I laid under the front of the torque tube (make sure the rotation is correct so the dowels will go into the bellhousing) and pushed the torque tube in until the shaft was just going into the clutch disc spines. Then pushing on the torque tube with very light pressure, I rotated the shaft with my fingers and you could feel it catch the splines in the clutch disc. Then the whole thing slid right in, effortlessly right to contact between the torque tube flange and the bellhousing. Installation, 15 seconds, measuring 90 minutes.

In the fourth photo, is the little jig I made to keep the shifter lock that is welded to the torque tube from catching on any brake lines. The service manual tells you to use a putty knife but I found this worked better.


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Excellent! So the moral of the story is "alignment is everything".:cheers:

Yep, if it lines up it slides right in no clamps, longer bolts or anything else required. I was laying on my back with one hand on the bellhousing, the other on the torque tube and I just pulled the torque tube on the two transmission jacks forward and right into place.

a deadman on the motor and a trans jack works well also :), you are correct, once the two the items are in the same plane, all is well

happy days - seems even more agro than i thought

so should plan about a days work ?

That is how i did mine more that once. IT is easy when everything is level!:thumbs: Like your jacks!:cool:

I like how you did that. Takes out all the guesswork.

:thumbs:

:lurk:

where did you get the jacks??

Those are inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight

:lurk:

Just did mine on jack stands a couple weeks ago with the help of some friends and its not hard to do AT ALL. If you have mechanical skills you can do it. Hardest part was disconnecting the slave line from the master line :willy: Took us about 13-14 total hours (did it in 2 different days), if I ever have to do it again it will prob take 8-9 hours now.

I struggled with that connection also. When I finally got it apart I felt like an idiot :lol:

I struggled with that line as well. I was replacing the slave as well, so I ended up cutting the braided hose on the slave cyl side.

by the correct GM clutch line disconnect tool

it can be found for about $10

Disc & Pressure plate?
 

As some of you know I live in the past and try to survive in today. Used to be b4 torque tubes you needed an alignment tool (I used a junk trans input shaft) to hold the clutch disc in correct alignment while torquing the new pressure plate to the flywheel. Haven't heard mention of this on this thread or did I miss something. Assume flywheel still has pilot bearing/bushing that the shaft has to align perfectly with?? This is when we ran Muncie Rock Crushers. I may need to do this soon - think I have a rear main seal seeping on a 9100 mi '02 Z. Explain that one?? :rolleyes:

Disc & Pressure plate?
 

As some of you know I live in the past and try to survive in today. Used to be b4 torque tubes you needed an alignment tool (I used a junk trans input shaft) to hold the clutch disc in correct alignment while torquing the new pressure plate to the flywheel. Haven't heard mention of this on this thread or did I miss something? Assume flywheel still has pilot bearing/bushing that the shaft has to align perfectly with?? This is when we ran Muncie Rock Crushers. I may need to do this soon - think I have a rear main seal seeping on a 9100 mi '02 Z. Explain that one?? :rolleyes:

Yes you still need the alignment tool to set everything up. Then the torque tube slides right in. When I did mine on the 2nd day all the beer was gone, so were the friends, so I improvised and used two ratcheting 15 foot straps and hooked the ends to the front lower control arms and to the cradle at the back of the car. Once the proper height and angle were set I just ratcheted the straps evenly and it went right into place.

make sure the alignmant tool fits very snug. i used an old one and it was just a tad loose. just enoguh to make it impossible to re assemble :(

so got a new one! and it was hard get in, it was so tight! but....everything went right in :thumbs:

and a hell yeah on that gm tool! that slave line drove me nutz! :crazy:

Yes, I used the alignment tool as well. Mine was also a little loose so I left the pressure plate loose enough to move around by hand and then measured the distance from the ends of the fingers of the pressure plate to the alignment tool and once centered I tightened down the pressure plate. As I stated earlier in this thread, if everything is correctly aligned the torque tube slides right in. I only used one hand and with my other hand I could rotate the torque tube splined shaft so it lined up.