Well I am putting my engine back in but have an inch sized space left between the tranny and engine. My clutch was put on straight. Ideas? Also would it help to use the tranny bolts to guide it into place?

Sometimes if you turn the engine over a bit, it sometimes slides on. Try that.

Dave

Tried it. Nothing. Oh and I did a second gear test. It does move when engaged and I turn the crank.

Did you change out the brass bushing in the fly wheel?
If so did you test it for being the correct one?

If the above is good.
Slowly using all the bolts on the bell housing and try and suck it on.
But be careful. Don't force it.

Hook up the clutch linkage, and get someone to push the clutch pedal while you push the trans the rest of the way in. I've done it this way several times.... not matter how carefully I align the clutch (with a plastic "input shaft" or the metal rod and cone tool), it never seems to be close enough. Disengaging the clutch will allow the disc to more that little bit it needs to, to allow the trans to go home.

Had the same trouble with the Camaro. I simply had my buddy step on the clutch pedal to release the disc while I moved the tranny. 1/32 of an inch in lateral movement was all it took for her to plop right in.
Smitty

Whatever you do, DO NOT use the trans bolts to pull it into place. That is how the ears get broken on Muncie transmissions. The trans should be all the way up against the bellhousing before you tighten the bolts. If you can find a set of longer bolts, they work good to guide the trans and keep it straight while you shake it around to get it to go into place.

lot's of guys who fiddle with stick trannies have a couple 1/2" bolts about 2-3" long. screw them into the bellhousing to use as guide studs. don't put one in the bottom hole on the drivers side though.

well I have been at it for about 3 hours now and no luck. I only managed to get one guide bolt in :( I just don't see what is wrong. It's turning over but the drivers side bottom seems to be much more off than the passenger side. I thought they were even?

measure the dummy shaft, and measure the input shaft of the trans.
i had this very issue a few weeks ago.
my dummy shaft was .008" smaller than the actual input shaft of my trans. and my bronze bushing was slightly mushroomed.

pulled it all back out, got in the bushing with a sand bit for a dremel opened it up a little, and trans slipped right in.
just make sure you dont take tooo much off. and clean it out real well.


aaron

They were kept clean. Nothing is new so I know that they have fit before. And it's already more than half way in. I can't turn the engine in gear and the car will move.

Alex,
At this point, you need to pull the trans and the bellhousing, take the clutch off the flywheel and then try the trans input shaft in the pilot bushing by itself. If that works ok, then it is probably an alignment problem with the clutch disk. I dont know what you used for an alignment shaft when you bolted the clutch on, but an old input shaft works best. Or an alignment shaft that actually has the splines on it like the trans shaft does. It does not take very much misalignment at all to make it miserable to get the trans in.

You did'nt by chance fill the pilot bushing up with grease did you? If so, it will hydraulic lock the shaft from going in. Are you sure the clutch disk is in the correct way? Just looking for some more info to get you fixed.

do as i said.
my stuff was used when i put it back together the other wheel for clutch issues.
i have always had issues with getting the trans in, it goes in until the bearing retainer meets the bell housing.
my issue was the pilot bushing was roughly .010" smaller than the actual pilot bushing and mushroomed.

aaron

I bet the bank its an impropoerly sized pilot bushing thats been on the market for a few yrs now not allowing the inputnshaft to enter the pilot busing.

I have run into this issues muttimes over the past few yrs on manual trans installs with new pilot busings.

The new pilot busings fit fine over trans input saft prior to instaling the bushing into the crank. But it's only after pilot bushing has been installed in crank it closes up the inner diamter just enough to cause this issue.

I think somewhere somehow the outer diameter spec has slipped wider just enough to be very hard to install the bushings into the crank & then it closes up the inner diamter just enougn to cause thie interfearance issue with respect to the input shaft not entering the pilot bushing without a lof force which could as Bill stated brake the trans ear off if forced/drawn in with trans bolt or could damage trans intrenally if not breaking any ears off if pulling trans in with the bolts .

After this happended to me a few times over the past 2-3 new clutch/trans installs i did i simply use a dremell tool with small grinding stone to open the iiner diameter a smidege when i run into that issue and then the traqs slips right in and it works fine. Just ensureyou only remove very little material and do it evenly too as to not offset the inner hole in the plilot bushing.

But make sure this is in fact the issue prior to actually doing anything to alter the inner diameter of the pilot bushing.

You should be able to use a clutch aln tool to verify if thats truely the case as soon as you remove the trans by inserting it into the clutch to se s if it will in fact goes all the way into the pilot bushing.

Scott

if nothing is new, should go back in, was same crank/pilot bushing used?
could clutch disk be in backwards(did that once) did you use a clutch align. tool, sounds like it the disc could be off just a little-pull trans and eyeball it

I bet the bank its an impropoerly sized pilot bushing thats been on the market for a few yrs now not allowing the inputnshaft to enter the pilot busing.

I have run into this issues muttimes over the past few yrs on manual trans installs with new pilot busings.

The new pilot busings fit fine over trans input saft prior to instaling the bushing into the crank. But it's only after pilot bushing has been installed in crank it closes up the inner diamter just enough to cause this issue.

I think somewhere somehow the outer diameter spec has slipped wider just enough to be very hard to install the bushings into the crank & then it closes up the inner diamter just enougn to cause thie interfearance issue with respect to the input shaft not entering the pilot bushing without a lof force which could as Bill stated brake the trans ear off if forced/drawn in with trans bolt or could damage trans intrenally if not breaking any ears off if pulling trans in with the bolts .

After this happended to me a few times over the past 2-3 new clutch/trans installs i did i simply use a dremell tool with small grinding stone to open the iiner diameter a smidege when i run into that issue and then the traqs slips right in and it works fine. Just ensureyou only remove very little material and do it evenly too as to not offset the inner hole in the plilot bushing.

But make sure this is in fact the issue prior to actually doing anything to alter the inner diameter of the pilot bushing.

You should be able to use a clutch aln tool to verify if thats truely the case as soon as you remove the trans by inserting it into the clutch to se s if it will in fact goes all the way into the pilot bushing.

Scott

i agree..
my dummy shaft was .008" smaller than the actual input shaft of my muncie. the dummy shaft would slide in real nice and "align everything perfect",but once you went to put the trans in... forget it.

aaron

Before grinding any bushings, have a helper push the clutch while you try to put the trans in. If it's the same pilot bushing that fit before ,you don't want to grind it. I bet your clutch alignment is just a tiny bit off, and disengaging the clutch will get you around that. It's free, and won't permanently modify anything....if it doesn't work, re-align the clutch and grind away :)

I got it in after another couple of hours. I kept readjusting the chain and eventually got it just right to where I had it aligned. The only thing I have left to do now is properly adjust my clutch, radiator, fan, distributor, and thats about it. Oh and carb.

were you installing the engine with the trans already in the car? I thought it was the other way around.

Installing an engine with a manual trans already in can be a real PITA. Good on you that you got it in.

were you installing the engine with the trans already in the car? I thought it was the other way around.

Installing an engine with a manual trans already in can be a real PITA. Good on you that you got it in.

Yes as I learned it is...

But, now I have everything back together except the battery and one carb bolt. The aluminum intake thread went out so I went ahead and JB welded the bolt in there and gonna wait over night for it. Tomorrow I will get all the fluids and hook up the battery and set my timing.

Chris,i had that covered with this statement:

But make sure this is in fact the issue prior to actually doing anything to alter the inner diameter of the pilot bushing.

You should be able to use a clutch aln tool to verify if thats truely the case as soon as you remove the trans by inserting it into the clutch to se s if it will in fact goes all the way into the pilot bushing.

But doing a small tweak the inner diameter of a pilot bushing when needed isnt a problem,i have done it aprox 5-6 times in past 3-5 yrs and all are still working fine many miles/yrs later down the road.

Again ,i am talking about a very minor EVEN AS POSSIBLE removal of a very small amount of material from the inner diameter of the pilot bushing when the input shaft wont enter it all the way after it been instaled and the inner diamter closes a smidge due to the very tight fit into the crank

i have owned my chevelle/motor for over 30 yrs and 1st couple times i had motor/trans out new pilot bushing went in very easy and not issues.

but many yrs later with same crank and no changes the new pilot busings sold today go into the crank so hard it collapses the inner diameter of the bushing causing this issue.


I just installed a clutch in one chevelle and motor in another in past yr with man trans and both times had that same issue.

And BTW,i had the new clutch assemblies check for ballance at machie shop prior to doing those 2 jobs and both were sig out of ballance enough so tat te machinest said ithere would have been vides issues.

They were a Luk & Valco clutch kits which worked fine for mild bbc motors when installed . But thats wy i now always chlk all new clutches for ballance prior to install no matter who mfgs them.

scott