[Bad64chevelle]

Doing a 4speed swap on my 64 SS. Got the Pilot bearing in (fits up correctly), the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. Tossed the alignment tool in, and bolted up the bell and put the engine in the car. 3 hours last night trying to jiggle the trans into place and just got hung up and called it a night. Looked this afternoon and my throw out bearing was now bent and when I spun it, it was wobbling. Got a new one, tried to toss the trans in again, got a little further this time, tried the trick to engauge the clutch, and still wouldnt go in. The setup is as follows:
-327
-ST10
-RAM flywheel
-Centerforce clutch, plate, and throw out
-lakewood bell

Any Ideas on what I should do here? Now im out two throw outs, and need the car to be on the road in a week. Any advice would really go a long way at this point.

 

[Hi-po SS 454]

Did you ever test how the bellhousing fit on the tranny when both were out of the car? I checked mine just to check and found it was hard to get the tranny in the bellhousing hole. So if my clutch disc wasn't lined up properly in pressure plate I would never be able to install the tranny. It took about 45 minutes to wiggle that tranny in the bellhousing in the car. Mine was with a stock GM bellhousing. Had no throw out bearing problem

 

[JIM]

They can be a bear to line up at times.
1) How do you bend a throw out bearing by simply pusing the trans in by hand? That is a pretty beefy hunk of metal. I have only seen that happen when using an aftermarker Lakewood fork and it gets hung up on the lip of the bearing. It gets bent when the pedal is depressed. Other than that, I can't see how it would bend doing an install. See this post for details on that. Click here>>>> Bent TO bearing post Scroll down the page for pics of the bent bearing. Is that what yours looks like?
2) Did you check to see if the pilot bushing fits over the input shaft
3) As mentioned above, see if the bearing retainer fits into the bellhousing. You can measure with a 6" caliper if yo don't feel like pulling the BH for a test fit.
4) How far in does it go before it gets hung up? Is it that last 1/2" ?
5) Is the TO bearing installed properly on the fork? See pic below.

 

[Bad64chevelle]

Thanks everyone. I DID pull the bell again last night to double check that the trans fit into it and it does. I am using a lakewood fork, could that be a problem? I will look for a OEM fork today see if there is one around. The Pilot DOES fit the shaft of the trans. The Throw out was installed correctly, and yes gets hung up on the last half inch if that.

My first throw out looks like this

the second one isnt bent as bad but it would wobble once installed on the trans.

 

[SWHEATON]

If its not issues with bellhousing aln or clutch aln i wouldnt be surprised if he is having the same problem i had along with others here in t/chevelle too.

The problem is when the p/bushing was installed the inner diameter closed up a few .001 due too the outter diamter being approx .001-.003 too lrg and the bushing material is soft enough to close up when installed. The bushing closing up approx .001-.003 was just enough to stop the input shaft from completely entering/seating in the p/bushing.

I had this happen with 4 dif bushing from 3 dif mfgs and i have owned that same motor for 30 yrs and that didnt happen yrs back ,its todays p/bushings that are not mfg to proper tollerences.

You will really have to pull the bellhousing and clutch and try the the clutch aln tool in the bushing to see if thats whats happening. Thats because trying to install the aln tool with clutch still installed on the flywheel its really hard to tell how far the aln tool is entering the p/bushing.

I have an old m20 input shaft that i use for input tool and it would not enter the p/bushing when i pulled the trans/clutch to see why the trans would not fully seat but the cheapo plastic aln tool i got with the clutch kit would enter the p/bushing. So keep that in mind and dont let that issue mess you up to thinking your ok when using the plastic tool when its reall not ok at all because a true muncie input shaft would not enter the busning which in turn woule mean your trans input shaft would likely not enter the bushing either.

I had to take a dremmell tool with small grinder stone and i took just enough material away from the inner diameter for the old muncie input shaft to enter the p/bushing. Then the trans installed fine anfter that and the trans has been working fine since then,no issues.

Heres a p/bushing removal tip if you need it,get a 5/8" cap botl approx 5"-6" long. Then you simply place the bolt in a socket and place a lot of pressure on the rachet while trying to thread the bolt into the bushing. The bushing material is genrally soft enough to start threading the bolt into the bushing.

Then simply thread the bolt into the bushing untill it bottoms out on back of crank,then simply keep screwing the bolt and the bushing will be threaded up the bolt and out of the crank,takes less then 5 mins and works a lot better the bushing removal tool does.I have used that trick many times with success every time where the bushing removal and the grease trick both failed,the 5/8" cap bolt worked every time for me.

Scott

 

[Bad64chevelle]

I also see from that the lakewood fork wont work with an 11" clutch, is that correct? If so, that could be part of my problem.

 

[Bad64chevelle]

Swheaton Thanks, I will look into that also!

 

[Hi-po SS 454]

In quite a few posts over the months I have seen where people were having trouble with using the lakewood fork. Each person ended up going witht the stock fork. If you go into the search feature you may find that info.

 

[Bad64chevelle]

Thanks, gonna try to get one today.

 

[Hi-po SS 454]

Forgot to mention, did you check the fit of the bushing to the tranny shaft before installation to be sure it even fit? If you didn't for all you know its too small. The tranny shaft would never go into it
There is certain inside and outside measurements that have been posted in the past. I checked mine for the those measurements and mine was correct. so I figured I would not have a problem. But it was still difficult (last half inch) to install tranny but finally went in.

 

[Bad64chevelle]

Yeah, bushing slid onto the shaft of the trans no problem whatsoever.

 

[Georgia69]

This may or may not be helpful, but I put the tranny in a gear (any gear) and put an old slip yoke onto the output shaft so I can rotate the shaft via the slip yoke with one hand while wiggling the tranny. This helps engage the input shaft with the clutch disk. The last hurdle is, everything has to be lined up perfect to get the last 3/4", because you are simultaneously engaging the input shaft to the bushing and the bearing retainer to the bellhousing. I fought one for hours a few weeks ago, just like you, and found I was dislodging the clutch disk by letting the weight of the tranny bear on it while trying to align everything. I backed up and regrouped, re-aligned the disk with an old input shaft, raised the tranny very carefully on a floor jack, and tried to get everything as close to perfect as possible before trying to move the tranny forward the last inch. It slid right in. Hope this helps.

 

[Hi-po SS 454]

My process to work that tranny into place was using two 4 inch bolts with the hex heads cut off and screwed into the top tranny mounting holes on the bellhousing. That way When I get tired of trying to push the tranny in I can let it rest on the bolts/studs, instead of letting it hang from the clutch disc. Also slid the driveshaft and yoke into the back of the tranny and with the tranny in gear I would turn the drive shaft back in forth doing what ever it would take to get that tranny in the last 1/2 inch. Plus I had the tranny jack right there for support also

 

[KMS396]

I'm sure you checked, but are you certain the disc has the same spline pattern as your input shaft?

I always slide it on the shaft to make sure it's smooth prior to installing it.

 

[jthomp1256]

when all else fails use the 4 in studs tighten up (ALITTLE BIT) hook up clutch linkage have buddy slowly step on clutch while u wiggle trans in place

i have done this several times when i have spent days under cars and not getting anywhere,
its not recomended by some but it works
jeff

 

[Smittie]

My experience was just sticking the alignment tool through the pressure plate and into the pilot bushing doesn't necessarily line up the pressure plate evenly, it could still be a bit low or high or side to side. You have to look at it straight on and hold the pilot tool centered in the clutch opening while you tighten down the clutch pack evenly. Otherwise the trans won't go in straight, I also got hung up on the trans lip where it slides into the bell housing, it was just off a tiny bit but with constant forward pressure and some jiggling it finally slid in.