[99fatboy]

I am ready to put my engine and muncie back in my 69. The front clip is off the car. It seems that it would be a lot easier to assemble the bell housing, clutch and tranny to the engine and then install the whole assembly into the car. I am doing this with a cherry picker. I am worried about all of that weight on the engine lift brackets, and being able to slide the tranny all of the way on without the clutch depressed (read a bunch of posts about breaking tranny ears off). What do you guys think?

 

[Guest]

I am ready to put my engine and muncie back in my 69. The front clip is off the car. It seems that it would be a lot easier to assemble the bell housing, clutch and tranny to the engine and then install the whole assembly into the car. I am doing this with a cherry picker. I am worried about all of that weight on the engine lift brackets, and being able to slide the tranny all of the way on without the clutch depressed (read a bunch of posts about breaking tranny ears off). What do you guys think?

If you can't get the trans in under ideal conditions like you are talking about, then you need to step back. It way easier doing it the way you want to, fully assembled. Don't worry about the weight, I used the a plate that bolts to where the carb set to pull rat motors out of boats that weighed about 1000 pounds with the water system bolted on.

That will make it pucker:yes::yes::yes:

 

[Finally]

If your trans is already out that's the way to go. It's a pain trying to bolt the bellhousing to the block after it's installed. You can do it, but there is not a lot of room between the firewall and the back of the engine.

I've done it the other way a few times, trans already installed. Turning the engine a little, breaker bar on balancer bolt, lined things up and the bellhousing slid on. Either way try to get the clutch plate centered as good as you can with the alignment tool. You need to hold it centered with one hand while tightening the bolts with the other. The weight of the clutch plate will pull it off center if you don't hold it in place.

 

[how69ss]

I just put mine in all together, engine, bellhousing and transmission.

It took some work to slide my tranny all the way on, maybe 5 minutes and a few tries. Have a block or something to rest the trans on as you can line it up. You will need a second pair of hands.

What's this "breaking tranny ears off" thing? Do people try to tighten the tranny bolts to cinch up the trans? I've never had a problem taking my trans out or putting it in, and I've never depressed the clutch or anything like that.

 

[99fatboy]

I read some posts on it. Mainly the replies were warning not to run the tranny bolts in if the tranny doesn't slide completely on. Many of the issues were the pilot bearing causing the problem.

 

[Raymond]

Make sure you have the "engine tilter" on your hoist and you can slide the whole unit in at one time. It will be a lot easier and safer if you have someone help you.

 

[Finally]

I read some posts on it. Mainly the replies were warning not to run the tranny bolts in if the tranny doesn't slide completely on. Many of the issues were the pilot bearing causing the problem.

Pilot bearing too small will cause that. Clutch plate off center will also cause it, pushes the input shaft off center so it won't go into the pilot bearing.

 

[how69ss]

Make sure you have the "engine tilter" on your hoist and you can slide the whole unit in at one time. It will be a lot easier and safer if you have someone help you.

Or if you have a standard lift plate, use the hole in the front. Have someone helping you. And watch your dist if it's installed. At least remove the cap. I left my dist in because I had my motor on a dyno and didn't want to touch it.

Also, you might have do some manuvering once it's in to get your trans bolted to the crossmember. I put new motor mounts in and when I put my engine/trans in I had to lift the motor slightly, get the trans/crossmember bolts in then lower it and put the engine mount bolts back through and tighten them. Probably another way to do it, but that's what worked for me.

 

[JJ'65]

I did this 40 years ago by myself in the driveway. No cherry picker; rented a tripod and chain hoist. So much easier nowadays when cherry pickers, engine tilter, engine stands, etc. are cheap and everybody's got one. I know I didn't have a dummy input shaft to center the clutch disc, I had a friend who had a wood lathe turn a dowel down to fit the pilot bushing and clutch disc holes concentric for centering the clutch disc. Stuck the trans in and slid right in no problem. pulling and installing the engine/transmission as a unit is the factory manual way and the only way, in my opinion.