138 replies to this topic

[FTodaro]

Car   1       vs.         3rd Grader      0

 

Aw man, David was right, as usual. I bit off a bit more than i could chew on this one but I'd rather try and fail then not try at all. I still have 2 days until track, give or take, so I still have some time to fix the car.

 

Right now, I had the tranny partially on, but i had to pull the tranny off as i couldnt get the top of the tranny to make metal to metal contact. I think the tranny gasket got cocked over the starter and made a bit of a ripple. the top three screws wernt aligned. I checked the pilot bearing and wear on the splines and everything looked ok. No wires were pinched, phew. There is definetly a steep learning curve when youre bench pressing a transmission into place for your first time but its great.

 

When you put the 2x4 under the engine, does that datum the motor? Meaning the motor shoulndt rock when the tranny engages. i had a sh*tload of deflection. The splines engaged no problem and the input spigot engaged with the pilot bearing but the linkage between the tranny and motor was like an elephant sitting on the middle of a tightrope. I'm gonna try again in the morning.

 

time for a beer.   
 

The 2x4 under the front oil pan, keeps the motor from tipping forward, you want a slight downword pitch to the motor when you enguage it.

 

Start over, pull it off, make sure all is good, the metal gasket between the motor and tranny should be held on by one 10mm bolt. Put a little grease on the nose of the input shaft, hoist it up on your two bold if your using them, if not use man power to rock the transmission side to side, up and down till you can hit the hole of the pilot bearing with the input shaft, it should make a thump noise when you are able to drive it home. should all be done by had no drawing it in with bolts..

 

Having the right tools make this easy. a transmission jack it helpfule.

 

One more pointer tighten the tranny bell housing bolts first, then try to get a good alinment of the tail shaft to the diff then tighen the power plant frame bolts, don't just let it hang and tighten it.

 

you will get better at this the more you do it.

[Keith Andrews]

Yes, what Frank said.  When you are mating the trans. to the engine for the first time it seems like you are doing something wrong.  It takes some work to get it to seat.  You have to be pretty physical to get that clunk/thump together.  When it goes you will know it. 

[stillentwint17]

Hey Keith and Frank,

 

Thanks for the pointers guys.

 

I got the clunk/thump sound of (feeling like the pilot and input shaft lined up) but there is a constant gap between the bell housing engine. If i remove slack frrom the jack/rope holding up the rear of the gear box, the tranny tips backwards.

 

When we state that there needs to be a clunk, does that mean there should be no gap whatsoever? When i get the tranny and engine flat together, by the time i get loctite on the screw, the rear of the tranny tips backwards and there is a gap again...

 

should i continue to muscle the tranny and engine together so there is no gap and it stays flush without any screws?

 

Cheers guys,

[Bench Racer]

Hey Keith and Frank,

 

Thanks for the pointers guys.

 

I got the clunk/thump sound of (feeling like the pilot and input shaft lined up) but there is a constant gap between the bell housing engine. If i remove slack frrom the jack/rope holding up the rear of the gear box, the tranny tips backwards.

 

When we state that there needs to be a clunk, does that mean there should be no gap whatsoever? When i get the tranny and engine flat together, by the time i get loctite on the screw, the rear of the tranny tips backwards and there is a gap again...

 

should i continue to muscle the tranny and engine together so there is no gap and it stays flush without any screws?

 

Cheers guys,

If I'm understanding you correctly, your getting the bell housing to flat kiss the motor mating surface with zero gap, when you let go with your hands to get a screw the gap from thansmission weight returns at the top. If your putting Lcotite on the bolts that hold the transmission to the motor, skip that step, it's not required...........  The first bolt you put in does not need to be a bolt way up at the top.

 

[stillentwint17]

This is the max depth of engagment I've gotten so far. I've tried numerous times. Is this sufficent engagement prior to tightening bolts? Are the splines even engaging at this point?

I'm trying to determine if i need to realign my clutch..I used one of those plastic aligning tools.

 

 

[stillentwint17]

Is there anyone in the bay area that i can borrow/purchase a input shaft from??

 

I wasnt able to get my shitty plastic tool back in when i tried to check teh alignement of the clutch.. I'll have to realign the clutch but i dont think i can re-use my tool and get any better of a result...

[Bench Racer]

It looks like the shaft engaged maybe 3/16 of an inch.

Did the splines engage at all?

Did you cut the heads off two bolts the approprate length, cut a screw driver slot in the headless bolt and thread the two bolts into the motor?

Not being a know it all, but I do know how hard it is for a one man show.

[stillentwint17]

It looks like the shaft engaged maybe 3/16 of an inch.

Did the splines engage at all?

Did you cut the heads off two bolts the approprate length, cut a screw driver slot in the headless bolt and thread the two bolts into the motor?

Not being a know it all, but I do know how hard it is for a one man show.

Yah, i did that. I used two alignment screws but still had a problem. I tried to fit the clutch alignment tool into the pressure plate/pilot bearing and i had a hard time having it engage at all. I'm not sure if the splines alinged. The closest i got the engine and tranny to one another was about 1/8". Depending on where the jack was placed, the engine and tranny would contact high or low, but never all together..

[Duane Polsley]

Sounds like you hanging up on the alignment dowels. Just have to manhandle it and it will go. sometimes shaking it around helps.

[stillentwint17]

Yah, i havent been able to get the alignment bosses (dowels) on the bell-housing to align...

 

I already remove the clutch and i'll realign it. Then i'll try shake the sh*t out of it. I've had no such luck thus far

[Keith Andrews]

Is there anyone in the bay area that i can borrow/purchase a input shaft from??

 

I wasnt able to get my shitty plastic tool back in when i tried to check teh alignement of the clutch.. I'll have to realign the clutch but i dont think i can re-use my tool and get any better of a result...

The plastic tool should work many times.  It doesn't sound like you got everything lined up.  The alignment tool should be free when everything is centered.  More than two hands can help with this. 

 

Think of your alignment tool as the input shaft.  

[fotostars]

PM me with your cell phone. I'm in Sunnyvale.
Sorry not following during the day

[Keith Novak]

The clutch alignment tool will last forever as far as I can tell but it's not a precision instrument.  You have to get your eyeball up there and see if it's really centered before torquing down the PP.

 

You haven't heard the real clunk yet.  That's the hollow sound of the bell housing perimeter striking the back of the engine.  I can see the grease ring on the input shaft but no such evidence on the splines.  Looks to me like you're not getting the spines aligned.  It takes a combination of tilting, lifting, twisting, cursing, more lifting tilting and twisting and sometimes a lot more cursing.  I usually do this with my Harbor Freight cheapo trans jack.  That takes the lifting out of the way leaving just the tilting twisting and tilting.  Last weekend I tried the 2 bolt method but found too many things to align at the same time all fighting each other so I took one bolt out and found it easier to do with the one remaining bolt.  It takes the weight off but the more pins you have to line up all at once, the greater the chance that for all the ones you can get aligned, one will still fight you.

 

Since the clutch is clamped in with the PP, and the input splines aren't going in, try twisting the input shaft just a hair to see if it helps.  Doesn't sound like it can hurt.

[FTodaro]

Keith is right its not a percision tool but when you use it, there is a little slop, you just center it as best you can so that the tool slides in and out freely then you should be good to go.

 

Keep working on it, once you do this once you will get the feel of it, its a matter of hitting that little hole. its likley that gravity is pitching the tail of the tranny downword, so be sure your tying to level out the tranny.

[SaulSpeedwell]

Pilot Bearings According To Saul:

-I use the ones with the flange (NAPA used to sell these by default, but you can get them from any bearing place too), so I don't have to lose sleep wondering if I pushed it through the flywheel during install.

-Spin it in your hand.  Feels nice, huh?  Now press it into the flywheel and spin it.  If it feels notchy (it usually does), I lose sleep until I size the flywheel so the bearing fit is correct.  If a shelled bearing like that is notchy after you install it, the fit is too tight.

 

If you want to use an unflanged bearing, use a bearing retaining compound to reduce the chances of pushing it through, especially if you have made the press fit "correct" so that the bearing isn't dying starting with the first revolution.

[stillentwint17]

Hi Everyone,

 

At the 11th hour, i was finally able to get everything put together and i left for track late Sunday night. I cant thank everyone enough for all their support and help with my first tranny job. After getting the dowels lined up, everything was a peace of cake. Thanks again to everyone, especially Richard and Ron who helped out with the clutch alignment tool. Track today was awesome. Well worth the late night trips to Oreilys and Mazda. Thanks again everyone.

[Mark McCallister]

If you R&R the FW don't forget to RTV.

 

Just when you thought this thread was dead...

 

I guess this is three RTV questions:

 

1.  Is this the right thread sealant to use on the threads on the 6 flywheel bolts?  It is not RTV. 

http://www.permatex....-sealant-detail

 

2. When I pulled the old RMS out, it looked like there was some residue of liquid gasket (RTV I assume) on the back side of the outer face of the RMS.  Is the outer surface of the RMS supposed to be sealed, or is it just a dry plastic<->aluminum interface on the outside?  I didn't see any instruction to use any sealant in the FSM or Grainger book.  Is there something else other than the bolts that is supposed to get RTV'd?

 

3. I assume the above sealant is the right stuff for the remote oil pressure sender hose connection at the engine side as well?

[Keith Novak]

I use the permatex for both the flywheel bolts and the the oil pressure sender.  Shake up or massage the tube to mix before use.  It can separate out in the tube.  It should be chalky white. The RMS does not require additional sealant. 

[Mark McCallister]

Thanks Keith!