ASAP! Tranny will not come off!

[Strider]

Hey guys I'm doing a clutch job and so far I have all the bolts off of the tranny, It will spin in either direction but will not slide off. Am I missing something here? trying to get if off and my new clutch in by tonight. Thanks!

Strider

[boisking]

If the trans is spinning around, I can assume you have slid the input shaft part-way free of the disc/pilot bearing. Otherwise, the bell-housing would still be seized on the locator pins. Am I right?

If this is the case, you are either (1) hung on your exhaust header (if you have one installed right now), (2) you are hitting the top of the transmission tunnel, or (3) you forgot to remove the shifter from the turret. We'll address those three items:

1. Remove any exhaust components near the transmission. If you have a header, get it out of there. If you have stock manifolds, make sure the down and mid-pipes are completely removed.

2. If the top of the bell-housing is hitting the tunnel, use a jack and a block of wood to very gently lift the harmonic balancer, causing the engine to tilt backwards and giving you some extra clearance. Safety first, carefulness second.

3. Don't worry, I have R&R'ed a few dozen transmissions and even I forget to do this first from time to time. Go up into the interior and remove the shifter from the turret. You have to pull the knob, then the bezel/boot, then you can get to the shifter.

If I am wrong, give more details about what you are experiencing.

[Sharpie]

Good write up Bo!

[Strider]

So after a nice brake I went back out there and gave it my all and it came free! I noticed as I was trying to get it down that I have two sensors on the top I still haven't disconnected. I couldn't see a clip to remove. Do I have to get a wrench and take the whole sensor out? one is on top and the other is on the left hand side of the tranny.

Thanks for the ideas guys! I have not removed my headers and down pipe. The bolts are so rusted out I don't even think it's possible. I think I have enough room if I can pull the tranny back and down it should fit.

[boisking]

Which sensors? If they are bolted in the transmission body, you do not need to remove the sensor, just unplug the wiring harness.

Are you replacing the throw-out bearing and the pilot bearing/bushing? You should. Check this out if you don't have a pilot bearing puller (he is stuffing wonder bread in there and compacting it with a dowel and a hammer):



Before starting reassembly:

0. Use a big socket to drive in the new pilot bearing. Big enough to only contact the outer race. Big enough to be stopped by the crankshaft so you don't accidentally counter-sink the bearing.

1. Take time to align the clutch disc perfectly straight before you completely tighten the pressure plate bolts.

2. Make sure you have the trans in gear before trying to slide it up into place. This way, you can spin the tailshaft to get the splines on the input shaft to align with the clutch disk.

3. Remember how you made the disk perfectly centered earlier? Make sure the trans is in line with the engine before trying to slide it into place. Your carefulness earlier will make this part easier. If you didn't have to tilt the engine back to get the trans out, you might have to tilt it back to get the trans in.

4. Start every bolt before you fully tighten the first. Start the bolts by hand to avoid stripping something.

Hope this helps!

[Strider]

Thanks, I got the tranny out last night and left it at that. I am replacing the throw-out bearing and I do not have a tool. Your link didn't work either. Is it going to be hard to do without the tool? I also need to replace my rear seal. I found out where I'm loosing my oil. LoL oil came out of the tranny from the bottom bolt hole when I pulled the bolt out.

i refreshed the page and the link worked.

Can I get a pilot bearing puller at any auto part's store?

[OZMDD]

Go buy one at HF, very inexpensive.

[Strider]

Sorry but what is HF. LOL

[sammm]

^Harbor Freight

[Strider]

ok, I will surly walk out of there with more than a pilot bearing remover. hehe....Anyways I got the old clutch off which was a pain. It was rusted on so I had to work at it pulling it out evenly till it fell off. When it did I noticed a spring was busted and half of it was out. That might have happened when it fell the 2 feet to the ground though. LoL So i'm going to go get me a rear crank seal and some high heat grease right? I read I need to grease up the throw-out bearing and pilot bearing before install correct?

Thanks for the help guys.

[Strider]

a post I'm reading up on seems to say that the pilot bearing is attached to the flywheel. Is this correct?
http://mymiatarepairs.com/repairs/mi...ent-procedure/
that is where I'm getting my info

[Strider]

So I have the flywheel off. I found several small beads fall out from inside. I do not know where they came from. Is that bad? Also it couldn't have been done without an air impact tool. They don't want those bolts coming off! Any who I'm replacing the rear main seal and then the pilot bearing next. The flywheel could use a good shaving but I'm pressed for time and have to get it all back together today so I am going to have to pass on that. When I get the money for my turbo setup I will put in a light weight flywheel anyways.

[OZMDD]

Turn the flywheel. Even if it takes an extra day, its really the proper thing to do.

[Jiggerachi]

Yes, the pilot bearing goes inside the flywheel. A good chance the 'beads' are part of the old pilot bearing.

See photo for examples of both. This was my flywheel when I changed my clutch.


The springs were broken on my OEM clutch as well at 165k, seems common.

You should resurface the flywheel, I didn't and I wish I did. At least scuff the surface with some fine grit sandpaper.

[Strider]

Yes, the pilot bearing goes inside the flywheel. A good chance the 'beads' are part of the old pilot bearing.

See photo for examples of both. This was my flywheel when I changed my clutch.


The springs were broken on my OEM clutch as well at 165k, seems common.

You should resurface the flywheel, I didn't and I wish I did. At least scuff the surface with some fine grit sandpaper.

When I took my clutch off it had a broken spring as well and in your photo there is similar to what mine was but all it had was the bearings. None of the other circle metal pieces to hold them together were intact. Reason I'm doing this is because it was getting very hard to shift and my car would creep forward when in gear and clutch to the floor so I figured I needed to get under there and see what was going on. I sure hope this is worth it. I'm having the toughest time getting the tranny back up next to the engine and probably am going to have and even harder time aligning it up to the engine. I left the clutch alignment tool in and tightened all the bolts. I couldn't get a good look at it to see how perfect it was but the tool did slide back in. It was hard to pull the tool out both times though. :-/ I do not want to have to pull that tranny back out! LoL

[goofygrin]

Anyone else read the title and go to a dark place in Thailand?

[Strider]

Anyone else read the title and go to a dark place in Thailand?

lmfao

So now I have the tranny lined up but it will not go past the last 1''. When in gear I can not turn the driveshaft but when it's out of gear I can so I'm guessing I'm in I just need to line it up with the pilot bearing. Can someone please let me know if I'm right or wrong. First time to ever do anything this involved.

[Strider]

Tranny is back on my car! I have learned that even though people say it takes like 12 hours to do their clutch that means they didn't have any bolts that were stripping on them and that everything came off without any problems. My differential bolts were so tight I almost couldn't get them off! I had a bolt on the tranny that was stripping on me but I got it after some forum searching on what to do.

I just want to thank everyone one more time for the quick responses and I hope I will be able to do the same for you guys in the future!

Strider

[tailchaser]

Anyone else read the title and go to a dark place in Thailand?

I keep thinking "Always check 'em out naked before the lights go out" should be added to the FAQ...

[Jiggerachi]

Glad you got it back together. I remember everything going wrong on my clutch job as well. Nobody can account for 18 years of built up crap under your car. Oh yea those diff bolts were bad mofos.