Connecting engine and transmission
 

I've done this dozens of times and EVERY time it's a PITA. I get all 4 studs in the holes in the tranny case and then getting it the rest of the way is just ridiculously difficult. The alignment tool goes in and out nicely, all the studs seem straight. Is there a trick?? I'm gettin' too old to fight this as vigorously as I used to!!

JB

I've fought this at times to. I've had someone help by turning the engine over slowly by the fan pulley for me as I push the 2 together. I think this helps line the splines up if they are just off. It's worked every time for me (knock on wood!).

Tom

If the trans is in the car, look at the throw out bearing and the fingers. Make sure they are lining right.
Take a screwdriver and turn the flywheel on the ring gear. You only have to move the flywheel a little bit
Trans and engine on the floor, put it in gear and turn the hubs and the splines will turn.
Still watch the fingers at the TOB
Bruce

Well, if you are mating the engine and transmission on your garage floor, you should never have any real trouble. Because you can see in through the hole on the driver's side of the tranny to watch the clutch release fork fingers, and adjust them (this assumes you have removed the external clutch release lever - the one the cable attaches to) so they line up just right as you nudge the two units together.

What drives me nuts is doing this when the tranny is still in the car. Sometimes I get it just right, sometimes not. The best reason I want to go to a small multi plate clutch with a hydraulic TOB - don't have to line this stuff up. So having the clutch forks not in their groove in the TOB sounds like what is happening. Not much else to hang up.

I've never had an issue with the tranny mainshaft not wanting to poke easily through the clutch disk splines with the tranny in neutral. Just a little lubricant on those shaft splines.

So I'm with Bruce - got to be a TOB/finger alignment issue.

Walt

All, thanks for the advice and things to look for. My day job is turning into a day and night job lately and I haven't had a chance to throw on some grubbies and readdress this. Engine and tranny are out of the car.... Sometimes when you step away from an issue that's causing problems, those problems go away in the light of a new day. Let's hope!

Cheers,
JB