Can't reattach G50 Transmission to Engine

[COLB]

Need some help.

I dropped my engine for a reseal, and have got it almost all done -- thread is here:

Rookie Engine Drop & Reseal, G50 Carrera Cab

But I am stuck -- I can't get the transmission back together with the engine.

It gets to the last inch, and it feels like something is hitting inside and stopping it:



I used a clutch alignment tool, and it slides in and out without issue. I tried turning the crank a bit to allow the splines to align -- but it is still jamming.

I know there is a thread on here about this, but couldn't find it.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[fred cook]

Try raising and/or lowering the front end of the transmission a little while pushing the tranny towards the engine. Sounds like the input shaft nose is catching on the pilot bearing. Good luck!

[COLB]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Try raising and/or lowering the front end of the transmission a little while pushing the tranny towards the engine. Sounds like the input shaft nose is catching on the pilot bearing. Good luck!

OK.

I've experimented with the angle, but with no luck yet.

I am pretty positive it is put together correctly, or else the tool wouldn't fit:



You can see the throwout bearing is taped up, so it isn't that.

If the nose is not fitting into the pilot bear, it should just be a matter of fiddling. but that hasn't worked so far.

[COLB]

After more fiddling, I don't think it is the pilot bearing.

The input shaft is going in too far to be misaligned.

Since the tool still fits, the bearing is sufficiently centered that the shaft should fit. It is hanging on something else.

[midnightrider36]

Are you getting hung up on the shift fork? You might have to swing it to the side as you slide the trans on to line up the fork to the the bushing holes.

[COLB]

Originally Posted by midnightrider36

Are you getting hung up on the shift fork? You might have to swing it to the side as you slide the trans on to line up the fork to the the bushing holes.

This could have been it.

I pulled the transmission away, check the alignment tool again, and repositioned the shift fork -- and spun the circle thingies (highly technical term) where the CV joints meet -- and it slid in. Finally.

Might have been the shift fork, maybe I just had the alignment slightly wrong. Tough to do single-handed!

But now it is all together and ready (I hope) to go back in.

Thanks for the help!

[wildcat077]

You can tape the shift fork in position with masking tape before you mate the tranny to the engine,then you just pull out the tape when it's all lined up !

I also suggest you reinstall the clutch slave cylinder before you completely raise the engine,it will give you better access and you won't cry if you drop one of the nuts inside one of the gaps/openings on the tranny ... ask me how i know !!!

Cheers
Phil

Cheers
Phil

[COLB]

Originally Posted by wildcat077

You can tape the shift fork in position with masking tape before you mate the tranny to the engine,then you just pull out the tape when it's all lined up !

I also suggest you reinstall the clutch slave cylinder before you completely raise the engine,it will give you better access and you won't cry if you drop one of the nuts inside one of the gaps/openings on the tranny ... ask me how i know !!!

Cheers
Phil

Cheers
Phil

I used the tape. You can see it in the pic. I also remembered to remove it -- which is a good thing!

I'm definitely going to do the slave cylinder with the motor on the ground. I took it off while the engine was still in place, and it almost broke me....

[Flat6pac]

You need to change and update to the guide tube on the trans mainshaft.

Bruce

[Gideon911]

I’m on this job right now and having difficulty. I believe tomorrow could be that the plastic clutch alignment tool from PP is a little belt. When Pp is on, I can look inside and it sure as hell doesn’t look like the pilot bearing is centered on the clutch disk splines. If this is my problem..what are my options for getting this thing centered? Buy a new one?

I may have bent the damn thing when bolting up the Pp.

Trans gets around 1/2-3/4 inch from fully mating and just won’t budge any more. I’ve done everything else. Fork is proper (zip tied like JW), nothing seems to be in the way. I’ve put it in hear and turned the flanges for the axles a bit. Shook it every which way, pry’d slightly on the fork to release a little pressure while my cousin pushed and shimmied the trans. No dice.

While I’m writing this, might as well ask. Can the trans fully mate to the engine if I’m at the one inch yard mark and almost fully insert the shaft? I’ve done that on several attempts. I’m not fully sliding the shaft into the fork because it’s such a tight fit I don’t want to have a hell of a time getting it back out if I lightly tap it with the sleeve to its final seated position.

[Gianni at Pelican Parts]

Hey Gideon,

I hope someone with experience can chime in but in the meantime we have our "How To" Tech Articles relating to the transmission on your car.

[kevingross]

You may have the splines misaligned. Put the transmission in gear, turn one of the output shafts a little, see whether it now slides home. If you have new bearings in and things won't turn freely (because of new bearing preload), thread a couple of bolts onto an output flange and use them to pivot with a pry bar.

[911obgyn]

I hope he has been driving it now for about 6 years. Old post.

[Gideon911]

I’ve tried everything. It just will not go in. So frustrating. The other night I tried turning the axel flanges or whatever they are called. Everything angle you get the thing in. I’ve tried it all

The ring gear is shredding pieces of the bell housing off as I try all this. I hope the teeth on that will still work fine despite seeing it eat away some of that housing. Seems it should be fine.

I took a day and walked away from the job to reset. Today I pulled it all apart, realigned everything with the alignment tool again and made sure the tool slips in and out easily. I can’t believe it didn’t seem to help. No luck. Not sure. New everything guide tube, PP disk, etc. no clue what the hell is going on now. The arm isn’t in the way. I’m sure the pilot is centered in the splines of the disk. I don’t get it.

[Dauner]

Gideon911,

I had the same problem when trying to mate my G50 and 3.2 last summer. I found an obscure comment in a thread that led to success for me. My Pelican alignment tool was brand new, but as it turns out, wasn’t good enough. The trick for me was to have a helper and a small prybar. I had my 16 year old son pushing on the transmission, while I inserted a small prybar thru the side window of the transmission and applied a small amount of force on the clutch fork ear to take a little bit of the pressure plate force off of the clutch disc. Just enough so that the disc could float in to place while my son was pushing. We fought it for 2 hours the prior evening. When I read the tip later that night, the next morning we went out and got it to slip in the last 1/2” in 5 minutes. I took a pic of the prybar in location but can’t find it while I’m posting this. If important, I’ll dig deeper.

Not impossible, but easier with two people, as it was a coordinated effort of slight force with the prybar and pushing on the transmission. I put something soft on the edge of the window of the transmission case that the pry bar pivoted on as I was afraid of damaging the aluminum case.

It may work with a large craftsman screwdriver, but the small pry bar with angled tip end worked great.

Mark

[Dauner]

Here’s the pic I took showing pry bar on the clutch fork ear. Pic is rotated. Sorry about that.

Mark

[Gideon911]

Well….I finally got it

That was a *****. I believe the main issue was that the engine was just tilted back enough that it was making it tough to get the input shaft to slip into the pilot bearing. Getting the engine as level as possible seemed to help. Thanks everyone, that was not easy lol

Thanks Mark I do think this was something that helped me. I had a helper adding a little pressure to the fork with a pry bar since I had read that thread of yours a while back. Appreciate it!

What a pain

[tig]

Hopefully this will help someone else...

My '88 had the throwout bearing replaced in 1997.

I ordered a clutch kit from Pelican that came yesterday. This kit: https://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=K70021-01-INT

I spent about 4 hours today trying to get the transmission to connect to the engine. I thougth I was just being lame.

Turns out there's different sized release bearing tubes.

The one on my car is about 33.5mm diameter.

The inner diameter of the new throwout (release) bearing is ~32mm.

Well, duh.

The correct tube: 950-116-813-07

Hopefully when the new release bearing tube arrives monday I can get the engine & tranny back together. Meanwhile there goes my plans to drive this weekend..

[yelcab1]

You are not the first to NOT notice the updated guide tube. And you won't be the last.