+1. This is a pain. I'm having my moms friend who is also a mechanic come over in a hour. He and I will work on it hopefully get it in. It also looks like I banged up the pilot bearing seal a little bit, I'm not sure if I even put the seal in the right way . I know pineappleracing has a video thats shows which way to put it in, but you can't see it worth crap. Other than that I can't find anybody that has a picture of which way the seal should go in. I tried jacking up the front of the oil pan, but it didn't seem to make the rear of the engine tilt down. Let you guys know how it goes in a few hours.

 

man, i feel for you, if you weren't on the other side of the country i'd go and help you out.

 

Did you disconnect the exhaust? With only the front mounts holding the engine it should be able to tilt back until the oil pan rests on the cross member. I use a small piece of wood between the pan and crossmember to avoid damaging the oil pan.

Much good advice already. I screw a bolt from front to back through the open threaded hole on top of the engine for a guide. Using a floor jack for the tranny, I get the bell housing and engine parallel then wiggle and push the tranny into place. With the tranny lined up I start a long bolt in the lower right hole (away from the starter). With one bolt started you can wiggle the tranny up and down against the bolt while tightening a little at a time. You should feel when it pops in.

 

I feel bad mentioning this, this late in the game... but if you're not sure you got the pilot seal in correctly (as stated earlier), you might want to sort that out before you put the trans back in.

Unless you'll enjoy doing it again, I guess.

 

I found out how to get the tranny in less than ten minutes. I totally forgot about the exhaust and how it holds the engine up. Took a pipe out and it slipped in. I'll have her up on the streets later today. I'll let you guys know how it all works out.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about that PB seal, it's just sort of a Hail Mary Prayer anyhow. Many PB's have been installed on all kinds of cars without one. Amazing how much mileage those little high-spinning needle bearings can take. Even though they're case-hardened to support loads, that hardening is not tougher than silicon dust so they'll eventually wear. When you think about the service they have to give it makes you want to treat your clutch with more respect. Did you inspect the old PB to see how it wore out? I bet the needles themselves were not much worse than the new ones you put in.

Did you change your transmission input shaft bearing? Now that's something worth worrying about.

 

Excellent; congrats!

 

Ya, the old pilot bearing was intact. But there was rust and lots of dirt in there. It was totally dry. No grease whatsoever! You talking about the throwout bearing? I replaced that. Not sure what you mean?

Now I got another problem though. I have the rear of the tranny held up by a jack and I can't get the tranny mount on. It doesn't line up at all. I need the engine and tranny to move like a another inch forward for it to be in place. What do I do?

 

Yeah, it was in gear. I grabbed the yoke, twist the wrist, and it slipped together. A little jiggling and minor adjusting of the scizzor jack on the rear oil pan lip to keep the angle perfect with the bellhousing was all it took to coax the two together. Then lift the entire assembly after clearing the shifter housing under the outer rubber shift boot and attatch tranny mount. Not really that hard.

 

well now that you have the tranny in and bolted, all you have to do is jack it all the way up, i usually do it to where the tranny itself starts to lift the car, but don't go past that i don't think it'll hurt it, but you never know. make sure the jack is not in the way of the mount and then install the mount. after that slowly drop tranny down and it should fit straight in lol...also make sure you remove any jack from the front of the engine if you used that method.

 

We finally got all the big things in. Just need to put the clutch slave, shifter and fill up the tranny fluid.

 

Normally you would support the engine with another jack and block of wood under the oil pan.

If you would of done the bolt trick that is listed in my archived thread it would not of mattered because it would of gone right in.

 

Oh ya, I did use that trick doc! Its just that without the engine tilted back I couldn't get the right angle for the input shaft to go in. Other than that, your trick works great doc. Thanks!

 

Alright. Trying to put the clutch slave back in and the clutch slave doesn't even move. It's stuck. Am I supposed to bleed it? New one? Don't get how it worked perfectly before and now it doesnt move. I try to push it in with the little boot covered rod but it won't, its stuck.

 

It's like a brake piston; you have to push pretty hard for quite a while to move the fluid from the piston to the resivour, because the hose bore is tiny.

You'd only need to bleed it if you'd opened the system (or if the fluid needs changing). The fact that it's hard to push in probably means you have little or no air in it.

You could crack open the bleed (over a jar! Crap will shoot yards) and it would be easy to push in, but you have to close it before it bottoms, or you'll have to bleed it to get the air out.

 

you'll definitely have to bleed it, i had to do it when i took my tranny off, it's not hard, just like bleeding breaks, but do be careful and put a bottle or something over it so that it doesn't squirt and get all over your car..unless you plan on repainting it.

 

Got it in. Just had to bleed it. haha. All I got left is to put the shifter in and I'll be done. Ugh, can't wait. It's been too long.

 

i know that feeling right now i couldn't drive mine cuz i decided to do the seafoam thing and i think i poured too much in there and flooded my engine and it wouldn't start (yes i tried pushing the gas pedal all the way down) and i got pissed cuz i spent all morning waxing it and everything, but hopefully it'll be running tomorrow lol

 

Mine's been on blocks for almost 3 years (failed smog, need parts that are hard to come by) but I'm feeling inspired, and have started grubbing thru my parts and notes, to see if I can resurrect it.

The wife crabbing about it having been sitting in the garage for that long is, I assure you, merely secondary.

 

merely secondary eh? lol, are you sure it wasn't one of those situations "either that thing goes, or i go?" and you chose your car :P j/k man (just a joke, not trying to offend you, sorry if i did, i'm always making jokes and i get carried away lol)

 

Lol, well eveything is finally done! My car is back on the road. Just went for a cruise and it was awesome..haha. Thanks for everything you guys! Definately learned form this experience. Thanks again!

 

You can probably get the needed parts in either the regional west classified or the general classified forum with a WTB.

 

Awesome news. Congrats on a difficult job well done!

 

Heh, I think she knows the score; I've had the car considerably longer than I've had her.

 

^^^^haha nice ...... and congrats twinkletoes on getting your car running, it's a tough job but you got through it.