I have a N/A 88 convertable with 5 speed tranny. and after installing a new centerforce dual friction clutch reusing old flywheel that is never removing it! i am having trouble reinstalling the tranny itself ive dropped it once more to check alignment and the pinion bearing and seal both are properly seated and aligment is good as a matter of fact i unbolted the (new) pressure plate again and reinstalled all the clutch components... the shifter have cleared the opening and the top stud is in the transmission bellhousing yet there is a inch of clearance on top and bottom (from engine to bellhousing) all is well itjust wont budge! pls help with this

 

the car is all original mind you!

 

Get under the tranny and lift it up with your hands and knees and wiggle the **** out of it. Also have a friend spin the output shaft incase the splines aren't lined up.

 

yup you just arent lining up the splines good enough,like he said rock it back and forth while putting pressure towards the engine.

 

Line up the clutch disc perfectly in the center of the flywheel/pressure plate. Those plastic tools are horrible, way too much play. All that wiggling is due to forcing the clutch disc to the proper position. If the disc is aligned properly, the input shaft will just rotate like butter and the trans will go in with one push.

The best tool is a scrap input shaft, but there are ways of measuring from the outside of the f-wheel to get it right.

 

yea and also make sure to use a clutch alignment tool to get the clutch lined up correctly. Also, make sure you are lifting on the rear of the transmission and wiggle the **** out of it.

 

worked like a charm once we installed the drive shaft and put it in gear slide right in like a charm thanks for all the posts

 

Had this encounter on every single transmission/engine mating I've ever done. The thing that makes it so annoying is no matter how well you line it up, it still always seems to come down to luck whether it'll fully join or not. When it doesn't, seperate and retry; fidgetting optional but not always necessary. When it finally goes in, it usually slides in effortlessly. Classic example of "if at first you don't succeed..."

 

If the Engine is Tilted so that the Back of the Engine Is LOWER than the FRONT of the Engine,It is a BREEZE..wedge something up front of the engine(between the Rad shround and the Alternator..Somewhere there)..it will Drop the back of the engine down...Once that is done,Trust me,.The Damn thing will go in LIKE BUTTER!..I've done FOUR Transmission Drops in a YEAR..I know WTF I am doing Now..Or at Least I should..the Last Three went in Real GOOD...NOw Once the trans is on..Bolt it up,at the bottom,Loosely,but enough that it doesn't come apart...then take the Wedge out,and that will allow you to put that 14mm bolt on the top..and that in Turn will squeeze everything together.Tighten that bolt then Work your way around the Trans Bolts..DONE!..By the way..this is usually done,ALONE..as I have NO friends that Care to help!..it's tricky but doable alone..BUT Better done with TWO for safety reasons.

 

This is EXACTLY what i do! it makes the world of difference! A couple buddies of mine were doing the tranny swap on his 88se 4 days into it they called me to come help, i did it my way, wedging the motor, and we had it all back together in about an hour.