Basically to the point, tranny has about a centimeter before mating to the block. I'm assuming its catching on the pilot bearing seal but really have no idea. If anyone has any tips besides keep wrestling it it would be helpful . Thanks

Geoff

 

when you say 1cm, do you mean all around or just one one side or what? 1cm really isnt that much distance b/t block and bellhousing. is the 1cm after you put the bolts in and tighten them?

as long as input shaft and pilot bearing are lined up correctly you should be able to get away w/ putting the tranny bolts in. just be sure to use common sense before you tighten them down, you dont wanna mess anything up

don't really have any tips for you though, sometimes they slide right in and sometimes they take half a day to get right

 

Stick a crow bar or the like into the exhaust manifold and pull down to help the shaft and bearing line up. Shake and push, repeat as necessary.

 

Thats what I was thinking. Just going to take some time I guess, but I hope my knees can take it. I've been balancing the back of the tranny on them while wrestling the front with my arms

 

Sounds familiar, If you have a friend handy have him push on the throttle body toward the back of the car. The engine likes to lean forward when the tranny is out. Same process as HOZZMANRX7 said but gives you your all your hands to work with.

 

Jack the front of your engine up with a jack to tilt the *** end of it downward.

 

are you sure there's NOTHING catching? Make sure that there's nothing inbetween the engine and tranny, turn the engine a little bit by the front pulley and see if it grinds on something. Are you sure you lined the clutch up with the input shaft?

If everything's lined up and nothing is in the way, then put two bolts through the transmission into the engine so it doesn't come apart, then grab a friend and you get on one side of the engine, he/she gets on the other side and both of you put a hand on the front pushing forward, and just wiggle the sucker until it moves into place.