Trans input shaft play
 

Does anyone know how much play is normal or acceptable for the transmission input shaft?

A while back my front eccentric shaft bolt backed out on the highway and it caused a horribly unbalanced shake for the few seconds that the engine was still turning. Now that the engine is out of the car I am worried that the unbalanced engine may have damaged the input shaft bearing in the trans.

My second and third gear synchros were crunchy anyway, so this might be the last straw before I go buy a JDM transmission with the improved 5th gear ratio.

The shaft will wiggle some .When it is hooked up the pilot bearing supports it from wiggling .Just rebuild it unless the one you want is less money .

Thanks for the input.

I will measure the play at the end of the shaft when I get home from work tonight. I was just wondering if there are any specific values I can compare against.

I considered rebuilding it myself, but after the cost of parts and special tools I would be getting close to the price of a used transmission in good condition.

The wobble in the input shaft will depend on the clearance in the bearing. But speaking from experience it should be small enough that you'll only measure it using a dial indicator.

How's the oil inside the tranny? Does it growl when you start it cold in neutral, clutch out?

Dave

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it wiggles more than that. lol. but I will measure tonight

The engine is still out of the car so I can't listen to the bearings. I haven't drained the oil yet, but I will soon before I remove the transmission.

Well, I thought it was wiggling more, but it doesn't look like it moves more than 1/16" at the end of the shaft. It still feels looser than when I installed my clutch a few thousand miles ago. I guess I can just keep it and see how it runs when I get the engine back in the car. Dropping the transmission isn't a big job IMO, so not a big deal if I end up replacing/rebuilding it down the road.

Thanks for the advice guys.