Can not get Tranny Back In

[eclipin]

I just installed an ACT 2600. Problem is I can not clear the tranny to get it back in, and lign up the input shaft with the clutch. I am getting the tranny stuck on the rear part of the frame. I am using a hydraulic floor jack. In my attempt I have scratched up the pressure plate pretty badly, but it looks like everything is okay. Please, what can I try? Should I lower the engine very low? How can I get the tranny up to avoid getting it stuck on the frame at the rear. If I do get it high enough, what is the best method to engage the input shaft with the clutch, since the alignment might be off? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[1fast97gsx]

align the clutch disk with the crank before you do anything else. Then take the engine and lower it down ALL THE WAY ... so the waterpump pulley hits on the drivers side. I like to grease up the input shaft a little as well to make it slide in easier. Then just keep messing with it until you get it lined up and just wiggle and push. I would that with the engine down as far as you can go is the easiest way. Make sure the exhaust isn't still attached under the pan though so you don't bend it. ( I know my 3" downpipe causes problems here ) Once you get the input shaft lined up with the clutch disk it should slide in fast and easy. Good luck.

 

[awd4g63]

This is probably the biggest pain in the ass with removing your tranny. It seems to just fall out so easily, yet getting it back in is the hardest thing you've ever done.

Be patient; my first time took me a good 2 hours just to get the transmission lined back up with the block. If you don't have someone helping you, you might need to ask for someone; it's much easier.

You're going to have to rotate, turn, straighten, lower the engine, raise the engine, and fiddle with everything until you get it lined up. Make sure to use a clutch alignment tool, because that seems to make it a whole lot easier to line the input shaft up with the clutch. There's not much more to say other than good luck If you have a little bit of money left over and your current floor jack is a POS, go to a rental shop and see if you can rent a floor transmission jack for a day. I'm not sure what it costs, but when I used mine, it was so much easier maneuvering the transmission around.

Good luck, man

 

[1fast97gsx]

yea I ended up buying a trans jack adapter ... it was like $40 and it pays for itself after 2 clutches .

 

[eclipin]

yea I ended up buying a trans jack adapter ... it was like $40 and it pays for itself after 2 clutches .

Thanks 1fast97gsx and awd4g63. I had not lowered the engine as low as you indicated, so I will try that next. I will also look into renting a jack or adapter for my SUV hydraulic jack. This is time consuming, so I will wait til the weekend to retry. Did you have any suggestions on clearing the tranny on the passenger side near where the axle goes in. I was having major difficulty trying to get the tranny over that point. I don't know if my approach is right. Should the tranny be able to just go straight up into position while on the jack, so that I can get it aligned. I have not been able to jack it straight up without hitting the rear frame.......Thanks, Eclipin.

 

[awd4g63]

Everyone has different ways of doing it, but on my car, I had to rotate the transmission about 45 degrees before it would clear into the engine bay. From there, I rotated it onto the input shaft and bolted it up. Took a while, but it worked.

 

[Lunch_Box]

I found it easiest to lift the tranny using a engine lift. That way you have full movability and can spin, twist and tilt in any direction needed. I tried using a floor jack with a tranny holder and stuggled with it for a while but couldn't seem to get it, with the engine lift it was in place in no time.

 

[awd4g63]

I found it easiest to lift the tranny using a engine lift. That way you have full movability and can spin, twist and tilt in any direction needed. I tried using a floor jack with a tranny holder and stuggled with it for a while but couldn't seem to get it, with the engine lift it was in place in no time.

That doesn't seem like a bad idea, I just had a full floor transmission jack. If you don't have the cash to spare for a floor tranny jack, you may want to try this, eclipin.

 

[1fast97gsx]

I found it easiest to lift the tranny using a engine lift. That way you have full movability and can spin, twist and tilt in any direction needed. I tried using a floor jack with a tranny holder and stuggled with it for a while but couldn't seem to get it, with the engine lift it was in place in no time.

yea I've done that too in the past ... I just have a hard time leveling the chains so it somewhat lines up.

 

[eclipin]

Well, I finaly got around to trying to put my tranny back in with a helper. NO LUCK. I must be doing something wrong, because I am assuming hundreds of people have removed and re-installed their tranny over and over again. I tryed the recommendations from the forum thread, but again no luck. My engine only appears to come down a little when I lower it. I currently have the engine supported underneath, with a jack and padding on the very end of the oil pan near the driver side. Should I support the engine in a different location on the oil pan for better control? This is what I am doing: (1) I place the tranny on floor jack upright (the way it would be bolted to the engine, with a wood base attached to jack lip for support. (2) I then jack the tranny up slowly, and it always catches the rear near passenger side/and where axle goes in. (3) I notice that after raising, the lower transfer shaft hits the pressure plate, because the tranny needs to go back towards the rear of the car , so the bellhousing can cover the presure plate and then align the shafts. (4) I have tried turning the tranny towards the front from its up right position as indicated in #1, but then I can not rotate the tranny back around to align with the dowels and bolt holes. Any pics, diagrams, step by step intructions, etc will be helpful. Thanks, Eclipin.

 

[eclipin]

First off, thanks to 1fastgsx, awd4g63, and others that replied in the forum. This may be helpful to others, and for sure it can make tranny removal and reinstall easy. To reinstall the tranny, I took my regular jack from my eclipse, and placed it on the firewall with the foot of the jack towards the engine pressed against the end of my oil pan towards the passenger side or close to the crank end. The other end of the jack is wedged against the lower frame near the firewall (that holds the lateral arms). Then I started expanding the jack until it pushed the engine about 3 inches, or just in front of the fan. By doing this, you are completely free from the tranny getting hung up near the firewall, especially the side near the passenger where the axle goes in. From there its just a matter of raising the tranny on your floor jack or whatever, and then sliding it on. This will also assist in removing the tranny. after removing all bolts from the bell house and engine mounts, again wedge your regular jack and push the engine away from the firewall, This technique really works well, because after you release the tranny engine mount and the front and rear roll stopper mounts, the engine is only held in place by the driver side engine mount. Therfore it will drift towards the firewall, and give you less place to raise the tranny and work with. I hope this works for everyone else. All of a sudden I feel like an expert. peaceout, eclipin

 

[DamionGST]

Yeah if you get the motor level with a jack (as level as it is with the tranny in the car) it's real easy. Just as easy as a 1G tranny (1Gs have 3 motor mounts holding the motor in straight).

 

[Kevin Jewer]

Just my 2 cents. With a 1g with the 3 motor mounts attached, its pretty straightforward. You just have to play with rotating the bellhosuing to get clear of the K member. On a 2g with the motor flopping all over the place (one mount) its a little trickier. I keep the motor fairly high to keep the tranny off the K member, and use a small tie down to pull the motor away from the firewall. It likes to fall back in that direction causing clearance issues with the K member. When it is prepared properly I can just lean over the fender, pick that bastard up, and slide it on. Naturally the angles of the motor and tranny, whatever they are, have to be on the same line. If they arent, the clutch disc will bind up and not slide over the input shaft.

Of course, sometimes it just wont go, and I have to pick it up ten times and I'm frustrated and beat to shit.