Tips on installing manual transmission

[skrizan]

Clutch went out - 1995 s10 2.2 5 speed manual new clutch is installed, bell housing back on. I spent an an hour and a half trying to get the transmission to slide back in tonight with no luck! I have it up on a jack, trying to ease it in there but it just won't go. I get it into the release bearing, but I can;t get the splines together.

I think I may have the engine a little low and I am going to try to raise the engine a little higher tomorrow and see if I can go in a little more level. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. I had the wife out there trying to help me, with all the cussing I was doing I'm not sure she'll be back.

[wrenchboss26]

make sure the tranny is in gear, that way the shaft wont spin and you can twist the tranny to get it to line up, but i install with the bellhousing on the tranny.

[skrizan]

Originally Posted by wrenchboss26

make sure the tranny is in gear, that way the shaft wont spin and you can twist the tranny to get it to line up, but i install with the bellhousing on the tranny.

Thanks, I talked to a buddy of mine last night and he said the same thing. The Haynes manual tells you to put in neutral for removal. I kept wondering why I never felt any resistance on the shaft when I was turning it. The Borg Wwarner transmission instructions have you remove the transmission from the bell housing, I'm not sure how it would be any easier with the housing attached, there are no guide pins on the housing or engine side.

I think putting it in gear should do the trick. Wish me luck.

[wrenchboss26]

good luck. let us know if you get it in.

[rhandwor]

Make sure you use a tool that looks like this or you can't slide it in place.
http://www.autopart.com/tools/toolsmain/tool/T_6256.htm
Try Advance or AutoZone.

[skrizan]

Yes, I used the clutch alignment tool when I installed the clutch.

I put it in gear and got it in last night, it still took me a good 20 minutes of wrestling with it and turning the shaft, but eventually I got it into the clutch, and then spent another 5 minutes before it popped into the pilot bearing.

I finished assembling of everything else and gave it a try, the clutch pedal was moving way to easy however, and I couldn't get it into any gear. I think the rod on the slave cylinder popped out of place when I was putting the transmission in. At least I hope that is the problem, and that the rod didn't fall into the bell housing where I can't get at it without removing the transmission!
It was 10:30 and I had to get to bed, so I will take the slave cylinder off tonight and check it out.
Wish me luck.

Thanks

[skrizan]

I pulled the slave cylinder off and the rod was in the right place. The clutch fork moves toward the pressure plate nearly 3 inches before it makes contact. Is that normal or did the release bearing come off the fork somehow when I installed the transmission? I put the slave cylinder back on and looked through the inspection hole they have on the side of the bell housing and when my wife pushed the clutch in it didn't move very far? I have no leaks in the clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder and the fluid level is fine, can it still be bad? How do I test, and tell which one is bad? or if this is the problem at all?

[wrenchboss26]

sorry it took a few days to get back to you, did you put the throw out bearing on backwards, did you bleed the slave cylinder. if you bled the slave cylinder, sometimes just letting sit overnight will solve the issue

[skrizan]

I replaced the slave and master cylinder for a little over $100 bucks. But now you have me wondering if I just needed to bleed the old system. Does just removing the slave introduce air into the system? I never disconnected the line from it, so it was sealed the entire time.

When the failure actually occured It was the same issue, wouldn't go into gear, so maybe it was the master or slave in the first place. When I pulled the transmission I found a spring from the clutch disk laying between the disk and pressure plate, but I had some issues with the jack and the transmission didn't come out very gracefully, so it could have popped out then.

[rhandwor]

Yes you will have to bleed the system. I use a squirt oil can I purchased new cleaned it out with brake clean added brake fluid and pump fluid from the bottom. This will remove most of the air then bleed.