We were doing a leak down test on a 47 Bell. Break time came and the newby plugs 150 psi shop air in to jug - well no one was holding the 4' cheater bar attached to the auxiliary drive. That bar put a heck of a dent in the hanger wall.
Easy Transmission Install Video: Project Wrong Way
- Thread starter BenjaminCA
- Start date
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I am stoked you did a video on this. Like others that posted in here I struggled installing my 3 speed back in with the t case. Honestly for me the hardest part of the build was reinstalling the transmission. It did not help that I dont have a garage and did it on subfloor layed out on the ground outside. I am planning on swapping in my h41 in next winter. Its actually tore completley apart in my shed.
I am actually surprised when you were installing it you didn't loose the little paper clip pin things the bering is held on with on the fork. I knocked those off 3 times while installing mine.
When working with other people, it pays to make sure everyone is on the same page on what needs to happen - a dry run is a good idea. Practice slowly opening a hydraulic valve to control decent beforehand is a good safety measure, less chance of surprises that way. In my earlier example, I should have disconnected the breaker bar before turning my back, then the next mistake would have caused no issue.
Great video. Brings back painful memories.
My wife eventually got fed up after working the floor jack on a couple transmission installs.
I bought this a while back, I end up using it a couple times per year for various tasks. The micro height adjust is great.
Couldnt justify a nicer unit for how much I end up using it. Works on my 40 with 2.5" OME lift and 255/85R16s.
https://www.harborfreight.com/autom.../450-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-61232.html
My wife eventually got fed up after working the floor jack on a couple transmission installs.
I bought this a while back, I end up using it a couple times per year for various tasks. The micro height adjust is great.
Couldnt justify a nicer unit for how much I end up using it. Works on my 40 with 2.5" OME lift and 255/85R16s.
https://www.harborfreight.com/autom.../450-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-61232.html
Green Bean
SILVER Star
For those of us who are extremely hardheaded and stubborn, installing a 4-speed in an early truck with the torque tube in place, the difficulty is compounded because the dang E-brake hub is so close to the torque tube. Even with the engine lowered in the back and shimmed in the front, it was a real battle. Ben: you made it look too easy.
BenjaminCA
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #28
Yeah, I normally just buy the tool. But I wanted to give it the old college try… next time it’ll be with a trans jack.
BenjaminCA
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #29
Oh I’m here for this wacky s***! That’s what I’m talking about brother!!!
I am at the 9:00 minute point now in this video, hoping any moment my trans will line up perfectly with the engine.
The trans face and the bellhousing face look perfectly parallel and it still won’t go in.
So frustrated.
Watching this makes me keep going.
Best line ever:
“Do you want me to lift or lower it.”
“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter”
Green Bean
SILVER Star
It was helpful in our case to have some dowels to help line up the mounting holes. "if you can get a couple longer than stock(3-4"or so) Bell housing bolts from your local hardware or wherever and cut the heads off you'll have a sweet set of lineup dowels you can thread in the block by hand that can make aligning everything a little easier"
Builds - 76 Fj40 Face Lift
Catching up today with some of the products I picked up from @ToyotaMatt. Things started out a little sketchy, battery was dead. Apparently, I'm not sure who but, someone left the marker, interior lights on for the last week or so. Wait till I find out who's responsible. :rolleyes: Anyway...
forum.ih8mud.com
BenjaminCA
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #32
You have to completely give up, before it goes in…
Amen brother! I prayed over the car this morning.
Found some studs that worked as guides. That was the ticket!
Note: I was stuck with exactly 1.5 inches to go. I thought the shaft had already engaged the clutch disc, but a little pressure on the back of trans while turning the fly wheel made it engage and move forward an inch. That left about 1/2 inch or less which was the pinion bearing. Could not push it in all the way, but it slowly moved in with some light gradual wrenching on the transmission to bellhousing bolts.
I was using zip ties on top to keep it from falling back as well.
My prayer was answered.
God is good.
Sorry to all of you with real problems.
One thing I have noticed with clutch alignment tools that I now pay attention to. When I used old cutoff input shafts made of steel at the shop I worked at, I didn't have these problems. I started looking closer to see why.
I noticed that the plastic ones actually allow the clutch disc to drop down slightly before you tighten the clutch bolts. It seems to me the plastic flexes just enough to allow a slight misalignment. The weight of the clutch causes it sag Just enough to let you get it started but fight you the rest of the way.
I still use the plastic alignment tool because I've since retired and that's all I have now. No more access to expensive shop supplied tools. In MY personal opinion, It DOES help when I hold the end of the tool up and try to keep it as centered as I possibly can as I tighten the clutch mounting bolts.
I always use guide bolts and I always have a way to tilt and rotate the trans and raise or lower the back of the engine. And a way to rotate the crank or the trans so splines align. Once it lines up, it will slide in easy. NOT so if the disc slipped down even a little bit.
Oh, and I enjoy the hell out of your videos.
Scott in Az.
I noticed that the plastic ones actually allow the clutch disc to drop down slightly before you tighten the clutch bolts. It seems to me the plastic flexes just enough to allow a slight misalignment. The weight of the clutch causes it sag Just enough to let you get it started but fight you the rest of the way.
I still use the plastic alignment tool because I've since retired and that's all I have now. No more access to expensive shop supplied tools. In MY personal opinion, It DOES help when I hold the end of the tool up and try to keep it as centered as I possibly can as I tighten the clutch mounting bolts.
I always use guide bolts and I always have a way to tilt and rotate the trans and raise or lower the back of the engine. And a way to rotate the crank or the trans so splines align. Once it lines up, it will slide in easy. NOT so if the disc slipped down even a little bit.
Oh, and I enjoy the hell out of your videos.
Scott in Az.
I've experienced this as well with multiple clutch alignment tools for various makes of vehicle. I do what you do and manually center it to the middle of its travel in all directions.
A second way to check is to feel the spacing of the plate over the disc using the tips of your fingers to ensure centering via an equal gap.
Fun piece of Trivia.
The first clutch I ever replaced, was in Ben's original FJ55, soon after I bought it.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
Without an alignment tool I've matched the diameter of clutch disc with the diameter of the pp disc.
POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
I switched to the H55F and split TC and retained the parking brake. I mounted mine to the bellhousing and the adapter on the block and put it all in at one time. But I had to cut the torque tube due to clearance. Debating on weather it will relocate it and weld back in.
I bought the HD transmission jack at HF and it worked pretty well for the initial time for getting everything tacked in. But the adjustment broke that tilts side to side and it would not level the assembly. I had to use a small hydraulic to lift the output side of the transfer case so the motor mounts would drop in.
BenjaminCA
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #38
Outstanding buddy. Pray over everything. Doesn’t hurt.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2007
- Messages
- 402
I just watched the video and enjoyed it... a lot.
I've "been there-done that" with other vehicles, and it is almost always a PITA job. So watching the video I was sympathizing as you kept trying, and trying. I give you a lot of credit for what I'll call "video honesty".
I used to enjoy Norm Abram and his PBS show The New Yankee Workshop. Norm is certainly a very talented, guy and his shop was incredibly well equipped, but he NEVER made a mistake? Come on... we all make mistakes. And for me showing a mistake, or the difficulty in doing something, makes it real. It also gives you credibility.
By way of example, the Cruiser Brothers video of George rebuilding a split transfer case has a moment where George just realizes he made a mistake, and he admits it, and then it picks up from there. But George does this day in and day out and even he, a true master of his craft, makes the occasional mistake. Honesty and credibility! I've never met the guy, but I like his style.
Thank you! And thanks, too to Mrs. BenjaminCA. She is awesome!
I've "been there-done that" with other vehicles, and it is almost always a PITA job. So watching the video I was sympathizing as you kept trying, and trying. I give you a lot of credit for what I'll call "video honesty".
I used to enjoy Norm Abram and his PBS show The New Yankee Workshop. Norm is certainly a very talented, guy and his shop was incredibly well equipped, but he NEVER made a mistake? Come on... we all make mistakes. And for me showing a mistake, or the difficulty in doing something, makes it real. It also gives you credibility.
By way of example, the Cruiser Brothers video of George rebuilding a split transfer case has a moment where George just realizes he made a mistake, and he admits it, and then it picks up from there. But George does this day in and day out and even he, a true master of his craft, makes the occasional mistake. Honesty and credibility! I've never met the guy, but I like his style.
Thank you! And thanks, too to Mrs. BenjaminCA. She is awesome!
Smart people learn from their mistakes, smarter people learn from the mistakes made by others. It doesn't take me long to inspect a horse shoe!