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- #841
Thanks. Yeah I sent an email and also a PM through Mud a few days ago but if this is his side gig, i get it ...
Ferkels Fantastic Voyage aka 99 miles to the new sty!
- Thread starter Tomba
- Start date
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Careful not to make crumbles out of the ancient plastic!
He probably does, or he would make you one!
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- #844
- Thread starter
- #845
Stoked! Mark aka Coolerman just got back to me 
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Good to hear he is still working his magic!Stoked! Mark aka Coolerman just got back to me
- Thread starter
- #847
Tried the guide pins to align the trans and motor. No luck 2 hours. Try again w /o guide pins tomorrow. I had a feeling this was not going to be fun.
One of the toughest jobs on a Pig, getting those together.
Is the engine bolted in place?
Did you bolt down the pressure plate with the plastic guide holding the clutch in place?
Did you put anti-seize on the input shaft splines?
It’s a PITA, but shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes max to get the trans stabbed. If you’ve clocked 2 hrs and couldn’t make it happen, ‘sum ting wong’.
Did you bolt down the pressure plate with the plastic guide holding the clutch in place?
Did you put anti-seize on the input shaft splines?
It’s a PITA, but shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes max to get the trans stabbed. If you’ve clocked 2 hrs and couldn’t make it happen, ‘sum ting wong’.
- Thread starter
- #850
Yes to all. Used a alignment pin when bolting the clutch in place, small amount of grease on the spline. small amount of grease on the 3 prongs and the t/o bearing. the issue may have been the alihnment bolts were not the correct threads but close, I used 1/2 inch threaded bolts so hthey didnt exactly screw in 100 straight. got the guides on the holes but couldnt succesfilly line it up. the trans moves seperately from the transfer case so aligning it isnt as easy as everyone claims. Maybe the alignment guides I am using are too long?? Should the trans be in gear when attempting this?
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Your alignment bolts don't need to be very long. The ones I use are maybe 1 1/2 inches. Use 2 in the top 2 holes of the bellhousing. Leave the trans in neutral.
Try it in this order:
- lower the motor and get the T/O bearing onto the OP shaft
- get the OP shaft started into the clutch
- don't worry about alignment or being level for the first 2 steps, just get the T/O on and the OP shaft in the clutch
- push the hoist back so there is pressure keeping the T/O on and OP shaft pushing into the pilot bearing, you'll know when you find the pilot bearing as it will seat a bit and the gap will close
- now start to level the engine and look to get the bellhousing to line up with the alignment pins while keeping rearward pressure on the engine
- at this stage its just a matter of fine adjustments while you keep pushing the engine back until you get it on the alignment pins, you can be slightly off and still get the 2 pins into the bellhousing
- once you get the 2 pins through, keep pushing back, you'll likely encounter resistance where the splines on the OP aren't seating into the clutch, to get it to seat keep pushing the engine back and use a breaker bar to rotate the flywheel slightly. When you get it it will pop on but may not quite fully seat, some wiggling should get it go most of the way
- insert the bottom 2 bolts and you can use it to snug things up - this should move pretty freely thanks to your guide pins, so if you get significant resistance do not try to use the bolts to pull them together - you risk breaking the bellhousing
If you have a local Ace hardware they'll probably have M12x1.25. Get something 50-60mm and you'll be fine.
Try it in this order:
- lower the motor and get the T/O bearing onto the OP shaft
- get the OP shaft started into the clutch
- don't worry about alignment or being level for the first 2 steps, just get the T/O on and the OP shaft in the clutch
- push the hoist back so there is pressure keeping the T/O on and OP shaft pushing into the pilot bearing, you'll know when you find the pilot bearing as it will seat a bit and the gap will close
- now start to level the engine and look to get the bellhousing to line up with the alignment pins while keeping rearward pressure on the engine
- at this stage its just a matter of fine adjustments while you keep pushing the engine back until you get it on the alignment pins, you can be slightly off and still get the 2 pins into the bellhousing
- once you get the 2 pins through, keep pushing back, you'll likely encounter resistance where the splines on the OP aren't seating into the clutch, to get it to seat keep pushing the engine back and use a breaker bar to rotate the flywheel slightly. When you get it it will pop on but may not quite fully seat, some wiggling should get it go most of the way
- insert the bottom 2 bolts and you can use it to snug things up - this should move pretty freely thanks to your guide pins, so if you get significant resistance do not try to use the bolts to pull them together - you risk breaking the bellhousing
If you have a local Ace hardware they'll probably have M12x1.25. Get something 50-60mm and you'll be fine.
“Alignment bolts” are unnecessary
“the trans moves seperately from the transfer case so aligning it isnt as easy as everyone claims.”
How so? Are they not bolted together?
“Should the trans be in gear when attempting this?”
If you’re having problems with the spines engaging, it’s preferable for it to be in gear (1st) so that you can grab the output on the t-case and turn it back and forth to get the splines to engage.
Use a tape measure and measure your gap on the top and the gap on the bottom and adjust the angle the trans is sitting at to get the gaps equal.
The two obstacles you’re going to run into is getting the splines to engage and after that, getting the nose of the shaft to slide into the pilot bearing. Usually, neither of these are accomplished without vigorously rocking the works back and forth until they slide in. Sometimes vigorous profanity can help.
I guess I am not sure what is going on in that picture.
Are you stabbing the engine in and then trying to install trans after the engine is in?
I know some will assemble the engine to the trans/t-case on the ground and then stab the entire assembly in.
I would not mess with the threads in your bellhousing - just ask Rush after he "rushed" me a replacement bellhousing when I tried to fix my threads and failed.
If they are not screwed in straight, I think they are hurting the process, not helping.
When I stabbed the H55 to my 3FE, I had sagged the rear of the engine, supported it with a floor jack, and we lifted the front of the Pig w/ the forklift. Then the trans jack. I think it was a HF model, but it had lots of adjustment. Even with my buddy Mike and I, I think it took about 20 minutes of, "I think it needs to go over a little bit, now down, wait, back it up a bit..." Eventually we got it.
Not fun.
- Thread starter
- #855
After determinng that the alignment bolts were not perfect, thats where we decided to take a break. that said we did get them started at one point.
I thnik I'll take the motor out a bit to make sure I didnt do something bad to the threads on the BH. I used anchor bolts and the metal is pretty soft so hoping no damage was done. the bolt idea sounded great but after wrestling with it, seems like to make it work, all the finer details need to be in place, length of the guides, correct threads etc. this is an early model and the threads are 13 x 1.5 NOT 12 x1.25 . i used 1/2 expansion bolts for the guides and they dont align perfectly , i couldnt easily find that size so I went w what I had. I'll give it another go today with what you mentioned above if I can get another set of hands again... Thanks-
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- #856
T/O bearing sideways, moved around during 1st attempt. aligned it, made sure alignment tool fit, chased all the BH/Tranny holes. Ready for try #2. slow roll so I dont f this up again.
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- #857
OMG what a ****ing joke this is. on par the the POS gas take install.
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- #858
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There should be clips on both sides
The only issue here is that he has the truck on the ground and the driveshafts are attached. This is why I didn't include rotating the OP shaft on the transfer. You need to rotate the flywheel in this case without taking further action.
To rotate the OP shaft with the truck in gear, keep the truck in 2wd and disconnect the driveshaft at the rear of the transfer. Or put the rear on axle stands and you won't need to disconnect the driveshaft.
If you're feeling adventurous, connect the starter and just give it a little bump while you push the engine back. - make sure the transfer is in neutral. I don't recommend this with the truck on the ground like yours is.