H55 going in - real time question (2 Viewers)

[Paul DiNapoli]

anyone out there know how to manipulate this beast to stab in?

we're stumped....it's up on a jack... blocked up with wood and such.... just not seeing the clearance magic to get it in.

cheers!
paul

 

[nogo]

Spline counts correct and matching on input shaft and clutch plate?

 

[OSS]

Pull it out and reinsert the clutch alignment tool into the pilot bearing. Pull the tool rotate it and do it again. A couple times. If the tool grabs an edge af the bearing just a tad- that could be what's hanging up the insertion of the input shaft.

Also make sure that the splines of the input shaft are aligned exactly the same way as the female splines of the clutch disc.

I assume the pilot bearing was test fit into the input shaft.
Also make sure you've got alignment dowels in two of the bell housing bolt holes.

A brand new input shaft and new Toyota pilot bearing can be a very snug fit (-'as it should be). Don't go using any emory paper on the input shaft to make it fit looser in the pilot bearing bore - or you'll pay the price down the line.

Remember that the transmission is angled downwards a bit, but the transmission jack rolls on a horizontal surface. The direction you're rolling it (shoving it) is not the correct angle. The transmission needs to be inserted up & in. Pretty much impossible since it's so heavy.

Although some will say don't walk the last inch of the tranny in by using the bolts- but if you're absolutely sure everything is lined up perfectly, if you can get a bolt started, try CAREFULLY pulling the tranny in with a bolt turn. 1/4 turn in each bolt at a time. See how it feels. If the tranny doesn't creep inwards then stop. Don't crank on a bolt so hard as to break a bell housing ear.

Once everything is aligned perfectly- it'll go in. If it's off just a mm- it won't.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

we're stuck at the shifter hump hitting the bottom of the sheet metal of the hump...before we get the input shaft into the home position.

i was smart and pre-fit the pilot bearing on the input shaft before we assembled...it slid on nicely...

we're about 6 inches from getting to that point right now hung up on the floor pan

 

[Cruiserdrew]

So on an FJ62 it should fit easily. I had to clearance my FJ60 with a hammer.

But once it's lined up, it should go in easily with no strain. Agree with having another go with the alignment tool.

 

[mwebfj60]

Drop the motor down a bit?

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

EDIT:
thanks to all for the replies!! in my exhaustion i forgot to say thanks. i'm glad this resource is here!

follow up:
it's definitely not the alignment tool - we were never close that being the factor yet. plus - i assembled everything on the bench in advance...the tool is good, the pilot bearing fit nicely. the transmission is also in gear so i can just rotate one of the flanges and spin the input shaft when we get the close to the finish line.


Tonight was the biggest baddest automotive beat-down i've received in my adult life.

couldn't figure out the geometry to get the input shaft aligned with the glory hole....kept hitting the shift tower on the hump of the floor pan...the input shaft would be pushing on one of the diaphragm springs. the clutch fork hub was a pain in the bung-hole. those clip/springs - i think i wrecked them.

ran out of decent light - and muscle - so we secured everything and called it for the night.

seems the angle of approach is critical. not sure what to do next.

half tempted to bolt on the cross member as it would give me something very secure to put the jack under.

 

[mwebfj60]

You can drop the back of the motor pretty far. Just watch the rad hoses and fan to shroud. About the time the valve cover starts getting to the firewall the hose is maxed out. FSM wants you to remove the top hose but it will drop enough with it on. Get the trans and BH parallel and as you push forward you’ll need to jack a little bit as you go. You guys will get it.

 

[SuperDuperCruizer]

What’s supporting the engine other than the two mounts? You have a little bit of play to change angle of the engine. I had a bottle jack at the bellhousing to make fine adjustments. I just went through this and only had my 5th grade kid to help. We used an engine hoist with tow straps wrapped around the transmission like a sling through the access panel. I had him ready to give 1/4, 1/2, whole pumps of the hoist while I was underneath moving the transmission into place. The tow straps allowed for some angle adjustments. Also, I had long bolts to temporarily use as guide rails too. It took me a couple hours of fiddling but it eventually slide into place.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

was

i do have my bottle jack under the back of the pan....but oddly enough even when we lowered that we found that the engine didnt tip much...barely an inch maybe?

so that's 2 suggestions for dropping the back of the engine which gives me hope - and inspiration. i need to figure out what's holding up the engine cuz even if the bottle jack has no weight on it at all...the engine is hanging off the front mounts and it's not sagging at all at the back.

I too have a sling up through the floor pan on a ratchet strap across a heavy wood beam - so i am able to support from above and move it well enough. just that dang angle!

just to clarify...the clutch fork & hub have to in there clipped and ready for final push right? at one point we backed out and tried to gain room by removing the hub from the fork ends to gain mobility - that helped for room...but we couldnt get the hub back on. not enough room!

 

[SuperDuperCruizer]

Yes, the fork has two clips for the throw out bearing and these should be in place as you align the input shaft.

 

[SuperDuperCruizer]

I used a tow strap wrapped a couple times around the transmission. Would eliminating the wood beam give you slightly more mobility? I’m not sure what kind of ratchet straps you have but even with tow straps, I was nervous underneath that transmission.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I assume you removed the shifter lever and pivot before install? I have usually installed that after it's home. But that is the biggest pain in the butt.

Regarding the throw out bearing clips, they can with girly hands be installed after the fact from below. I had to do that last time. You're doing it blind though and it feels like it won't work but it does. If you have big meats for hands forget it.

I also made bolt guides-get long bolts with the right thread and cut off the heads, install in the lower bellhousing holes, and use as an install guide. I've had variable success with this and last time it was just up and in.

The lower you can get the rear of the motor the better.

You'll get it, just be patient.

It's funny, I fought with FJ60 and 62 for years doing the tranny swaps just like you. THe delicate balance of up, in, and aligned. It's a real bitch lying on your back. I tried the HF tranny jack (pos, don't bother), wood block with chain fall-ok, and best success with engine hoist through the driver door and chainfall on the hook of the hoist. Just watch out for the windshield and dash

But I did my 40 last year by pulling everything including the motor, lined it up on the floor, it went together in about 30 seconds and back in the truck as a unit in another hour. Learned an interesting lesson! But the 40 is far easier to disassemble and I do not recommend you do it this way unless you get desperate. Really desperate.

 

[mwebfj60]

Did you leave the exhaust hooked up? If so, that’s probably what’s keeping the motor from dropping.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

Did you leave the exhaust hooked up? If so, that’s probably what’s keeping the motor from dropping.

bingo - good point! exhaust is connected.

my friend helping me is going out of town for a few days...so i think i'm going to sit on it and take care of other stuff while I wait for his return.

@SuperDuperCruizer yeah - i hear yah...i'm using good straps...i also have the trans jack underneath + a small trolly jack holding the weight of the off balance t-case... and still - it's kinda freaky being under there. i honestly felt a visceral twinge in my bowels while being down there.

I'm pretty burly and could bench press the 250lbs if i had to...but only in the best of circumstances...which being underneath there is not.

i don't feel comfortable doing this alone...its conceivable that if something bad happened one could just die under there!

 

[stevebradford]

I just did my clutch, when it came to putting the h55 and split case back in as a unit. I told the wife I was going out to the shop to do something dangerous, come check on me in half an hour. She’s used to it.. or the honeymoon phase is over. All she says is “ok be careful”

I’m not burly and managed on my own, one jack on the back of the motor, one to lift the tranny. Then get your knees around the tranny jack holding the front of the trans. Your hands on the tcase or tail shaft and balence it in.

One really frustrating thing for me is getting the tranny tcase onto the tranny jack under the truck. Mines not high enough to roll it under on the jack.

If you put a new clutch in DONT FORGET to check the clutch plate is the right way around! You dont want to do this twice.

 

[OSS]

The key to doing this job safely, by yourself and without needing much physical strength is using a good transmission jack that can bolt to the transmission/transfer combo. Then its"just" a matter of turning knobs on the jack and wiggling stuff. No real strength is needed and it's perfectly safe.

If the jack situation is sketchy, the project could easily turn into a disaster or the installer could get severely injured if the monster falls.

This jack makes the job an easy, safe (and fun) one -weak- man job.

 

[DickM]

The one thing that has helped me in the several I have done is to take frequent measurements between the mating faces of the tranny and BH to insure that they are equal ,i.e. parallel. As you push and wiggle, stop periodically to check for parallel.
Good luck, it will happen!

 

[maxbob002]

Another point about the fancy jack in the picture above was made in a post I read at some point. Buy one and resell it for most or all of your capital afterwards. Some guy is out there needing one after you...Just have to find him. That or add to the tool collection. Hang in there and Good luck on the job.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

thanks again everyone. im on hold until my help returns from a trip

i will proceed with a better jack on next attempt for sure. and check out loosening up exhaust to drop the rear of the engine.

alignment dowels
better jack
exhaust drop engine

all good tips from here

thanks again!