clutch install qusstion

R

rustythumb

Senior Member
i've installed lots of chevy clutches, but this is my first flathead clutch. 59 motor, '39 trans, rebuilt 9" clutch & pressure plate, new pilot bushing & throw-out bearing. when i tried to slide the trans in , it wouldn't go all the way in. still needed to go about one half inch more, so i used 2 longer bolts to force it in, then tightened the regular bolts. was this a bad idea? or is this normal? thanks!
 
My guess would be that the pilotbearing to mainshaft was either not alined or you had problems with rust on the axle going into the bearing.
Did you test the bushing on the axle ?
 
i test fit the pilot bearing on the trans first & it fit perfectly. i installed the pilot bearing by hammering it in with a 2 x 4, maybe that warped it a little bit ?
 
It should go all the way in without force. If there is a problem with the throw out bearing or clutch cover fit, it may have disengaged the clutch when you tightened it up. I'd take it back off and check your clutch control stuff and pressure plate cover. Most of the clutch alignment pilots, even though they are plastic, should be a slip fit with the pilot bearing.

Where did you get the clutch components?
 
My experience has been that if you use first use a clutch alignment
tool the transmission should slide right in. "Forcing" sounds like a bad idea.
Can you remove the transmission inspection cover and see what happens when you depress the clutch and shift the gears.
 
It will turn out to be a simple problem, but you really have to take it apart now. You can not wait. It is not going to work in the present condition.
Just my opinion
 
just took the trans off & put more grease on the trans snout & splines & re-installed. this time it slid in easily ! guess it's o.k. i'll find out in a couple days when it goes back in the car!
 
Good you figured it out. Be careful with longer bolts forcing it up. You can break the transmission housing doing this.
 
just took the trans off & put more grease on the trans snout & splines & re-installed.
Click to expand...
Sorry your having a hard time with this installation. Probably most of us have been in a similar one. Let me say though always a bad idea to force anything. Sorry to bring this up but probably also a bad Idea putting grease on the spline and pilot on the shaft of your ****** which goes into the clutch. In my opinion you need to disassemble it and clean the grease off of the pilot, pilot bearing, spline and shaft. Centrifugal force & heat will soften then throw the grease outward and get it on your clutch pressure plate and flywheel mating surfaces and you'll smoke the clutch. If all is aligned correctly it will seat properly without forcing and without grease. Better to get at it now as it sounds like its not in the car yet?
 
no, it's not in the car yet. but i thought it was a good idea to put a light coat of grease on the splines for the clutch to slide on. what do the rest of you guys do?
 
alignment is key. Horizontal, vertical, and rotational.
With a new pilot bushing it may fit tight but if these three factors are aligned it will slide in. Look at the surfaces of the disk where the input shaft indexes. If they are shinny it may indicate a rotational misalignment. When you used long bolts you forced the rotational alignment. As others have said, remove it, clean it, and reinstall the transmission without grease.
 
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