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Thread: Can't seat transmission last 1/4" or so, thoughts?

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Posts: 1-10 of 11
2016-06-13 14:30:53
#1
Can't seat transmission last 1/4" or so, thoughts?
So, two weeks ago, I pulled the 5 speed B13 transmission off my SR20DE so that I could get in there to replace the rear main seal. Clutch and flywheel parts all came off. Flywheel reinstalled with the friction surface facing outward. Clutch disc was at first installed backwards, and the pressure plate torqued to spec. I've since put the clutch disc back on the right way around (flat side towards the engine, it was even labeled FLYWHEEL on that side, duh!) but this hasn't helped.

I'm using an engine hoist to lift the tranny up, and a floor jack on the outer end to help balance it.

At this point, I do NOT have the clutch alignment tool for this. I have one coming, but it will be two weeks before I can get back to this (vacation) to see if that helps. I have a deep socket that fits with almost no wiggle room in that hole, while shining a light in there it seems that the pilot bearing hole is lined up with the splines on the clutch disc.

I've repeatedly lifted the transmission up, gotten the shaft to slide in, but it stops sliding with about 1/4" left to go. I've rotated the crank on the engine and can feel inside the hole where the axle would go and can feel it rotating, so I know the splines are lined up. I can back off the tranny and shove it in, it is thunking against something that is stopping it.

I have literally spend 12 hours across two weekends lifting this up, wiggling it around, changing angles, taking it down, checking things, lifting it back up again, and still failing. I've gone as far as threading in some longer bolts to the transmission housing to try to draw it in tight that way, but I didn't want to torque those down too much for fear of breaking something. But I know the bolt holes were lined up, and it still wouldn't slide in that last bit.

The alignment on the pilot bearing being off is the only thing that makes sense to me at this point, and so MANY people have said you don't need the alignment tool, use a finger, use a socket, etc. It doesn't seem that this is that critical if so many people didn't use this tool and still got their transmission to mate up. Maybe the pilot bearing on my flywheel is just a hair tighter than it should and there is no room for error, I don't know.

On the off chance that I've overlooked something, I'm throwing this out here to see if anyone else has run into something similar and what was done to resolve this.
2016-06-13 14:40:59
#2
Well, for one, you don't need the pilot bearing on the FWD SR20.
2016-06-13 15:10:44
#3
Last 1/4"? So your on the alignment dowels? Start threading bolts in a carefully tighten em little by little
2016-06-13 15:31:28
#4
Originally Posted by lynchfourtwenty
Last 1/4"? So your on the alignment dowels? Start threading bolts in a carefully tighten em little by little


Not on the dowels yet, so it must be more than 1/4" gap. Let's call it 1/2", I didn't actually measure it.
2016-06-13 19:09:46
#5
Originally Posted by jimbo_se-r
Originally Posted by lynchfourtwenty
Last 1/4"? So your on the alignment dowels? Start threading bolts in a carefully tighten em little by little


Not on the dowels yet, so it must be more than 1/4" gap. Let's call it 1/2", I didn't actually measure it.


As long as the dowel pins are in aligned and the imput shaft seats good 2nd i start threading the 17mm bolts and let the bolts do the job for me and let them pull the tranny slowly shut closed , was the plate that seats between the block and the tranny installed?
2016-06-13 20:13:33
#6
Originally Posted by ztunedsr20
Originally Posted by jimbo_se-r
Originally Posted by lynchfourtwenty
Last 1/4"? So your on the alignment dowels? Start threading bolts in a carefully tighten em little by little


Not on the dowels yet, so it must be more than 1/4" gap. Let's call it 1/2", I didn't actually measure it.


As long as the dowel pins are in aligned and the imput shaft seats good 2nd i start threading the 17mm bolts and let the bolts do the job for me and let them pull the tranny slowly shut closed , was the plate that seats between the block and the tranny installed?


The plate is in there and aligned, I have it sitting on the bottom two bolts that come in from the engine side to hold it in place. The bolts that secure the transmission are just short of threading in unless I have things at a bit of an angle, then they will start to pull things sideways. I can only get longer bolts to thread in, but then it starts to bind at about the same point.
2016-06-13 20:19:13
#7
There are 2 types of size long and short 17mm the top 4 from tranny size are longer then right at the bottom theres 2 14mm one short one longer thean 3 14mm that hold the rear bracket and the 2 17mm that i believe are the shorties
2016-06-13 20:33:20
#8
So wait, when you put the clutch in backwards you were able to get it all aligned properly? Or you didn't get to that point?
2016-06-13 20:34:23
#9
I am gonna just straight up guess here because I have never heard of this happening.
I would have to say take the pilot bearing out...because it sounds like the legth of those and the distance where it stops is close to the same.
If you think about it the pilot bearing would hit te clutch disc before it was all the way on.

Like I said,just a guess based on the info provided.
Please update this so we know what it was..LOL


FYI I have used a 1/2 drive long socket extension for alignment tool multiple times with no issues..hell I have just eyeballed it before I knew WTF I was doing..haha
Last edited by eggman on 2016-06-13 at 20-35-56.
2016-06-13 20:35:35
#10
Have you checked to make sure there is nothing trapped between the block and transmission?
Fubar'ed the pilot bushing install?
Is the throw out bearing collar fully seated on the sleeve?
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