TL not going all the way in. Will lose mind soon.

[wayne]

Push the tail up and down they always hang low in back bolts with the head cut off works good as some one said i cut slots in mine so i can take them out with a screw driver. When i was a young buck i put the tl on my chest and pushed it up and in used my legs to help push they went in easy that way.

[6667fan]

Trans is a big block unit, ran it previously but not with this bell and clutch. Picked up a Model A input shaft from the old Ford guy across the river this afternoon. Going to check the disc orientation and will report back.

Thanks all!

[CDXXVII]

If you want to measure the pilot length just to make sure my 65 original Galaxie pilot measures 0.785" long

[6667fan]

I checked the centering of the disc by measuring off the Model A input shaft at 3,6,9 and 12 o’clock positions at the bell mouth and it is centered. Was kinda hoping I would find the disc was off center. Checked the length of input collar vs distance to disc hub face and there is at least a half inch gap there.
Measured input shaft length, ( minus tip) vs depth to face of pilot and subtracting gap from trans face to bell face and the math seems to show that the tip of input is right at opening of pilot.
Only thing to do now is hump the prick back in there and hope for different results. ( isn’t that one of the definitions of lunacy)?

JB

[6667fan]

Mind saved! Well for the time being anyways.
Trans was put into position with guide pins on bottom mounting holes until input shaft was through disc. Guide pins removed after two bolts started very slightly up top. Trans would not just slap right up to bell so lower bolts were loosely installed and all bolts slowly tightened while checking evenness of distance between trans face and bell opening. After a bolt was slightly tightened, the remaining would be finger tight and brought up to match the others. Weight was taken off the mounting ears by holding up trans tailshaft housing slightly. No significant force was required to get trans face flush to bellhousing.
So easy, right? If only, sheesh.
Thanks for all tips,

JB

[John67427]

You got enough advice from everyone so there was nothing I could add to the mix other than what Larry said. I usually do this task myself and a few times I swore there was something wrong, 3 AM in the morning with gear oil running down your arm on your back and your face a few inches from the floor pan - it’s a character builder

[cjshaker]

3 AM in the morning with gear oil running down your arm on your back and your face a few inches from the floor pan - it’s a character builder

It's also a vocabulary builder, inventing words that have never been spoken before..lol

I've had to draw them up before by using the bolts, but it was always due to the fit between the bearing retainer and the bellhousing opening. If it wasn't due to that, I'd be concerned that something else wasn't right. Besides the retainer to bell fitment, there should be nothing that interferes with the trans sliding into place....maybe not always easily, but it should slide up by hand.

[Falcon67]

I use 2 long 7/16 bolts that I cut the heads off and squared the ends.I use them for studs to line it up and support the weight.
I too have struggled doing it but is sounds like something is not quite right here...

When I wrestled with the stick trans, this was I did to make it real easy under the car flat on my back LOL.  Still use that trick for many things. 

Lay a straight edge across the back of the bell and measure from that to the face of the pilot.  Measure the input shaft spline to trans bolt face.  Similar to what I always do before ever trying to mount a converter in a trans so I know for sure when it's seated. 

[6667fan]

Doug, I’m gonna blame a slight interference fit on the pilot bushing. I will at least cycle the clutch a few times before it goes all the way back together and hope that nothing is binding.

I sent you a text about the car in the other lane at the Beaver awhile back. Looking for some info before I put that run up on YouTube.

JB

[TomP]

I ran into the throwout bearing collar hitting the disc hub once. An aftermarket  big spline disc made from a truck one that used a very thick hub with about 2" of spline. Because it was not something i'd ever encountered I tried many times to get the tranny bolted up before I put grease on the end of the collar and saw it left a print on the disc.
I ground 1/2" off the hub with an angle grinder.

[cjshaker]

I sent you a text about the car in the other lane at the Beaver awhile back. Looking for some info before I put that run up on YouTube.

JB

Dang, got busy and forgot all about it. I'll send you a text.

[mike7570]

Push the tail up and down they always hang low in back bolts with the head cut off works good as some one said i cut slots in mine so i can take them out with a screw driver. When i was a young buck i put the tl on my chest and pushed it up and in used my legs to help push they went in easy that way.

Yea same here, when I was young I would drag my TL under the car roll it onto my chest and bench press it up and in. When your holding it in your hands you can feel it going in or not.
Trying to jack it into place or pull it down with bolts you lose the feel. Now that I'm older I have no idea how I would do it, maybe that's why I've gone to automatics.

[Falcon67]

Same - I put the pins on the top holes to make it go easier.  Slots or flats to grab with a wrench. 

[machoneman]

I've had someone lightly work the clutch pedal down and up a tad while sliding in a balky tranny. But I also test fitted the disc to the input shaft BEFORE adding the clutch and bell to ensure an easy time of it.