TKO 600 weirdness....Problem found

[427Fastback]

I bought a TKO-600 from Brent 5 years ago and have finally installed it..Two years ago I was playing with it on the floor (new shifter) and noticed neutral wasn't right.Rear yoke was very hard to turn..I played around with it and everything was fine..I wrote it off to the trans being bone dry..I installed it today and shifter was in 2nd or 4th and it has done it again..As I had to cut the floors I pulled the covers and all 3 rails look correct and inline.You can barely turn the yoke with 2 hands and reverse gear is the only one the shifter will engage...My friend is coming back with the trans jack and out it comes.I am guessing something is stuck or dry....I cant see donw the front cover as my dash is in the way so I don't have a choice...

I will get him to spin the yoke as I play with the shifter before it comes out.....Any one have some ideas..?

[wowens]

TKO's use thin automatic trans type lubricants.  It will drain off the gears and cause gears to stick somewhat on the sliders and main shaft.  Overfill it and spin it, should free up. Don't forget to lower oil level before driving and check fluid level frequently.

On 2nd thought, if you didn't fill it after you bought it, it's dry and may have some surface rust on shafts. 

[BattlestarGalactic]

If it will only spin in Rev, when in put reverse, then Rev gear is dry and hanging up, thus it won't spin freely when in neutral.

Went through this with a friend and an old dry, rebuilt toploader.  It would only move when in 2nd.  Put it in any other gear and it was locked up.  I pulled the cover and found 2nd gear brass was "stuck" on 2nd gear.  A quick flip with a tip of a screwdriver to get it unstuck from the gear and it was fine.

[427Fastback]

Got it to go all the way into 3rd today by lining up the synchro .It appears to be bone dry inside..I have 2 liters of fluid in it.I am going to take the advice and get more fluid and over fill it..
I would like to spin the input side of it so I will probably just pull it again.Far quicker than hooking up the linkage and have some one sit on the floor trying to hold the clutch pedal down..One more attempt then out it comes...

[427Fastback]

Filled it to the top and played with it for a few days..No luck getting it to spin easy.Did my research and found problems with syncro's sticking and various other issues from shipping,being dropped or stood on end..Watched some videos by trannie builder's on how to fix it.
Today my friend came over with his trans jack and we pulled it out...Trans was fine.Spun with no effort.Somewhat puzzled we put it back in and watched everything carefully and spun the yoke every few minutes...Trans went in all the way and we put all the bolts in.Every thing was fine till we tightened the bolts and it started to seize up again...Out it comes again..

Skipping to the end...Input shaft pilot was to long and it was bottoming out in my crank..Not enough to seize but enough to put pressure on the input shaft..Did all my measuring and cut some off the input and beveled the pilot..Put the trans back in and everything is fine..

For those thinking was there something else wrong the answer is no...I measured other input shafts I have here.The pilot on the shaft is now 1/16 longer than stock for a FE...
In reality the input was probably only .060-.080 to long...

Happy to have found the problem and move on...

[66FAIRLANE]

Good find! That could have got nasty.

[turbohunter]

Two thumbs up

[drdano]

Good find! That could have got nasty.

Would have kissed the thrust bearing goodbye in short order.  Not that I know anything about that personally....

[cammerfe]

Since I'm told that the small block pilot is a bit longer than an FE, there have been untold problems with a mix-'n'-match that goes the wrong way. You may well have saved your engine by catching it as you did.

KS

[427Fastback]

Yes...could have been very bad..My 427 (C4AE) is still std on the rods and mains...I would have been upset...
I should add that this transmission had the input shaft remachined as no short shaft ones were available at the time.Brent would know all that was done..I am not blaming anyone nor do I care..A mistake was made and it got caught with out any damage....Moving on....