When I took my gearbox off last year it was nightmare, it didn't want to separate from the engine...finally got it off after a couple hours!

 

Anyway, went to refit it today, guess what, it's a nightmare to refit!

 

The bell-housing is about 1 - 2 cm away from engine, I've managed to get a couple bolts in on the bottom, just a few threads to hold it. I can just see the edge of flywheel, but I just can't close the gap!

 

I've been on all day jacking up different parts, getting it aligned, pushing and pulling on the engine, wiggling the gearbox like mad, but it nothing! I'm actually pretty exhausted! It's not stuck on anything, as far as I can tell, and the shaft was nicely greased up, so should be sliding in easily...

 

Turing the engine, by hand, is moving the spline at the rear of the gearbox, where the prop shaft connects, so the shaft at the front is in.

 

It got dark and cold, but my only thought is that perhaps the starter (which is still attached) is stopping it all sliding together closed. Removing the starter is my plan for tomorrow.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Any help would be gratefully appreciated!

 

Edited March 14, 201411 yr by MasterCookieman

Maybe a damaged spigot bearing in the rear of the engine?

It is tight but if you can get 3 bolts in a triangle ish pattern it will slide in by holding the rear of the box and gentle wiggling

The spigot bearing was fine when I took it off...but it did take some getting off!

 

The triangle bolt idea is plan for tomorrow. I'm hoping to get the very top bolts in, and two bottoms (more of a square than a triangle ^_^), then slowly tighten them all, forcing it closed. I'm just worried about damaging something, or stripping threads, doing it this way.

If all aligned it should slide straight in as long as the box is level, try rotating the spline slightly it sounds like you have a slight misalignment of the spline. I did mine out of the car luckily and it slotted straight in first time, i know its lot harder on your back under the car, if you have another pair of hands wrap some rope around the rear of the box and thread it up through the tunnel so that some of the weight can be taken off of you slightly.

It can be a real *******. Me and Hellraiser struggled like hell with one once and ended up taking it back out the car to check everything. This was midnight and it was 3am before the box was finally home, there was nothing wrong with it we just had to try harder.

Mine was also a pita, the first time. My father in law ended up getting hold of it and just manhandling it in, then we did the bolt trick we did on when I did it with Hellraiser.

The second time we dropped the engine onto the box and it literally fell in, we used the old bolt trick to get it home the clunk of it going home was heard pretty quick and remember us both being like ey? Is that it? That can be it already....

The one thing I would say it make sure the clutch is aligned properly.

Mine was catching on the top of the tunnel.. in the end I cheated and dented the tunnel in slightly.. went straight on after that.. spent hours trying first mind.. Bottom bolts were easy.. but had exactly the same problem... to get the top bolts in I had to borrow a few extension bars that way I didnt have to get my knuckles broken...

The dowels can be tight sometimes, make sure they are not burred up, also place a jack under the front pulley of the engine stops the engine rocking when your shoving on the gearbox, be careful with pulling up on the bolts though, only acceptable if the gearbox is nearly home, really needs two people.

 

Jeff TT

Thanks everyone, glad I'm not the only one! I have a few things to try. I do hope the clutch isn't misaligned, I only used a rod, and my eyes . The gearbox currently sits on two jacks, which I'd been raising / lowering accordingly. Let's see what today brings...

 

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Although, if the spline at the rear of the gearbox is turning when the engine is turned, that would mean that the shaft is through the clutch and into the flywheel, right? So it can't be misaligned?

 

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Or it's jammed up tight on it so it turns...iirc the splined section of the clutch plate is an inch or so thick. If it's 2cms even all the way round your likely .5 of a cm into the clutch plate. Just keep wiggling and persisting eventually it will just go clunk. Then you will be wondering what all the fuss was about.

 

 

Today's gap, after the alignment tool.

 

 

After about 3 hours, it was finally done! I'm having a well deserved drink.

 

I think using the alignment tool helped, but it still wasn't easy. The gap was about 1cm, which we manged to close with the bolts.

 

If I ever pull the engine again, I'll pull the gearbox at the same time!

 

Cheers for all the advice everyone!!! :)

Edited March 16, 201411 yr by MasterCookieman

Well done mate, i pulled my engine and box together and if i were to do it again i would do the same, so much easier and as i mentioned with the box away from the car it slid straight on first time. Glad you got it sorted :thumbup:

I always remove and fit the motor/box as one...so much easier.Plus ive found in the past putting a bigger radius on the leading edge of the dowl holes and a spot of grease helps on dowl entry and stops them "picking up" and jamming.