I've seen a post about this years ago but can't find it now. Keep in mind, I've swapped transmissions and clutches in this car close to 10 times.
Events:

• Buy new solid hub clutchnet disc and go to install it but disc not marked "Flywheel side", etc and I took the prior clutch out back in Sept 2009, so I don't remember which side is which.
• Poll lists with pictures of disc front and back, inquiring which side goes to transmission/engine.
• Finally, someone identifies 'flat side' goes to motor. I install it that way.
• After completion of installation, I bleed hydraulics and the pedal works perfectly. I go to start car with transmission in neutral, clutch pedal not depressed (Neutral safety switch bypassed many years ago. Starter strains to turn over motor (as if battery low)
• I get jumper cables and try to start it again. Though slightly stronger effort, still can't spin fast enough to start. WTH?
• In a random thought, I press the clutch pedal and try to start it. It starts immediately and idles perfectly. Again, WTH?
• With the transmission still in neutral, I slowly let the pedal out (car is on four jackstands) but as the pedal feeds out, the motor is starting to labor to idle. I press the pedal down again and the motor starts idling perfectly. Phock!
• I turn off motor. Get out and try to rotate the rear tires by hand(still in neutral). They spin freely. I put the car in gear. Try to turn tires. Just as it should be, no motion. I get back in car, shift the shifter to all gears. Snick, snick, snick.. each one perfect.
• I press the pedal again and start the car. She starts right up. I slowly let the pedal out until the motor dies. Sigh...
• One week later (yesterday) I pull everything off to unbolt the bellhousing, with the intent to pull the tranny and merely flip this disc. I've done this so many times it's not a big deal until.... The transmission/bell housing is seemingly fused to the block. I check over and over and over for the 6 bolts holding the transmission to the block. They're all out, I've got the bolts in my baggie marked "Bellhousing bolts". What in THE hell...
• I wiggle, push, pull, pry, lift, shake the tailshaft and this thing might as well still have the 6 bolts torqued to 35lbs. It doesn't budge the thickness of a razor blade off the block. At this point I'm pretty sure the disk has welded itself to either the input shaft. As I type these, I just thought that the splines of the disc and the input shaft might be contorted/twisted in the disk.
  Sheesh...
• One more effort, I unbolt the transmission from the bellhousing and try to pull, twist, shake it off. Via pry bars (I have something tangible to pry on between the tranny/bellhousing) I'm barely able to get about 1/4" gap but it's fighting back the whole time.

Unless you guys can think of something else, my plan is to cut a 'window' in the bottom of the bellhousing and spin the motor around to unbolt the perimeter of pressure plate bolts so the transmission/pressure plate/clutch disc can come out together.
Thanks,
Dave

 

As a follow up to my own post, I expanded my search for this issue outside the Fbody community and found similar scenarios (backwards clutch disc, tranny won't come out, cut hole in bellhousing to access the pressure plate). Looks like I have a plan, I just don't like it very much....

 

Went out and punched a hole in the bellhousing and used my remote starter button to bump the pressure plate around for each bolt.


After all the pressure plate bolts were out, the transmission/bellhousing slipped right off.

Here's the disc and man, is it stuck on that input shaft.

This is the side some guy on the board, probably honestly trying to help but was absolutely wrong, told me to face to the motor. The side with the protruding splined hub goes to the flywheel, NOT THE FLAT SIDE!

I'm going to try;

• Slidehammer first
• If that doesn't work, I'll try a two prong puller
• If neither of those work, I guess I'll take it to a freaking machine shop

 

that is ****ed up, hope everything works out

 

Jebus dude! That clutch disk didn't have markings on it or something? That really sux... Hope you get it off.

 

That's right. I ordered it from Cutchnet and it didn't have the traditional "Flywheel Side", etc marking on either side. I asked on this list and the LS1tech one and only got one response. I included two pictures of the disc(one of each side). The responder identified the 'top' picture (the flat side) as the one that went to the motor. I thanked him and went out and put it on that way. Sigh.... I was able to get a new bellhousing today. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get the disc off the input shaft. Some guys have speculated the input shaft might be damaged too.

 

Dave...you might want to try heating up the disc with a torch about 2 inches away from the input shaft. That may allow for enough expansion of the disc to remove it.

 

Thanks. I'll try all the tricks I can before trying the "Viking" method and hacking it up.

 

Well, Tried heating it up - No help.
Tried slide hammer- No help.
Busted the rest of the bellhousing off to get a better look. Indeed, the hum of the disc is all the way up onto the input shaft where the splines stop. By all interpretations, it's welded itself on there. Anyone know of a T56 shop in/near upstate NY? I'm going to ship this to someone and see if they can get it off and assess the damage and repair it.
This "advice" I received on which way to put the disc on has cost me (so far)
1. Brand new Clutch disc from Clutchnet - $176
2. Bell housing - $120
3. 2 weekends of work and 2 weeks of not being able to drive the car.

Still to go...
1. New Spec Stage 4 clutch setup - $500?
2. Whatever it takes for the shop to remove the stuck disc and repair/replace -$2000?

sheesh....
Thanks,
Dave

 

I couldn't find anyone in Rochester so I sent mine to Tickshift in NC. Maybe Jason Short knows of someone upstate?

I'm wondering what you attached the slide hammer to. FWIW, how about drilling holes in the hub to fab hooks you could get a puller on?

 

The screw that comes with the Slidehammer just pulled out.

After I knocked the bellhousing off with a sledgehammer, I was able to get a chain behind the disc and loop it around. I then put my hydraulic bottle jack on there(foot of the jack on the tip of the input shaft, top of the jack on the chain) but it was rather unstable. I was able to put a substantial load on the jack but it kept flopping off to one side or the other. I again tried pry bars once the bell housing was off but the disc show's zero signs of moving. Add to this, you would think that since I can now freely rotate the pressure plate behind the disc, that the input shaft and disc would rotate. Nope. This implies to me that the input shaft and perhaps some internals are jacked up as well

Right now, I've got all the T56 stuff cleared away and just finished bolting the TH359 back in. All that's left on that is to
1. bolt in crossmember
2. hook up shifter
3. Install drive shaft
4. Install torque arm
5. Hook up exhaust
6. Install tranny cooler
7. Top off with Fluid.

At least then I can drive it some
Thanks for the tip on the repair shop. I'll give the a call to see if it's even worth trying to fix this or just buy one outriight.

 

Well first off I have to say I feel bad for you...I have taken what I hope was the honest advice of someone trying to help and had some things ruined-

At this stage I would get the grinder and start cutting that clutch plate off the input shaft. Start with the rivets and slowly take it apart best you can. Without being able to see the other side hopefully you can cut those rivets off and the clutch disc will come off. Then maybe you can get to the center portion cut down enough to get the pressure plate off and maybe a puller will work better since it will be pulling almost straight back.

At this point I think the disc if fubared either way- and IMO better for you to take some time to get it off and diagnosing things as you go than paying a shop top rate labor to do it for you.

 

Be really careful! If your input shaft isn't damaged it will be if you keep prying... The friction plate is completely screwed. I would either A: take it to a machine shop to have it cut off, or B: Drill out the rivets and carefully cut the hub off.

 

I received a response from Tickshift and looks like I'll be shipping it there for the extraction of the recalcitrant disc and repairs. Thanks for the tip!!!
Dave

 

Well, I am out of work for the moment so I decided to tackle getting the old disc off myself. I just want to take a moment and thank whomever invented the cutoff wheel. God bless you man! Lol...
First I cut off all the rivets holding the disc to the hub.
Then, I cut the pressure plate in two halves..


I'd suspected that my new clutchnet disc's hub had friction welded itself to the collar that the Throwout bearing rides upon and once I'd cut away enough of the pressure plate, sure enough. That's what it was...


You can see in that picture, I've already started to grind away at the weld/fusion material. I bet that thing was red hot from just spinning. I had only let the motor run for a minute but since the hub and collar were right upon each other, I guess that's all it took.

I then took my cutoff wheel and cut the hub from the outside edge to as close to the input shafts splines as I could. Then I took another cut just like that but about 12 degrees away. I then took my ball peen hammer and knocked that section loose. I continued to cut sections away like that, knocking them off, until it was completely off. The transmission spins freely now. While it was welded, you couldn't budge the input nor the output shaft.

I'll take out my temp T56 tomorrow and install this one since mine is perfect and this $700 temp T56 is just about on it's last leg.