my clutch seems to be perfectly aligned (looking through the throw-out bearing and double-checked with the alignment tool). I installed a new pilot bearing, beveled side out and it's flush with the crank surface...for some reason I can't get the tranny all the way on, it stops with about 3/8 inch left to go.

Anyone experienced this?

 

I found this thread; I think I'll try this Saturday: http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...ht=t56+install

 

I had the same problem and it is an easy fix. The problem is that the clutch allignment tool has too much slack. Put the allignment tool in and loosten the pressure plate where it is just barely holding the disk. Feel around the edges of the pressure plate and you will notice that it is probably 3/8" closer to the bottom of the pressure plate than the top. Center the thing as best you can with your fingers and tighten up the pressure plate bolts. It will slide right in then. Back in the day when we used an actual transmission front shaft as a tool, this wasn't a problem because the tolerances were tighter.

 

If you use a better tool (KD and others make a steel one with different adapters), it goes a lot easier, but I have done so many now that I can align one pretty easily with any tool. The plastic ones do deflect a little too much.

 

Well, I tried to realign the clutch again by using my fingers to feel on the outside edges but it didn't help. So I said to heck with it and once I got the tranny in as far as it would easily go (still had about 3/8 inch left), I put in all the bolts finger tight, hooked up the slave cylinder, pressed the clutch and sure enough the tranny jumped right into place. I pulled the tranny out just to make sure that nothing got messed up and everything looked good (pilot bearing, input shaft, etc). So I put it back together and I'm done with it.

I guess I need to work on my alignment skillz.

Thanks for everyone's input.

-Sean