So I'm installing a new clutch. This is my fourth clutch install on this car and is hands down the worst.

Every time I've taken it out I have just left the fluid in it. Lower it on a trans jack, move it out of the way, do the job, put it back. Never even move the trans out from under the car.

Yesterday, it slid back off the trans jack and all the fluid spilled out. So now I'm working on trans fluid covered in oil dry and cardboard.

Anyway, I cannot get the trans back on the engine. The body is too low and the trans is hitting the underbody.

I do gearbox/bell housing together, I don't separate.

I've tried jacking up the body but it all comes up together. I've never had this problem so I'm kind of confused.

Should I just separate the bell housing from the gearbox or am I forgetting something that I've done 4 times in the past?

 

Can you tilt the back of the engine down by pushing up GENTLY on the damper? Careful of the oil pressure sensor.

 

no, I didn't really want to jack at the damper. I might try that tomorrow. if that doesn't give me the room i think i will just separate the trans.

 

I've never pulled my trans without separating it from the bellhousing first.

Which part of the trans is contacting the body? The pitch and rotation angle of how it sits on the jack make all the difference in the world in how easy it goes back in.

I had mine slip from it's removal position on the jack one time and it was a royal pain to get it lined back up. I think you just need to keep working the pitch angle/rotation of it to get it right. Sounds to me like it needs to be pitched forward more. I always tend to have the front of it pitched too high when going back in. Level it out a little more each try.

Anyone that doesn't have a trans jack that has the pitch and rotation adjustments, I recommend it. Money well spent in my opinion.

 

I had similar difficulties when I did my clutch last year.

Unfortunately, no wisdom to share. We had the front of the engine lifted (but it's an LS1, so we listed from the oil pan), and we used a tilting trans jack ($130, Harbor Freight; I'd recommend a nicer one). We just kept fiddling with it and eventually got it together. We never removed the bellhousing from the trans.