Trying to bolt '53 235 bell, flywheel, clutch, tranny, etc to '59 261 engine.

All went VERY well with this swap until today when I tried to mate the tranny.

Can't get it to take. It SEEMS like the problem is that the bushing in the end of the crank doesn't want to take the end of the shaft coming out of the tranny.

I have checked that the length of the 'pilot shaft', splined section and solid section coming out of both 53 and 59 trannys are the same. They are. Diameters are the same. splines are the same.

I used a universal alignment tool when I bolted the clutch back on. It doesn't seem to be pulling the tranny out of alignment.

I'm so close to having this crap back together. Mostly I'm just frustrated.

Is there some trick to this that I'm missing?

I give up for the day.

and I posted this in the wrong section. arrrgh!

Dear Tom;

The disc is probably just 'off center' slightly is all, NOT to worry.

Try to look at it from the rear of the BH inward, or rotate the flywheel & see if It's the same (360 Deg) with the pressure plate.

With someone helping; start the trans in, hold in place, loosen the clutch cover from the flywheel slightly to 'free up the disc" & it should slide "right in" etc.

Good luck.

Two things to try when you take it back apart. First take just the clutch disk and slide it on the tranny input shaft to make sure it isn't snagging on a burr or anything. Second try the tranny w/o the disk & pressure plate to see if it fits. It's got to be one or the other & this may narrow it down.
Charles

Once, when installing a stock 4 speed into a 302 GMC, the input shaft wouldn't slip into the pilot bushing. As it turned out, the ID of the pilot bushing decreased a minor (yet sufficient) amount when tapped into the crakshaft that the input shaft wouldn't fit. I cut a groove into a spare input shaft to ream the pilot bushing.

I once used a uneversal alighnment tool and thought everything was perfect. I couldn't get the tranny in. I got a alighnment tool for my specific application and it went it like a dream. Your alignment may be a tad off.

This was it.

and this fixed it.


Thanks guys for all the ideas. Went out this morning and started with John's suggestion.
Splined the tranny in then backed all the clutch bolts out about a 1/4 turn. Bingo. In it went.