BigZ89 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Hi all,I've been replacing my clutch and transmission box on my '99 Outback. But the transmission (both new and old ones) will not slap up against the engine!I've read everything there is to read about re-installing the MT on these OBs, and I've tried everything imaginable with NO RESULTS! See photo links below of input shaft, clutch plate and hole, and the gap that exists between the transmission and the engine.Before you ask, here's what I know:1. There's nothing blocking the tranny from hitting the engine anywhere.2. The transmission is definitely the right size. Even the original won't shove back into it's place.3. I have rotated the input shaft splines 10+ times and tried to shove it in, still won't go.4. The transmission gets on all bolts, but not all the way up against the engine.5. The clutch fork and bearing are all installed correctly and not interfering.6. I have tried getting under the tranny and wiggling it up and down, left to right, a hundred times. No dice.7. I have re-installed the clutch plate and disc three times, making sure it's facing the correct direction and aligned properly.8. One of the lower bolts may be slightly bent, but the transmission still goes on all six bolts just fine. And if that one bolt is indeed bent, it's only a very slight, minute bend.Anyone have any ideas on how to finally get this sucker on without breaking anything? I am losing my mind. Here's the photo of the tranny and engine: Photo of input shaft: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3F3pybq0P...nput+shaft.JPGPhoto of clutch:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ElioWP9To...lutch+hole.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 When I had similar issues it was that the trans input splines and clutch were not lining up. It sounds like you've tried rotating the shafts so they line up, so not sure that's the issue...even though it sounds like it. Out of curiousity have you tried putting the clutch on the trans input shaft when the trans is not installed? My thinking is just to verify that the clutch actually will slide over the input shaft splines. If you try rotating the engine, and the trans is in gear, do the cv axles/wheels turn at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigZ89 Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Yeah, I'm wondering if it's the splines still somehow. But I've rotated them so much that it just seems like that can't be the problem. And I have put the clutch on the input shaft to make sure the splines line up. They lined up pretty easily. When you say "rotate the engine", do you mean rotating the pulley wheel on the oppositie side of the engine from the transmission? I tried rotating that pulley with the hopes that it would rotate the clutch splines; easier than me having to pull the tranny off, rotate the shaft, and try pushing it back in. You know what I mean? Regardless, that didn't seem to work the couple times I tried it. So I assumed rotating that pulley only rotated the flywheel and didn't rotate the splines. If that pulley rotates the flywheel, is it also supposed to rotate the clutch splines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 The plastic clutch alignment tools suck. They are sloppy so if you don't wiggle them around and then hold them in the centered position while you snug up the pressure plate bolts the clutch disk ends up off center. Then when you try to put the transmission in, the shaft won't go into the pilot bearing. Try re-centering the disk. You can also leave the pressure plate bolts loose. Tighten them just enough so the disk starts to be grabbed, then tighten them through the starter hole once the transmission is on. You'll have to turn the engine a bunch of times to tighten the bolts down in a criss cross pattern evenly, but it will work in a pinch. I cut the input shaft off a junk transmission I had and use that as my alignment tool. The transmissions slip right in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 +1 for what Woodswagon is saying. the plastic tool should be thrown in the garbage. If you have access to any junk 5mt's cut the input shaft off and use that as the alignment tool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markjw Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Make certain you don't have more alignment pins than you need. When you separate engine and tranny sometimes the pins stay with the engine, sometimes they stay with the tranny. If installing a different tranny, it can be a problem. It's easy to over look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoupedUpSubie Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Not sure if you have gotten it back in or not. Do you have the transmission lifted off the front subframe a couple inches? If not it sounds like the engine mount bolts are hitting the subframe which would cause about a 2 inch gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 (edited) Not sure if you have gotten it back in or not. Do you have the transmission lifted off the front subframe a couple inches? If not it sounds like the engine mount bolts are hitting the subframe which would cause about a 2 inch gap. That happened to me after I did my head gasket repair, I jumped up on the engine and shook the motor side to side and it popped on flush to the transmission.. then the engine mounts went down in the slots for them. Edited April 7, 2013 by 1-3-2-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggseob Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I was changing the clutch in a Nissan, the disc had flywheel side stamped on it, so I put it in with that side facing the flywheel. Many put ins and pull outs and take aparts later, I measured things using a straightedge and protrusion guage. Since I looked at the new parts before taking it all apart, and saw the clearly marked flywheel side, I didnt pay attention to which side was out on the disc when I took it apart. The measuring showed the disc was bottoming on the trans-shaft. Turned the clutch disc so the side marked flywheel was facing the pressure plate, and it all went together and worked. Dohhh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 There is a sheetmetal plate attached to the bottom of engine, accross the area under the flywheel. Make sure that plate isn't being bent and caught between the engine and trans. Helps to wedge a block of 2x4 between the alt and the radiator top to angle the engine "back" towards the trans. loosen the flywheel mounting bolts a bit, then tighten them after installing engine to trans. Access them through the starter hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Gloyale means the pressure plate bolts, not the flywheel bolts. Cant really get the flywheel bolts after the trannys in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 There is a sheetmetal plate attached to the bottom of engine, accross the area under the flywheel. Make sure that plate isn't being bent and caught between the engine and trans. Helps to wedge a block of 2x4 between the alt and the radiator top to angle the engine "back" towards the trans. loosen the flywheel mounting bolts a bit, then tighten them after installing engine to trans. Access them through the starter hole. Oops yeah, i meant pressure plate bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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