Transmission Install

[speedy25]

Yecch! Having quite a time getting my manual trans back in the car. I've had the trans up to the flywheel twice and the two still wont go back together. I have CAREFULLY centered the disk. Its a bit harder than other transmissions since there is no pilot bearing to center with.

All my other tricks of turning the engine or trans to make the splines meet up have failed.

I've never before had to try a second time.

Any Toyota specific tips from you guys??

-SP

[sam333]

Those transmissions require a cenrtain amount of blood before they go together, or at least a smashed finger. Have you given this sacrifice to the transmission god?

I put the trans into gear so the input shaft doesnt spin as easily, then when the trans is lined up with the engine ( plugs out of the engine) I ( a helper makes it easier) turn the crank pully bolt back and forth while sliding them together( lube the input shaft splines with a little high temp grease). Alot depends on how you are installing it, lift , jack stands. You may be doing it this way allready.

[speedy25]

No sacrifice given, so that must be the problem.

Already did some spinning of engine and trans. The exedy kit includes a small packet of grease so thats done correctly too. I also test fit because I have gotten disks with the wrong spline.

Thanks for your post Sam.

-SP

[speedy25]

I've never EVER had a trans that wont go back in. Took out the trans and recentered the clutch disk but it still wont go together! Grrrrrrrrr!

-SP

[Suprawillis]

Put a little grease on the input shaft?

[speedy25]

Yep. Already noted above.

-SP

[spingley]

Did you use a pilot tool? I am wondering if the splines are not meshing, maybe leave tranny in gear and turn output shaft as you are wiggling/pushing tranny. Just a thought!

[speedy25]

Yep. did all that too!

-SP

[Callum3]

I've done two of these clutch changes on the 7th gen and let me tell yah, there aint no trick to it, its just a bitch. You just got to do alot of tilting, turning, twisting and cursing. The one time I was short on help I used a jack under the engine and two jacks under the trans just to get it at the right angle. The other time I had my uncle with me (roughly 250lbs, built like a brick shit house) and he was able to tilt and shimmy it around while I used a pry bay to close the gap.Theres a matter of luck to it as well.

Just out of curiousity, did you lower the sub frame? The Hanes manual doesnt say to but I followed a dealer issued maintenance maunal and taking the sub frame out saved alot of time in the end

[speedy25]

Well I'm glad its not just me! Removal was a little tougher than usual too. The trans didnt want to separate easily either.

I left the subframe in. I used a small block of wood to keep the engine in place and not hanging. Its position was close enough to actual that I could easily(if you can say that) unbolt the front and rear mounts.

All other cars I have done had the mounts on the block and not the trans.

-SP

[Clayton1984]

You need to remove the subframe and support your engine... preferably from above if only to allow for more maneuvering.

Your problem is you have to lower the left side of the engine to allow easy reattachment of the tranny. I bought a engine support fixture from harbor freight for $80 which did the trick. It doesn't allow you to raise and lower at will, but by its very nature the left side of your engine will lower slightly.

[speedy25]

SHeesh what a pain, but of course it was my own damn fault!

In my typical careful checking of everything failed to notice the EXTRA locating pin. One was stuck in the used transmission I installed.

After the pin was removed, it slid right in and its bolted up.

Now to finish up the extra silly stuff.

Thanks to all who added to this thread both publicly and privately. I appreciate your effort to help me get this normally easy job done.

-SP