66 Mustang, New T5 conversion engage/disengagement ISSUE! HELP!

I have been at this for several weeks, this is the 7th time I have dropped the T5... I'm hoping someone can help me to solve this issue. Here are my findings…

I have a 1966 Mustang, Engine #05AE 6015E, Bell housing #E3ZR 6394 AA, I have purchased a Modern Driveline Master Hydraulic kit with throw out bearing Tilton 6000 series complete set up.

After I have painstakingly centered the bell housing to within concentric spec, and the bell housing to parabolic spec... I have made damn sure the Borg Warner T5 World Class 1993 trans shifts well out of the Mustang...

Once assembled... I have been UNABLE to disengage the clutch. Meaning, while the care is running after bleeding the hell out of the Titlton Hydraulic Throw out bearing... I am able to shift from 1st 2nd 3rd 4th gear without using the clutch pedal. Further more, I cannot gain access to 5th gear while the car is running, nor can I access Reverse while the engine only GRINDING is heard/felt when attempting to go into Reverse. If I hit/use the brake, the car DIES. When I turn the car off... all gears function as I have access to them with ease.

I dug up the receipt for the Parts that are install. They are from CJ Pony parts, The Clutch Kit part number is CK230 (Ford Part# M7560A302N). 86-01 V8 FRPP Clutch Kit. The Pilot Bearing is M7007B 289 cid Roller Pilot Bearing .669 Diameter. I do not have the part number for the Flywheel. I remember it was from a company out of CA it is a 157 tooth 28 oz..

-I removed everything off of the transmission side of the motor, back to square one. With only the flywheel attached, I inserted the transmission and the input shaft with ease mated with pilot bearing and I was able to rotate the input shaft with two fingers and it was smooth.
-I now attached the bell housing, again the transmission inserted effortlessly as well as rotated easily with two fingers.
-I pulled the bell housing off and placed the clutch disc (without the pressure plate) in with the alignment tool and reattached the bell housing, then I reinserted the input shaft and it went right in effortlessly & mated with the pilot bearing & was flush with the bell housing.

-I pulled everything off and attached the clutch kit to correct torque specs... Here is where something changed… after I pulled the alignment tool out it was met with resistance. I loosened the pressure plate bolts and readjusted the alignment tool, no change. There was still resistance inserting and extracting the alignment tool. I proceeded to install the transmission to double check. From what I can tell and (a hour later) I was centered, however, I wasn’t able to fully insert/engage the transmission. After tussling, twisting, pulling out & reinserting I was not able to fully engage the transmission. This has been the case the last 6 times I have pulled the transmission, Here is where the hang up is. I am about 3/4 of an inch from full engagement and the ONLY way I have been able to get the T5 to mate flush with the bell housing is the use the 4 tans bolts and force/walk the T5 into placement.

The Tilton Hydraulic throw out bearing is set to 3.750 in the first 4 attempts, after numores failed attempts with fooling with clutch pedal adjustments, I increased the Tilton to 3.875. The distance from the top of the pressure plate teeth to the face of the bell housing is 3.835. Thats .040 of an inch OVER engaged making the Tilton have full contact with the pressure plate teeth and still, I cannot disengage the clutch when the car is on.

I cannot figure out what is going on????? Please, I need pearls of wisdom!!! HEEEEEELP! What do you think?
 
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So two probleams.
Not being able to fully engage trans in bell housing...but all seems to fit separately on bench
No clutch action when together

First guesses
clutch disk installed backwards...probably not it
Throw out bearing galling ( not sliding nice) on input shaft cover.
Throw out bearing to far forward on shaft to go together.... can't tell from numbers given
But sounds like from your description

Here is where something changed… a


Clutch disk middle 'spline hole' bent.... maybe a couple of degrees so not hitting pilot bushing right.

Shouldn't have to use bolts to pull it together

I did the t5 swap in my 65 and used the cable set up from modern driveline and it went together easy except for need to dimple bottom of cowl under dash for pedal bracket.
 
I can see from the clutch fork hole on the driver side of the transmission, the Tilton engaging the teeth of the pressure plate. I have the clutch disk installed correctly, I even called Ford Performance to double check. .... I'm still scratching my head.....
 
how "hard "is the pedal ? also measure actual throwout travel and compare that with manufacturer spec.I have a motorcycle that the clutch wouldn't release all the way and I injected fluid into the bleeder with a syringe type bleeder and it worked.I'll bet you're getting good at transmission r&r