Reinstalled engine tranny, driveshaft won't turn, clutch cable issues?

[TheUser]

I just rebuilt my engine and took the tranny out w/ it. I just got it all back in yesterday and I'm finishing things up today.

I went to install the driveshaft, but it wouldn't rotate for me (input shaft in tranny & I didn't have tranny fluid in yet. I thought I had the tranny in neutral as best I could tell. I can turn the rear wheels, but the driveshaft won't turn...should it be able to do this?

Anyway, I put fluid in the tranny and hooked the clutch cable up. I can push the clutch down and it doesn't feel like I can get into the gears, so maybe the it needs adjusted. It's the stock quadrant, and I've pulled up on it and it doesn't do anything.

I hope I don't have to pull the tranny back out because that's a pain and a half. If I get these problems fixed, the car should be running tonight, finally, after 2 months of hell.

 

[TheUser]

well, I pulled the driveshaft out (tranny fluid of course leaked out like crazy) and put it back in...IT WILL NOT TURN with the driveshaft in the tranny, so something is F-ed up in the tranny, I guess. I really have no idea what could be wrong, although I did have the tailhousing off to install a new speedo gear and took the top cover off to check out the gears.

If I just pull the tranny, I'll have to cut the exhaust off, which I don't want to do and it will be a major PITA.

Any other ideas welcome. I'm not pulling it today. I really dread that...I had a hell of a time getting it to line up and bolt up with the engine/tranny out of the car...

 

[JChalfan]

Without the car running, you should be able to move the shifter through the gears, but it's usually not as easy as when the motor is running with the clutch pushed in. If you can't get the tranny into any gear, you may have a problem in the transmission.

I asume from what you said that the tranny was working fine before you pulled it to rebuild the engine.

You said you can turn the rear wheels. Was this with the driveshaft installed?

See if you can make sure the transmission is actually in neutral. If it is in gear, that would stop you from being able to turn the driveshaft.

Good luck, keep us informed!

Jeff

 

[4G-KDMP]

is the trans in neutral/ if not you won't be able to turn the ds.

 

[TheUser]

Well, that's just it....I THINK it's in neutral - I can move the shifter around and it doesn't feel to be in any gear, but pressing the clutch does nothing. Pulling the clutch pedal doesn't do anything to adjust it for me (stock quadrant).

I know the driveshaft shouldn't turn if the tranny is in gear. I did tighten my balancer bolt down and the crank didn't move, so maybe the tranny is in gear. I need to get the clutch issue fixed first I guess.

The book says if the clutch pedal goes to the floor w/ no change in stiffness then:
1) clutch cable is stretched
2) quadrant is missing the spring
3) clutch is installed wrong

I know the quadrant spring is there...I didn't change any of that stuff, nor the cable.

The clutch disc can only be installed one way (I accidentally put it the wrong way and the pressure plate wouldn't bolt down).

 

[TheUser]

JCHalfan: Yes, the tranny was working 100% before. It was a new tranny when I bought the car, which is why I wanted to pull the top cover to make sure of that. The gears all look great. I also wanted to put a new speedo drive gear in it, so I had to remove the extention (tail) housing for that (and to get the top cover off). I will say that I ended up pulling the front shaft off and all the bearings fell out. I got them all back in there and got the shaft back in with the aid of my ford service manual.

I tried to start the car this morning and I could hear where it sounded like maybe something was rubbing. I managed to get my clutch to have tension and now the car turns over with no noises (except backfires, timing isn't set yet).

However, I can't rotate the crank to set the timing. The starter can turn it, but I can't with a ratchet and cheater bar. So, the crank won't turn, the driveshaft won't turn, and I can't tell what gear the tranny is in. I have, however, moved the offset lever back and forth and can't turn the crank w/ the ratchet in any of those positions.

I pulled the shifter back off and I can move the offset lever forward and backward with my finger (same resistance with the clutch pushed in or not). I can move it somewhat at an angle, how I suppose it would be when shifting into first or second. I can only move it into a few spots, though:

Sitting straght up and down, I can move it forward, which I assume to be 3rd gear because you can't move it side to side up there. I can then pull it back and and will angle side to side, so I assume that is neutral. I can angle it and go forward, which I assume to be first, but I can't get it any farther back such as 2nd, 4th, or Reverse.

Again, this is completely subjective as I'm no transmission expert, just a logical guess.

I may have to pull the tranny after all to get a peek, and maybe drop it off at a tranny shop, but I REALLY do not want to.

Any other ideas?

 

[TheUser]

one last bump before I pull the tranny tomorrow.:SNSign:

 

[dastang2]

i pulled my motor and tranny out of the car and it stayed out for quite some time, turned out the gears siezed together, i fix that though with 2 pipe wrenches

 

[TheUser]

mine was out for probably 6-8 weeks, so maybe that's what it is. Kinda weird it will turn over with the starter, but not by hand...I guess the starter is stronger than me. I had a hard time getting the input shaft into the pilot bearing, so I turned the input shaft a little to get it to line up. I hope that isn't causing a problem.

The gears seizing together sounds very plausible since they sat for so long w/o fluid.

Without sounding like a moron, how exactly did you find out which gears it was? I definately don't want to pull on the input shaft and have those bearings fall out again, it was hard to get them to fit in that little hole around the sides and all!

Thanks

 

[TheUser]

Had the tranny out by noon today...not as big of a pain as I thought. I got my factory service manual out and used the t-5 manual from the tremec website and pulled it apart and put it back, but still had the same problem as before. I actually had a problem after I put the input shaft back on...it wouldn't come back off when I tried to pull it back off.

I ended up just taking it to a transmission shop and he said about $50 and they'll have it sealed back up for me. I know he thought I was a moron, but at least I can honestly say I tried to fix it myself before resorting to paying a shop $50 to do it. This still won't keep me from trying again next time

I should have asked him if I could watch them do it just to learn, but I didn't figure they'd get to it today since they only had about half an hour to close.

Supposed to get it back tomorrow, so I'll throw it in and get this car back on the road where it should be.

Thanks for all the help:SNSign:

 

[dastang2]

well i found out it was frozen when puting the tranny on the motor which was out of the car. all i did was put a pipe wrench on both shafts and turned them differnt directions. i put some oil on them and spun them until they loosened up.