TKO Swap Becoming A Nightmare

[HGFireHazard]

Augh, I've had my few little problems here and there, and this may just be another one, but I'm starting to get frustrated.

Me and a buddy were having problems getting the TKO to pop in that last 3/4", we struggled with it for about a half hour and we decided that it should be fine to pull on with the bolts. The bolts went in without much trouble at all and we figured we just pulled the tip of the input shaft into the pilot bearing (we made sure the clutch disc was as centered as possible, so it wasn't that). We got everything in and wired and up and the car started fine, but the clutch doesn't feel 'good' (correct) until about 3/4 of the way to the floor. I have the MM kit with the firewall adjuster, but the thing is practically all the way out. I don't think taking it two more threads is going to help. I can't put it in any gear with the car on and the pedal depressed (but at this point in time that could mean nothing). With the car off I struggle to get it into 3rd and 4th, but once I get it into one or the other it slips into both rather easily. I know I for sure put the transmission into 3rd and 4th, and I believe I did every other gear too when it was fresh in the box, but I can't remember for absolute certainty that I did the 4 others, but I'm awfully sure. The pedal doesn't snap back to the top of it's travel, in fact it probably only snaps back 2/3 of the way to the top and I have to manually pull it the rest of the way with my foot. Is the cable too long? The Tremec Bellhousing also relocated where the clutch fork went versus the T5, and we had to cut off part of the first holder for the clutch cable to clear the long tubes, but it didn't effect how everything hooked up under there. I didn't feel like crawling under the car one more time tonight to look at things. What do you guys think, I'm really in a bind here as Spring Break is over after this weekend, and I really don't feel like paying someone to help me make this right. Thanks.

 

[miller92063]

if i remember correctly, i used a few washers as spacers for the clutch cable. i used them down by the clutch fork, because cable seemed "loose."

 

[99FiveOh]

You gotta see if you're getting the movement from the fork as you push the pedal down. If the fork is moving a good distance when you push the pedal then your problem lies elsewhere. If you shim it too much you'll probably bottom the fork out against the bellhousing.

Sometimes things are alot clearer to you when the morning comes!

 

[Wi Stang]

When I installed my T-56, we couldn't get the tranny to go on the last 3/4" either. I had a friend there that has a lot of car knowledge, and he put a crowbar on the clutch fork to take the pressure off the clutch disk. We pushed on the tranny a little bit, and when he let the pressure off the clutch fork, the tranny popped all the way on. It would have been easier if I would have had the clutch cable on, then we could have just pushed on the clutch pedal instead of using the crowbar.
Just a little tip incase you ever run into the problem again.
As far as the cluch goes I can't be any help. I had an adjustable cable when I put mine on, so I just kept adjusting it till the pedal travel was where I wanted it.

Good luck.

 

[1slow95]

You did install a fox clutch fork, right? If not, that could be your problem. Otherwise I would think you just need an adjustable clutch cable, or use the washers to adjust it temporarily.

 

[94-302-vert]

Yeah, i had this prob when re-installing my t5 and when trying to put in my bids TKO.. both times we pushed the clutch pedal and the trans went right in... Hope nothing got effed...

 

[HGFireHazard]

I think my problem right now is that the clutch cable is WAY too loose. I'm having a hard time believing that the cable that came with the MM kit isn't working as well as one would have hoped it was designed, but we'll see. My biggest hope right now is that I'm having a hard time shifting into gears because the throwout bearing isn't able to do its job well enough because the cable is too loose. I am also assuming that the pedal isn't returning to maximum height for this reason as well. Can anyone help me confirm these things? I'm going to see if my Dad can fab up a type of extension to the firewall adjuster, because I'm not sure if washers would be enough. I'll keep you guys updated, and if anyone can help me with the assumptions above I'd appreciate the confirmation, thanks.

 

[Kid Capri]

I had a simular problem when I installed mine. The clutch pivot stud was to short, I needed one that would put the fork and to bearing closer to the pp. If I remember correctly, I added 1 inch of length to the threaded area, and used a few lock washers. That solved my problem, I was also looking at the lakewood pivot stud, but when I called for info on the total length of the longest one offered, it was the same length as the stock unit. I also used a fox fork, not sure if this is unique to using the shorter fork verses the sn95 fork. Hope this info. helps.

 

[HGFireHazard]

That's actually a good idea, but at this point in time taking it all back apart is not an option. I suppose if adding the extra length to the firewall adjuster doesn't fix things I have another issue, but I don't know what it would be. However, I am fairly certain at this point in time that this is what my problem is. Let's hope so.

By the way, I am using the fox fork, or at least that's the item that's on my bill, I never compared the two side by side, but since I got my stuff from one of the 10 Tremec distributers it should be right.

 

[HGFireHazard]

Alright, my Dad made me that spacer last night and it ended up working alright. I got the clutch adjusted better and I can get it into all gears now, but it grinds a bit into reverse. I'm also bottoming out the clutch fork against the bellhousing. I was told that if I go from 1st to reverse instead of neutral to reverse it will get rid of this, but I also don't have the car off the jack stands yet, so I'm not sure if that makes any difference or not. I have to modify and put the dust cover on, re-check and make sure everything is out of the way and go out and give it a spin. Hopefully everything is squared away and it is happily running tonight, I'll update tonight after work.

 

[urban96]

when my trans wouldnt go in that last 3/4" i had someone push the clutch pedal down while i pushed it in the rest of the way, worked good for me

 

[HGFireHazard]

I got all the misc. last little things done and took it out on the road. It seemed to do really well, but people aren't kidding when they say the TKO's are awfully dang notchy brand new. I had a little trouble with it grinding into reverse but it does it much less (sometimes not at all) when I go from 1st to reverse, as I was suggested. I have my adjuster out quite a ways and I barely hit the fork on the bellhousing on hard shift, but the clutch starts engaging fairly close to the floor. Adding washers to the ball in the bellhousing is probably sometime in my future, but I'm leaving it be for now. I have to have my exhaust re-aligned because the new driveshaft must be bigger and the passenger muffler hits going around corners. I have yet to test if I have the dreaded vibration, but I'll leave that until after I get the exhaust taken care of. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[cobra29svt]

i always use to go from 4th to reverse when i had my tremec. worked really well. try that a few times and see if it work better for ya.