I'm trying to put a T-5 trany from a 92 305 firebird into a 89 350 GTA and we got the clutch on and the bell housing but when we put the throw out bearing on it doesn’t seem to line up with the clutch and we cant put the trany in cause we get stuck at about 1 inch from being in all the way. We have been trying for 3 days and we have tried all different angles. Thank you for your help

 

Okay...let's hit the basics..

Did you use a clutch alignment tool when bolting up the clutch and pressure plate? You did install a pilot bearing...right ( just checking...I've seen it happen )

The throwout bearing is not what's keeping the tranny from going in, it will actually look off center...because it centers once the tranny goes in...

Try this simple thing first...get the tranny as far in as you can. Hold the tranny up by yourself, or with a floorjack ( don't let the weight of the tranny rest on the clutch ) make sure the hydraulics are hooked up, then have a buddy push the clutch pedal in while you try to slide the tranny in...


Hope this helps.

 

i think we are forgeting the pilot bearing all togeather would that be the problem? good thing i ask or there wouldent be any pilot bearing in hehe thanks!

 

Yikes, man--you need a pilot bushng. I did this swap in August--used the little needle bearing pilot, works great.
I bet if you do what cgb told you about someone holding the clutch pedal down it'll go ahead on in there with a little wiggling. Make sure you have the clutch fork in the groove on the throwout bearing right. Somebody recently had this problem and they mentioned after about five days that they had painted the transmission--did you do this? The paint was keeping it from slipping in.

 

the reason the tranny is not going all the way in and hangs out an inch is because it's hanging up when it goes into the pilot bearing, when you use a clutch alignment tool it can still be off a hair and cause that, when i do my tranny installs i have the slave cylinder on and have someone depress the clutch while i install it, and use a pilot needle bearing not the brass one