trying to finish up a T-56 swap, but I keep having problems with the throwout yoke (clutch fork, whatever you want to call it). Transmission and flywheel are used, brand new Spec Stage 3 and hydraulics that I picked up from GM this morning.

The first time I mated the trans to the bellhousing I had the spring clip on the yoke on the wrong side of the pivot bar so it would slip off with the slightest pressure on it. I slid the trans back a few inches and figured out the clip goes under the pivot bar. Bolted everything back up and the pedal had a considerable amount of slack in it, so I released it and pressed it again only to hear the yoke slip off the pivot bar again.

Is there some way to get the yoke back in place without unbolting everything and sliding the trans back? It took me about 2 hours to do it last time, I don't want to have to do it again. I just need something to press the fingers of the clip down while I push the yoke back in. Ideas?

 

Yup. It's a whole lot of fun too. Basically use a really long flat blade screwdrive and go through the fork hole in the bellhousing and try to rotate the TO bearing to get two of the flats to line up with the ears on the fork. This is a trial and error process that you do semi-blind. Use a trouble light or flashlight and look up through the hole, and try to guestimate where to position the flats and then try to slide the fork in. When the fork is lined up it will slide up and in. The only thing that keeps it from dropping back down is the pressure from the slave cylinder, so you need to get the fork in, and then bolt up the slave.

Truthfully this is the only part of the swap that really sucks.

 

yeah, about 2 hours after I posted that, I figured it all out. turns out the second time I tried it, I didn't pay attention to how the yoke stays on the pivot bar, and put the spring clip *under* the pivot bar. needless to say as soon as I pressed the clutch pedal it snapped the clips clean off. I ordered a new yoke, only to find out after I had put it in that I really didn't need to because of the way its made. the very ends of the spring clip were broken off, but there was enough left on it to keep it in place. oh well, life's wonderful and expensive little lessons.

 

I did the same thing, but figured it out before I damaged anything. I had to pull the trans back out to correct the fork, which was not fun. They are kind of portly for a manual trans. Not fun teeter tottering on a floor jack either (before I actually had a real trans jack). The last time I just benched it into place. I got lucky and everything lined up the first time. That'll probably never happen again...

 

the joys of having the car in my dads industrial shop and having access to a forklift

I just took out 4 of the bolts and put in 6" long ones, brought the forklift under the tailhousing joint, lifted up enough to take off the weight, slid underneath and pulled the trans right back. works beautifully. it defintiely isn't fun trying to wrestle with it, that thing weighs considerably more than a T-5, which I would bench into place no problem. I didn't want to do it with this one as I knew, without a doubt, I'd get it up there, wrestle around with it for a few seconds, something wouldn't line up, and I'd have to let it back down.

 

The long bolts are a good idea. I've made a bunch of sets of alignment dowels over the years for this. I take a 3 or 3.5" bolt and cut the head off, and then cut a slot into it. I insall two of these and use them to take the weight off my arms while lining it up. Once the trans is up tight on the factory dowel pins I install two bolts and pull the alignment dowles. If the alignment dowles are tight I cna use a flat blade scredriver to reomve them.

It would be sweet to have a forklift...

Actually my neighbor has a set of forks for his skid steer, which work great for moving a truck with a blow rear around. He picked it up by the trailer hitch and I steered until we got it into the shop. A little hairy, but it worked.