Can the tube housing the input shaft (or gear) be simply unbolted and replaced? Is the front oil seal a part of it and easily replaced at the same time? Mine has wear from the throw out bearing and I want to replace it with this clutch change..

 

Yes you can change that out.

Its official name is "clutch gear bearing retainer". It's about $20-30.

Yes it usually comes with the seal already in it.

Be aware that it retains the clutch gear bearing (duh), and that there is a selective-fit shim behind the outer race, where it fits into the retainer. You MUST remove the race and shim from your existing retainer, and put them in your new one. You should be able to re-use the bearing race. Check the trans for bearing preload as you re-assemble it: you should have around .005" - .008" of preload. I.e., if you just set the bearing retainer on with the trans in the vertical position but NOT sitting on the end of the mainshaft (supported by the case, shaft free to hang), the retainer should lack about that distance of being able to touch the front of the case. With used bearings, it may be a little less than that; if there's none, however, the trans needs new bearings, which means, rebuild time.

When you change it out, be careful not to let the clutch gear come out of the trans; various parts will fall out and create a PITA for you.

Use regular silicone sealer on the surfaces where they mate, AND the bolt threads. Torque on the bolts should be around 15 ft-lbs: DO NOT overtorque them, or you will find yourself dealing with stripped threads. That being the strongest weakness of the T-5: the weenie-ness of the front surface of the case.

Make sure you get the retainer oriented as shown in these pics. It is necessary for the bearing to receive lube. If you get it turned wrong, it will run dry, and will self-destruct within a couple hundred miles.

 

I am not planning to open the case or do anything else to the trans except replace the tube and seal. In that case, is just moving the shim and race over to the new tube going to work? I assume you can't check the preload without at least pulling the top cover..

 

No you don't have to remove the cover (which would also require removing the extension housing) to check the preload.

Do what I said. That's how it's done.

 

The preload measurement process will probably become a little more obvious once I pull it apart and can actually see how it goes together at the retainer. I have had two low mileage clutch disk failures for springs popping out and I theorize that its from a small oil leak causing chatter hence the desire to replace all the seals in the area of the clutch disk... The trans seemed to be running just fine when the clutch went.. Its a 92 V6 with 205K but don't have the money or time right now to do a trans rebuild..

Thanks for the help....

 

Preload is easy.

The mainshaft and clutch gear together, are slightly longer than the space in the case.

You support the case vertically, front end (clutch gear) up, letting the mainshaft hang; and set the clutch gear bearing retainer onto the clutch gear. It won't go down all the way. However far it doesn't go down, that's how much preload it has.

Not complicated at all... it's just a car, after all. Millions of people - even ME, to some limited extent - are smart enough to work on them. If I'm smart enough, then it can't possibly be very tough.

 

Great, will give it a shot... Thanks again...