[swifty_ano]

Hey all.

Changed the clutch on my h25a GV. This thing is doing my head in.
I cannot for the life of my get my gearbox to slide in place.
We had 3 of us trying yesterday and still can't get it in.
The two studs are flush with the gearbox so can't even use bolts to force it in.

The clutch aligning tool slid in and out without any trouble.
We tried turning the crank and also the tailshaft.

Any tips?

[Scrawny]

Are you sure the clutch aligning tool is engaging right into the spigot bearing?

[swifty_ano]

Yep. The tool couldn't go in any further.

[Scrawny]

It should just wriggle in. Can you have a look down the hole and see if the clutch plate is central? Might pay to release the pressure plate and double check the clutch plate is sitting right and the clutch fork/throw out bearing is right

[swifty_ano]

Think I might have too pull it back out.
Just can't get it in by myself. This is by far the worst clutch I've ever changed.

[bumstein]

Don't know the GV setup myself but recently refitting a gearbox onto a motor out of a '61 FJ40.

We'd replaced the spigot bearing and to our sheer frustration the new bearing wasn't allowing the end of the GB input shaft to slide into place.

Took us ages to work out what was causing the problem. Just food for thought.

[swifty_ano]

Was it the wrong spigot or was it crooked?

[bumstein]

Neither..

It was just a Nat's too tight to fit over the end of the shaft for reasons I can't figure out. The end of the shaft was a poofteenth larger, a small calibrated tap with the knockometer and it went on but there was just enough resistance that we couldn't push it on by hand.

We took to the end of the input shaft gingerly with some very fine emery. After a while the fit was still snug, but allowed us to get the bearing on by hand. Still a bit of an arse to get the GB on then, but it worked

[swifty_ano]

Looks like I'll have to find some mates to come around again and lift the gearbox out again.
Doing my head in!

[bumstein]

How far is it from seating properly?

[swifty_ano]

50mm. I think its just getting caught on the 2 studs at the bottom. Not even going into clutch plate yet

[just_cruizin]

Check the plate spline on the input shaft, if's it getting caught that far out can only be the spline

[bumstein]

Yeah it does sound like clutch spline.. The spigot bearing was only stopping ours from the last 10mm

[atari4x4]

jack the motor gently from the crankshaft pulley to get some angle on the dangle, should help you find the hole.

[swifty_ano]

Fark! I feel like a dick!
You know how clutch replacement 101 is check the new plate on the spline before install?
Well i didn't. The wrong clutch plate was installed in the right box!
That'll teach me haha

[HarryHoudini]

....been there,always check the plate on the G/box before doing anything,likewise the spigot bush/bearing.
Helping a friend with an Escort a few years back,got the correct Repco part number etc,it turns out someone had swapped plates and did a return,wrong plate in the box. .

[bumstein]

Haha!! It could happen to anyone glad you've got the problem sorted