help with 5 speed tranny!

I'm using a T5 behind a 153 cu. 4 banger in a 26 modified. Engine and tranny are assembled on the shop floor. When in neutral tranny shaft turns, when I put in gear and pull back on shift arm, the shaft doesn't turn. Which in my red neck mind means the clutch is not releasing. Am I thinking correctly? Initially when engine and tranny were first installed I had assembled throw out bearing wrong. So I pulled engine back out unbolted every thing. That's when I discovered the throw out bearing issue. Put everything back together, got a piece of pipe to have enuff leverage to release clutch. I can feel the fingers depressing. This trans deal has really got me going. What do you think? What do I need to do?

 

Is the clutch disc in backwards? Even when the clutch is released, there is still alot of friction in there, pilot bushing, etc. When you put it 1st, you have to turn the tailshaft with alot of force to overcome the gear.

 

I was very careful to put clutch in with the flywheel side facing in. I installed a new pilot bearing, everything is new.

 

Try it in 4th gear. DD

 

Did you shorten the imput shaft? plus the collar the throw out bearing rides on?

 

Take a look at this to make sure you got it right

 

I know that I shorten the collar but I can't remember if I took any off of input shaft. Does anyone know length of input shaft should be? DD I will try it in 4th.

 

tjet that's what I did wrong first time I had everything assembled, had spring over release bearing collar.

 

If you adjusted the linkage while it was wrong, you will need to readjust.

 

DD just went out to shop, put trans in 4th, shaft still won't turn! Crap!

 

Would it turn in gear before you bolted it all together?

 

31 Hudson, yes it would.

 

take it back apart & start over.

 

I keep coming back to the input shaft, if it is too long, what would this do? Pilot bearing is tight on the input shaft, this would be a factor. I've got to get this resolved before I put engine & trans back in car.

 

I don't know T5's but is it possible that it is two gears at once? Like the older side shift gear boxes in reverse and a forword gear at the same time? I bought a cast iron case A833 OD off of ebay for CHEAP because it was locked up that way.

 

tjet do you think I need to whittle some off the input shaft? can I measure from the inner side of pilot bearing to the outer edge of disc splines? would this be a meaningful number?

 

I agree with Kerry.

Did you see if the pilot bushing or bearing slips onto the input shaft before you installed it into the block? Mess with your input shaft would be a last resort.

 

What kind of bellhousing is on it?

 

chevy alum. from the late 60's, bolts up to engine and tranny bolted right up. Maybe was used on chevelle, not sure though. Given to me by a co-worker.

 

Did the trans slide in easily, or did you need to draw it in with the bolts?

 

had to draw in with bolts.

 

Not good. You have it loaded on the shaft or something. BTW, some of the pilot bushing at Napa are too small.

 

will take your advice and start over tomorrow nite. What do you mean by "loaded"?

 

The trans should slide right in. If the bellhousing alingment is off, you can bend the input shaft (loaded) buy pulling it in with the bolts, or it's stuck in the pilot bearing becuase the ID is too small.

If it's stuck, you will have a hell of a time getting it apart.

 

it wasn't hard tighten bolts as it was going in. I tighten up the bolts a little at a time. I hope I didn't screw something up. Well it's back to the drawing board! Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas. I will report back.

 

Good luck man. At least it's not installed in the car

 

I was able to remove tranny, didn't come right out, I had to pry some. But I was pleased. Now I've got to figure out what is going on.

 

Have you recalled if you shortened the input shaft?

 

Hi there, I put a t-5 in my 57 chevy 1/2 ton truck, replacing my 3 on the tree. Used an alumiumn bellhousing and had the same issue. Had to shorten the input shaft that went into the pilot bearing. I thought I followed the instructions on the Old stovebolt.com website which goes into great detail on this conversion. I just missed the cut bye a couple of eigthes of an inch. I think it chevy stovebolt.com or old stovebolt . com, something like that. Works great. I wouldn't drop the clutch at 6 grand or try power shifting it or anything like that but I love the thing and the overdrive is great. Hopr this helps.yruhot

 

How was the pilot bushing? I ended up using a GM roller brg in mine after I found that the bushing inner dia was too small (napa part).