MTFCA Forum

Well my gaskets came this afternoon from Langs. I installed all the normal things,starter,water in and out and manifolds. Took about an hour and it was ready to drop in the TT. WRONG! Everything went well until the Chicago 3 speed and the motor would not slide together. It lacks 1 inch from mating up. I fought it quit some time checking that nothing was in the way. I raised the tranny, lowered the tranny twisted, pushed, kicked, pried to no avail. I pulled the engine forward and used telescopic mic to measure inside diameter od the square hole for tranny shaft and have pleanty of room for tranny shaft. I measured the depth and all seems good. I greased the tranny shaft and tried again. Nope! Pulled it again and tried two u-joints and they slide right in. The tranny shaft measures the same as u-joints. Tried again, this time I put a strap on rear axle and a come along and put some force om it. Nope! After about 4 hours I came in the house because my head hurt from beating it against the wall. My cousin is coming over in the morning to have a look as two heads are better than one.
Any thoughts on what my be the problem?
Thanks Dallas

One thing I thought about is that with no u joint between transmissions they must be exactly square with each other .

That was my thought also Jim. I took the tranny suppirt off so it was resting on my floor jack. I tried every angle and even measured top bottom and side to side and had it square. Then I tried the strap. No Dice.

Dallas, did you check measurements diagonally across squares? If I remember right, I built up the male portion a bit when I put that in. It might need to be kissed with a flap wheel a bit. Dave

Also, you might use some bluing or a very light coat of paint to tell where it's hanging up. Dave

Could you try turning the shaft 90 degrees ?

I have faith in you !!

Dave S. I almost called you today. It seams like pleants of room as I measured it and I did touch it with a file.
Dave H. I will try turning it 90.

Are you catching on the cam on the brake cross shaft. It’s easy to miss.....

Thanks Tony but I found that early on.

A couple thoughts. Sometimes the chamfer on after-market items (like the auxiliary transmission) are just a bit too small, and they can hang up in ways not so easy to notice. (Been there, seen that.)
Another thing you probably already checked, but I will mention so others can put it into their "consider this" memory. Just a bit too much grease inside the T's output shaft can "hydraulic" lock the connecting shaft back and not allow it to make up. The surprising thing, Is that sometimes even a small amount too much grease can air lock inside so that assembly becomes basically impossible. You wind up trying to press one cubic inch of air into a very small less than one tenth of a cubic inch space. A pair of tight fitting coupling ends with a small amount of grease can seal up so tight a two-ton come-along cannot pull it that last quarter inch. One clue to this if you watch closely. A purely mechanical fit problem will usually reach its blockage (could just be a burr on the chamfer?), and stop there, and stay stopped. If you release the pulling force, the connection will stay where it stopped. A hydraulic blockage, if you release the pulling pressure? Will usually bounce back just a bit. How much it bounces back depends upon how much air is trapped in with the grease. All grease, with no trapped air, may not bounce back at all because the grease does not actually compress the way air does.
Good luck! You can do this.

Is there a chance that the ball on the radius rods is catching on the pan and not allowing the engine to move back any further?

Dallas, I'm leaning toward a problem with the chamfers, as Wayne suggested, that's what I was trying to think of when I suggested measuring diagonally. Does the transmission pull out hard after it stops going in? If so, something is tapered a bit where it shouldn't be. Keep us posted. Dave

Im thinking its the output shaft problem also. Out of square a bit? It was tuff to seperate the old motor and tranny. Going to the shop now and I will post my solution. Its going in today!
Thanks guys for all the input, thats what makes this forum great!

Dallas, the Chicago transmission did take a bit of persuasion to get it to fit into the output shaft, but not very much as I recall. Probably just a bit too much buildup on my part. It did fit though. Keep us posted. Dave

Just had a thought, most likely the output shaft on the tired transmission on my old engine was probably worn a bit. That would make a difference for sure. Dave

Ok, update. The engine is mated to tranny. I pulled it apart and found a couple very slight high spots on shaft of tranny. A machined edge from an adjustable square about 1/2 wide and a light showed the spots that were high. A right angle die grinder with a flat disk was tha answer. Two oppisite sides of the shaft had the same issue. After light touch with grinder it was time for a test fit. Bingo, with a little effort it slid withing 1/4 inch of home. We pulled it apart and installed the gasket and thin coat of greese. The final try was good except one thing, as I leened into the front of the engine for the final push my foot slipped and put the water outlet into my left upper chest and "pop". Pretty sure I cracked a rib. The engine is in place and all bolts installed and tight. The steering colum is bolted in. Tranny mount bolted in place. Will go over everything and install cotter pins and saftey wire as needed. I came in the house to lick my wounds and update you fellas on the end result. A couple hours work another day and its done.
I think Im done today and may try to watch the race later. Thanks again for all the input.

Good news on the engine Dallas !!

Not so good on the injury...maybe you know an EMT ??
Yeah, sit back and let the NASCAR boys do the work today.

Sounds like u joint shaft is not going in
When you get it started rock the truck back and forth ut go

Yep, that's what I thought the problem might be. Hope the rib doesn't cause too much trouble, been there twice the last couple of years. Just don't sneeze!!! Dave

So much for kicking back. Big fire in the county and I have crew on standby in the center of the county. No worries, Im driving the big red truck today.

The big red truck!

Dallas, there must be a "Thing" about T's and Firemen. Dad was a founding member of our township volunteer department, and a lifelong T guy I have cracked ribs working on things too. Don't eat any tortilla chips. Coughing one up after it goes down the wrong pipe is not good. -Ed

Thanks Ed for the warning. Stay away from pepper also! This is my 34th year on the FD. Started at 16yrs old. I dont know any other way. Volunteer FD is a way of life most dont think about. Shoes and socks in order beside the bed, pants with belt and everything in your pocket you carry, shirt ,hat pager,cell phone and handheld radio. Go from sound sleep to high stress in second and when finished crawl back into bed and get sleep for next days work. Missing family dinners, b-day parties,ect... 24-7 is the job we sign up for and love every minute of it.