Engine installation woes, gearbox

[PhysDoc]

Hi all, just a rant really, unless anyone has any tips/suggestions.

My restoration is fighting me all the way. I tried to install my engine today.

T5 box, using a Mcleod clutch and flywheel. My pressure plate has curved fingers, and after many hours of searching the internet and a wait for it to arrive, I managed to source a flat-faced bearing.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the engine to mate with the gearbox. Couldn't get it the last half an inch. Pulled it again to realign the clutch plate, but still unable to get it the last half inch. F-ed my back up doing it.

Inspecting the spigot bush, there are marks in it that look like the input shaft is trying to go in. I can feel the marks with my fingers, and debating whether I now need a new bush. I measured the plate fingers to the bellhousing joint, and the joint to the clutch bearing face with the carrier push back fulley. I am confident I will have a good 2mm clearance, so I don't think it is my bearing holding it off.

I can't remember checking the bush on the input shaft to check I hadn't been sent an lt77 one, but I am sure I must have. Also checked the clutch plate on the splines, so that definitely fits.

My alignment tool didn't fit inbetween the fingers of my clutch plate, so I did have to hack that with masking tape to align it. I have a new alignment tool coming tomorrow, hopefully. Back and weather permitting I shall try again. I might try a trial fit without the clutch plate in to make sure if will actually go in.

Has anyone experienced needing to ream a spigot bush after fitting it due to compression? I got it in to with a rubber mallet, but needed a drift and a hammer to get it in the last 1/16inch. Perhaps compressed the ID sufficiently to prevent it going in?

[Loubaruch]

it may not help but having changed several Triumph TR gearboxs and found difficulty in lining them up I tried a differnt tack, Using a spirit level I found the angle that the engine was in with respect to the horozontal then aligned the gearbox so that the input shaft was at the same angle or nearly so this meant you were sliding it on the same plane it worked every time.

[Belle427]

I would want to check spigot bush engagement to shaft but pretty tricky to do if its already in and the engine is in the car.
May be worth getting another and checking it before installing.

[PhysDoc]

Well, I got it in. Just dropped in this time.

I reckon it needs to come out again though. There is no clearance between the release bearing and clutch fingers. I can spin the bearing with my fingers, so it isn't under load and not holding the the plate off, but there's no room for the fingers to move out as it wears

[Belle427]

I fitted a McLeod clutch years ago to a Cobra replica, that was a Ford 302 but the install instructions were pretty good on giving you the required measurements for checking that.