Is there a trick to getting the gearbox back on?
Discussion
Firstly I tried to fit it with the bellhousing attached to the gearbox, it would slide on and then stop with about 2cm gap. Took the bellhousing off and bolted that to the engine, now the gearbox stops with about a 2cm gap. Have taken the gearbox out the way a number of times to check that everything is straight and lined up, can't see anything that would be stopping this?!
I would think if you're getting that close you're not really doing much wrong. Have you tried turning the input shaft ever so slightly? It is perhaps in the same plane as the clutch plate.
Only other time i've had this was with my Rover Turbo when i'd fitted a non standard lightweight flywheel - it was such a snug fit for the input shaft it ended up being pulled on with the bellhousing bolts.
Only other time i've had this was with my Rover Turbo when i'd fitted a non standard lightweight flywheel - it was such a snug fit for the input shaft it ended up being pulled on with the bellhousing bolts.
Haha, I had exactly the same two thoughts as you! The input shaft is definitely lined up, otherwise it wouldn't get as far as it would because the splines on the shaft wouldn't go through the clutch, which they are.
It's also tantalisingly close, but not close enough to get the bolts to pull it together!
It's also tantalisingly close, but not close enough to get the bolts to pull it together!
Dunno, just guessing! Sure the release bearing etc.. are all situated properly? The input shaft isn't hitting the flywheel is it? I'm sorry, but don't know how much clearance / intereference there is if any - you sure you lined the clutch up correctly? 
One way you could maybe figure something out is test aligning the gearbox with no bellhousing, see if it moves further on. See whether it's the input shaft doing something silly, or some gearbox/bellhousing interface you aren't seeing?
Stu
One way you could maybe figure something out is test aligning the gearbox with no bellhousing, see if it moves further on. See whether it's the input shaft doing something silly, or some gearbox/bellhousing interface you aren't seeing?
Stu
Cheers Stu, good idea on trying it with the bellhousing out the way. From what I can gather, it is engaging the two sets of splines in the clutch, but then getting stuck where the nose of the input shaft goes into the flywheel/crank (not sure which it goes into).
EDIT: What I do find odd is that I haven't removed the clutch, just the gearbox, so the clutch and flywheel should still be aligned.
EDIT: What I do find odd is that I haven't removed the clutch, just the gearbox, so the clutch and flywheel should still be aligned.
Edited by jammy_basturd on Sunday 5th September 20:58
Gave up last night in the end. Couldn't quite work out whether it was getting stuck going through the second set of splines, or whether it was the nose of the input spline that wouldn't go through the flywheel. I think it was the former.
Anyway, going to get a clutch alignment tool on the way home.
Anyway, going to get a clutch alignment tool on the way home.
Take off the bellhousing and loosen all the clutch bolts until the plates can move. Take the gearbox minus bell housing and shove the input shaft through the plates an into the spigot bearing, being careful not to let the gearbox hang on the spigot bearing. Then tighten up the clutch bolts and pull out the input shaft. You will find it is all perfectly aligned when you try to fit the box with the bellhousing already on the engine. Easier still if you have an old T5 input shaft around but I don't.
Hi J_B,
I had exactly the same prob after I had replaced my Slave seals but using luck more than judgement I thought that the 1-2cm gap was created by the new position of the Slave piston so I used some longer bolts to draw the G/B onto the Bellhousing then replaced, in diagonal fashion, with the originals. Worked (and still works) a treat.
Good Luck !
I had exactly the same prob after I had replaced my Slave seals but using luck more than judgement I thought that the 1-2cm gap was created by the new position of the Slave piston so I used some longer bolts to draw the G/B onto the Bellhousing then replaced, in diagonal fashion, with the originals. Worked (and still works) a treat.
Good Luck !
Its easier if you get someone to sit in the car and push the clutch pedal down to operate the clutch before pushing the gearbox on,Fit the bellhousing,bleed the clutch,check slave cylinder is working OK with no leaks,then fit the gearbox.
As a matter of interest,a 2.8 Capri input shaft is the same size as the Cerbs if you want something to line everything up with.
As a matter of interest,a 2.8 Capri input shaft is the same size as the Cerbs if you want something to line everything up with.
Just in case anyone comes across this topic in the future with a similar problem. I didn't need longer bolts in the end, though the general principle worked. With the gearbox only just bolted on the bellhousing (talking only the first couple of threads on the bolts), the two longer bellhousing to engine bolts were just about long enough to start pulling the whole bellhousing and gearbox unit on. After a few turns of both the gearbox bolts and the bellhousing bolts I was able to swap the bellhousing-engine bolts round the right way (so the two longer bolts were in their correct positions), and tighten everything up as normal.
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