Need mechanical help in Sanford, NC

[sam.1956]

Hope you get that trans back in the car. Would love to see you driving it some time soon!

Sam
Raleigh, NC

[Britstiva]

Begging doesn't even work... Still waiting for help on getting my car fixed!!!!! No one has came by to assist me at all from the festiva groups.

[sam.1956]

Flying all over the country for extended periods of time now makes it difficult to even get my own stuff done any more! LOL!

[Festy46]

When you replaced the clutch, did you use an alignment tool to align the clutch disc with the pilot bearing? Most clutch kits come with a plastic tool that looks like the end of the shaft on your transmission. If you have this tool put it in the center of the clutch and push it in as far as it will go. Now take your little finger and stick it in along side the clutch tool until you are touching the clutch disc. Hold your finger against the tool at this point and pull the tool out. Measure from the point where your finger is to the end of the tool. It should be about 2". If it is only about 1-1/2", you don't have the clutch disc aligned correctly.

If it does measure about 2", get one of the big bolts that hold the transmission to the engine at the top and take it to a hardware store that sells metric bolts. Buy 2 bolts about 1/2" longer than the one you have. Cut the heads off the 2 new bolts you bought and cut a slot crosswise in the top of the bolt so you can use a flat bladed screwdriver to turn them. If you have a grinder, you could also taper the square cut you made with the hacksaw so the end is a little bit rounded. Screw the 2 cut bolts into the top bolt holes on the engine. Lower the transmission into the car body and slide it on the 2 cut bolts. Don't let the back of the transmission hang on the 2 bolts. Watch the space between the engine block and the transmission to keep the space even as you push the transmission toward the engine. When you get the transmission up to the engine, put the 2 large bolts in that go on either side of the engine block. Then take a screwdriver and remove the 2 bolts you made and install the regular ones. Once you have the transmission bolted up tight, it's just a matter of re-installing all the other parts you took off.

[SnotRocket]

If you're stuck on getting it in... Did you possible check the clutch disc on the transmission input shaft to be sure it's the right one? I normally use a 3/8" extension and a socket that will fit into the pinion bearing in the flywheel to position the clutch disc in the correct place. If you leave the pressure plate bolts loose you should be able to move the clutch disc into dead center. Did you eyeballed it before you tried to put the transmission in? The transmission bolt trick that Festy46 suggest is good we used to do 13 speed truck transmissions this way.

Working in a gravel drive is noooooo goood but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Yes, I remember Cardboard Creepers very well! Checking the map, you're a little to far from me to help. (About 5 hours.)

Keep us posted.

[jglutz]

The Haynes manual is cook book.

The No.1 philosiphy to succes is not to rush your self....don't try to get it done in one day.

Read the book....read it again...and then read it again. Understand every part of it.

Then just do a little at a time and never work to the point of fustration.

This really does not require alot of special skills or tools.

GO FOR IT!

[milehighbear]

with my mind, id have to use a video camera showing my every move and part i take out. Its not that i dont remember, i just forget

[Britstiva]

UPDATE:

Today, we finally got the transmission back into the car! We removed the passenger side drive axle so that we could then align the transmission into the clutch more easy.

It's almost completely reassembled. All that's left is to fill the transmission with fluid, put the wheels back on, install the battery and get the car off the jack stands.

QUESTION: From what the manual says, you have to fill the tranny back up with fluid through the speedo hole on the bell. Once we tried to do this, it kept overflowing, like it wasn't going in. (we emptied it entirely, so I know it needs fluid)

Is there a tip to accomplish this task? Why wasn't the fluid going in?

[FB71]

did you take the speedo drive gear housing out of the trans case, or did you just unscrew the cable? If you just removed the cable, that's your problem. No fluid will flow thru the drive gear housing. In fact, it's sealed to prevent that.

Find the 10mm bolt next to the drive gear housing and remove it. DO NOT pry on the tab on the side of the housing, IT WILL SNAP OFF. You'll need to spend some time twisting and wiggling the housing to pull it from the case.

[Britstiva]

That's the problem then! We only unscrewed the cable! Thanks FB!!! I'll try to get this done today, otherwise it will be next weekend before I can get to it again.

[lanemeyer14]

Jermnc77, love the color on your festy....dark grey?

[Britstiva]

Sure is lanemeyer14!

[lanemeyer14]

Man, I love that color! I hope to find one to replace my current festy

[MONSOON]

Jermnc77, love the color on your festy....dark grey?

B1 Graphite Metalic BC/CC

Same color as Crusher

[drof 89]

And i hope you have more than just scissor jacks under this beast! I see you have ramps under it. But they look like they might be a little rearward of the balance point if a jack would kick.