Engine Fitting woes

hi folks, some of you will know im doing a like for like engine swap (2.5 dse) in my range. Now ive got the new engine in the bay with the bellhousing a clutch attached but im having a nightmare connecting the engine and bellhousing unit to the clutch, I think the centre shaft isn't going into the spiggot bearing ive been rocking it for ages as no luck any tips on aligning it? the smallest ive got the gap between the bellhousing and gearbox is about an 1.5 inches.
Thanks for any replies
josh

Have you aligned the clutch plate centrally between the pressure plate and flywheel? Also can you get someone to rotate the gearbox whilst you try to mate the engine to gearbox to align the input shaft splines to the clutch plate spline?

Did you strip the clutch down at all on the engine you're trying to fit? Is the release bearing/arm in position.
Methinks that the clutch plate may be either different, spline wise, or out of position. Is there a LIGHT smear of Copper Grease on the Input shaft?

Yes i used a clutch tool to centralise the clutch so thats all aligned. its all the stuff off the old engine so should be ok. Ive not got anyone to help right now but i keep rotating the shaft a bit then trying again. Clutch fork etc is all in place, i don't need to press the clutch pedal or disengage the clutch to fit it do i? ill try a bit of grease on the shaft see it if helps, im currently just trying to ram it on though and i don't seem to be getting anywhere, im having trouble getting the engine totally square in relation to the box.
Thanks
josh

Don't use ordinary grease on the shaft, it will melt with the heat and could contaminate the clutch plate. Either use white high temp. brake grease or better still Copper grease-only needs a smear. I am not sure if there were different types of clutch plate but it's worth double checking if the splines are the same, even if it entails stripping the plate out and trying it on the shaft to confirm. Bumping the engine in will only make matters worse as the Clutch plate could be forced out of alignment and the splines on the plate/or shaft could get bruised and make matters worse. If you have the alignment tool, it's not going to take long to strip the clutch and try the plate on it's own for fit. The engine needs to be as level as possible when it's close to the point of entering the bell housing otherwise you are only fighting a dead weight. Try a trolley jack underneath to assist with levelling if you dont have one of those levellers which fit on the engine hoist and are operated by winding a screw to offset the lift.

and get yoself a clutch alignment tool.

Josh tells us he has a tool Mad Hat!!!!
Forgot to add in the last post that the release bearing/fork has to be in the "Rest" position-back towards the gearbox-you don't touch or depress the pedal, it will only make matters worse.

oops

Missed a point in your previous post regarding you using your original plate so obviously the splines are the same. Could be however that you may have bruised them trying to force the engine in. Only way to be sure is to remove it as I said and try it on the shaft. If it is bruised and you managed to get the engine in, you could have trouble with the plate not sliding freely to disengage and this would wear the clutch excessively. Surely worth an extra half hours work now than a load of cussin later.

Frist thing I was told at collage was try thr clutch plate on the shaft before fitting it to the engine. I forgot once and spent half a day trying to push a tractor back togeather with the wrong plate in it.
I only put a very small amount of copper grease on the shaft, I have seen clutchs come back in after a few hours, slipping. Then find out the old bot has put to much grease on the shaft and it spread on to the clutch.

one thing i dont think anyone has suggested is stick the transmission in 1st or reverse then put a socket one the crank pully to turn the motor as you try to line it all up .
rick,

thanks for the advice folks. i was using the original clutch etc, but after a lot of bashing i thought i might have damaged something so dismantled and rebuilt the clutch/bellhousing setup and with a bit of careful persuasion this time its all in just the ancillaries to fit now and see if she fires

Good for you. Just shows- a bit of patience & double checking may take slightly longer, but sure saves a lot of cussin & grief later!!!!

Irishrover said:

Good for you. Just shows- a bit of patience & double checking may take slightly longer, but sure saves a lot of cussin & grief later!!!!

Click to expand...

yeh im starting to learn my lesson more recently. a bit of patience can save you a great deal of grief down the line.

Glad you got sorted!