JMcFly’s XLT Simple Restoration and Mods

[franklin2]

That’s sort of my plan. I was going to cut above the door section on each side and get a good chunk of metal. I don’t think I need to do the entire roof.

I see spot welds on the metal that remains. I’d just have to fab up the missing part with donor metal.

Just be warned, if you weld on that large expanse of metal near the flat part of the roof, it's going to warp and require some body filler.

 

[JMcFly]

I’m stuck on getting the transmission back in.

The clutch kit came with an adjustable clutch so I set it and put it in. What I removed was a non adjustable.

Am I doomed for failure to get the transmission in? I can see the trans input shaft is right in between the pressure plate fingers but I can’t get it to slide home. I’ve got a clear shot I think. No hang ups on the body.


I tapped the new pilot bearing in but I’m not sure how deep it is supposed to go. I tapped it in until it was below the hole it goes in on the crank

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've never had a trans just slide into place. Always a struggle. Shift it side to side, up and down. Give yourself a full body workout.
Also hope you got the clutch centered...

 

[JMcFly]

I used the alignment tool and jut redid it and the clutch disc looks pretty good. Looks pretty centered

I feel like I’m fighting the space cylinder. I cracked the bleeder to see if that will help let it compress


I’m also a string bean build so I don’t have a lot of mass to fight this thing.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

You don't need to compress anything to seat the trans. Keep wiggling it around. Put it in gear and spin the output shaft.

Once the input shaft is in the clutch disc, don't let the trans slide backwards until you have a few bolts in.

 

[JMcFly]

Is the adjustable pressure plate possibly too tall?

4th time redid the alignment tool and made sure it was very centered in the pressure plate.

The pilot bearing is bottomed out so that’s not causing an issue.

Nothing is blocking the trans. I keep spinning the tail shaft to move splines and nothing.

I can look up and see the input shaft is pretty darn lined up with the splines

I’m about to throw in the towel and call a mobile mechanic to finish this crap.

 

[RobbieD]

Put it in gear and spin the output shaft.

That has worked for me before.

I also use two 6" long bolts, that I thread into the block with the tranny close. They support the trans in a good alignment while I do the wiggle thing, and then they get pulled and replaced with the right bolts after the trans slides home.