Cant get the transmission mounted to the engine!
 

I have a 1997 civic ex manual and I just replaced the input shaft bearing inside the transmission. I also put in a new exedy clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing, and pilot bearing. I have all of the bellhousing bolts in and the gap between the engine and tranny is about half an inch everywhere on the bellhousing. The input shaft is in the splines of the clutch but it seems like it gets stuck at about the pilot bearing. I used a clutch alignment tool but im wondering if I need to redo it. I can tighten the bellhousing bolts if I put force into it but I dont want to damage whatever is keeping it from going on.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: Cant get the transmission mounted to the engine!
 

DO NOT FORCE IT

if you have to take it apart again to see what is going on, do.

test fit the disc and pilot bearing on the input shaft just to make sure they are correct?
realign disc splines...sometimes those plastic alignment tools aren't perfect, you have to eyeball it a few times and bump the disc around to get it absolutely perfectly centered.

Re: Cant get the transmission mounted to the engine!
 

Well this is the second time I have put the transmission in within the last month. I got it completely on the first time but I had to remove it again because of an unrelated issue. So I know it fits in the disc and pilot bearing. I havnt touched the clutch since I took off the transmission a few weeks ago. Is it possible that I might have bumped the clutch out of alignment at some point?

Re: Cant get the transmission mounted to the engine!
 

Hmmm....Rust buildup causing issues?

Some of the parts can be a pretty tight fit even when perfectly clean and fresh. A fine film of surface rust might cause problems, sitting open and exposed like that.

Otherwise, maybe the input shaft and disc splines are butting teeth instead of sliding together. Might just need to be rotated a little bit...have someone put a socket on the crank pulley bolt and spin the crank while you try to push the trans on by hand.

It should fall into place without much effort when all is lined up just right and all is right in the world LOL

Re: Cant get the transmission mounted to the engine!
 

Yeah the rust is possible. I think im just going to take the tranny back out and look at everything. I already tried turning the crankshaft but I think the problem is in the pilot bearing. It seems like it goes into the groves in the clutch but then gets jammed on something.