[Tom Endy]

I don't know if this pertains to a Mitchell, but on a stock transmission I have encountered a situation where the length of the bearing surface on the main shaft exceeded the length of the free play inside the input shaft where the roller bearing resides. This would jam up the transmission then the front and rear were bolted up. I attributed this to the input shaft and the main shaft being made by different manufacturers. There may not be a specific specification for the depth of the free play inside the input shaft and it may vary. The resolve is to grind some material off the end of the main shaft, or find another that was shorter.


This is one of the things I check when rebuilding a transmission. I slip a roller bearing into the input shaft and insert the main shaft and rotate them in the opposite direction while pushing them together to feel for any binding.


I have also found transmissions jammed because someone installed a later bearing spacer on an early main shaft that already has a fixed spacer installed.


Another cause is when someone installs the long roller bearing in the input shaft instead of the short one. I have seen that also.


Tom Endy