"35 Trans installation?

[AnthonyG]

Hi Guys, got my rebuilt tranny and am ready to install. We talked about pulling it with the engine but decided to separate and remove separately. Now that I'm going back in I will be doing the same separate trans and engine install. Looks like getting the universal spine to line up with the drive shaft in the torque tube cover might be tricky? Any good tips?

[Mart]

Unless there is some compelling reason not to, I'd consider bolting the trans to the engine first.

Mart.

[SUHRsc]

I would recommend the assembly with the engine also.
If you have to do it seperately...WATCH YOUR FINGERS!

What I do is to jack up one side of the rearend and have someone slowly rotate the tire so that the driveshaft is turning... then use some long thin tools to get the universal joint in line with the driveshaft. It will eventually just slip on there. Depending on how you have made room for this all to fit, you may have things under pressure. So if your fingers are in there trying to align it... and the engine or rearend lets loose... plan on some colorful language.

Good luck!
Zach

[ford38v8]

I'd go with Mart on that. No fun getting fingers squished while under an engine on a hoist.

[AnthonyG]

Guess I was under the impression it was safer on the fingers dealing with just the tranny weight. With not as much weight (less engine) to contend with while lining up the u-joint spine. If you guys think it easier / better with the tranny bolted to the engine I'll go that way. It does save trying to slide engine / clutch into the output spine.

[Art Maurice]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I would remove the top of the trans , that way with it in neutral you can turn the gears to line up the universal with the drive shaft. CARFULY!

[junk yard kid]

They make a tool for holding the u joint. Its just some pliers made out of some plate with a curve that matches the curved bit on the torque tube. Im glad i bought one, but it could be made

[Mart]

For the love of God please put the gearbox on first. If you had just witnessed the shennanigans in my garage for the last two hours you wouldn't think twice.

I was putting the French motor back into Old Rusty with the gearbox in place. My problem was the sump on the motor fouling the Hudson steering. I did it in the end but not without a lot of heaving with long levers.

Mart.

[JM 35 Sedan]

If you have one of those load levelers to change the angle of the engine & trans bolted together and a helper, I believe it is easier to put the engine and trans in as a unit. However, the last time I tried that working alone, I could not get the U joint to slide onto the splined end of the driveshaft. I tried every little trick I could think of to make it go and nothing worked. I finally pulled the assembly back out, unbolted the trans from the engine and put the trans back in separate. Then I made four guide pins (long hex head bolts with heads cut off) and threaded those into the bell housing. Put a jack under the trans to get it on a slight angle, lowered the engine down and guided those aligning pins into the trans bolt holes. Once the input shaft splines aligned with the clutch splines, everything went right together. I have used those aligning pins several times since then, so it was worth the time spent making them.

[AnthonyG]

junk yard kid, do you remember where you got the tool? Or anyone else who has used or seen one?

[AnthonyG]

Looking for where to get a "universal joint spline holding tool" to assist in tranny to drive shaft spline mating. Junkyard Kid remembers having one but can't find and doesn't remember where he bought it. Has anyone used one and is it worth the buy or will a large channel locks do the same?

[Don]

Remove the plugs,put transmission in gear ,have some one use crank to turn engine a little at a time,can line up the transmission input shaft and also line up splines to transmission, one man job if alone,.EASY!!!!!

[Bassman/NZ]

I use a slim pair of slip-jaw pliers. Works fine.

[AnthonyG]

Just reporting back, bolted tranny to engine and slid the whole package in. Not as bad as I thought. Good tips on keeping fingers out of harms way. Bassman the "slim pair of slip-jaw pliers" worked great. Real close to a spring drive.
Thx all for the great advise.