Mating Engine to Bellhousing '58 356A

[Jim Alton]

I pulled the engine from my 356A to work on the starter bushing (I'm certain I'd have bled to death trying to change it in the car). Now I can't get the engine mated to the transaxle.

The studs are aligned with the holes at the the bottom of the bellhousing and the transmission shaft is inserted partway into gland nut but I can't get the engine the last 15 to 20 mm forward. The studs don't quite protrude through the holes in the bellhousing.


Is there something I might have missed?

Is there some trick I don't recall?

---------

At the moment, the car's level on jackstands and the engine's on a motorcycle jack. The transmission's in neutral.

[Ron LaDow]

Jim, did you do ANY other changes beyond the starter bushing? ANY at all?

[Chuck Allard]

As Ron said, if you did anything else to the clutch area, fess up (Pressure plate or throw out bearing related). Otherwise, try rotating the crankshaft from the pulley end a couple degrees while pushing the engine in towards the transmission. Also ensure that you have the engine aligned vertically with the tranny. This always works better when you use your third hand. 8)

[Jim Alton]

Jim, did you do ANY other changes beyond the starter bushing? ANY at all?

I did some cleaning, wire brushed some electrical mating surfaces, but no changes. None that I know of...

In the past, I've had some springs dislodge from the clutch but I'm pretty sure that didn't happen this time.

A 17 mm socket did go missing but there's no reasonable way for it to have wound up in the gland nut.

[Jim Alton]

As Ron said, if you did anything else to the clutch area, fess up (Pressure plate or throw out bearing related). Otherwise, try rotating the crankshaft from the pulley end a couple degrees while pushing the engine in towards the transmission. Also ensure that you have the engine aligned vertically with the tranny. This always works better when you use your third hand. 8)

Maybe I should try that in gear with the parking brake set.

[John Brooks]

Jim
Sounds like the pressure plate spline alignment. I leave the car in second gear, brake off, block one tire and slowly spin the other tire with my foot and I slide the motor in, the main shaft will slowly turn and the will line up the pressure plate splines and the tire stops.

[Doug McDonnell]

When I do it alone I also have found it easier if I raise the front of the car so engine doesn't need to be tipped forward with one hand while trying to move jack with the other hand, all while keeping the engine balanced on the jack. Having the body level takes one factor out of the Geometry of mating the engine/trans.

[E Rutherford]

Jim,
Since you did nothing other than replace the starter bushing, check to be sure you set the starter bushing flush with the inside step on the bell housing.

Can you rotate the engine by hand without feeling any binding, grinding etc.?

As many engines as I have R&R'ed, rarely does one goes "clunk" flush the first time. I have used longer bolts on the top so that I could let the engine "swing" down into place, reducing the strain on the lower studs. I have pulled the two together this way, its important to rotate by hand to be sure there is no binding and it turns freely.

ed
klasse356.com

[Dan Epperly]

That 17mm socket left accidentally in the bell housing would eventually collide with the flywheel...

[Ron LaDow]

...slowly spin the other tire with my foot and I slide the motor in,...

John, I think that's an Olympic event. Or it should be.

[John Laettner]

+1 for Doug's advice, getting the car level makes it easier for the engine to slide in. That socket that you lost could be in your way. I have also had a spark plug wire come off the number three cylinder and the insulator get jammed in between the trans and the engine case--that was pretty frustrating, i couldn't figure it out for a bit because i couldn't see well enough.

[Fred Otjen]

Had similar issue with my '57 A, engine just wouldn't go the last inch or so. Turned out the muffler was touching the rear engine opening just enough to stop progress.

[Roland Resos]

If by chance you put new motor mounts on the trans hoop the bolts face out? this would not let the engine seat with the trans, just one thing that sometimes gets in the way?

Regards,

Rolly

[Dave Wildrick]

Here's one that stumped 3 of us for 2 days of trying to reinsert a C motor into the car it came out of.
The motor had the Mainely-by-Design (now Ron LaDow's) aluminum sump plate with the drain plug in it. The head of the drain plug bolt was catching on the motorcycle jack--just enough to prevent pushing the motor home the last inch or so.
It took the better part of 2 days and a lot of teeth gnashing, grunting, and groaning before we saw this.

[David Baugh]

As many times as I've r&r'd my engine, only once did it "clunk flush" the first time. I was so stunned that I pulled it back out to make sure that I'd installed a clutch disc. Something had to be wrong! Putting it back in was the usual fight so I felt better about it.

Once you get the input shaft engaged with the clutch disc, it is critical to make sure that the engine and trans mating surfaces are parallel in both planes, in order for the pilot shaft to mate with the pilot bearing. That successful pilot mating is the final 1" of the installation.

Dave