New clutch-drive shaft problem

[DennisR]

Installed new clutch by moving rear end back. Have got the shaft back on the gearbox but it will only go so far on, the splines are engaged but it needs to go in about another inch or so, but just will not slide in, can`t see what could be stopping it, any ideas ?

[SeaSlugs]

Are you sure its lined up?

Is the trans in neutral so when you push the rearend under it, the wheels will spin the driveshaft. If the trans is in gear it cant rotate as you try to slide it on...

[larrys40]

Dennis,
Make sure you your speedo drive gear is clearing the brake cross shaft. Either you could have the rear axle too low or even rear engine mounts sagged enough to add to the problem. when fully in it should go all the way up to the inner cap.
Inspect things well as I indicated on the cross shaft.. etc.
Advise of your resolution when you get it worked out.
Larry Shepard

[Kurt in NJ]

How was the disc centered , at that spacing the trans shaft is about entering the pilot bearing, if the centering of the disc is off it will be hard to go further without damaging something

[DennisR]

Firstly yes the clutch plate is centred, the gearbox is back on. I used a dummy shaft to centre it. I dropped the cross shaft out of the way. It is in neutral. I left the rear spring on the axle, took the wheels off and lowered it on to a couple of wheel skates. There is one problem and that is until I get the torque tube home I can`t jack the axle fully up because the u-bolts for the spring get in the way, so as Larry says the axle may be to low.

[Wm J.]

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If you removed the speedometer drive gear for some reason and put it back on the driveshaft reversed it will hold you back about 1 inch from the u-joint.

[DennisR]

No I just undid the cable. Thinking about the angle of the torque tube, would that stop it ? I`ve got the splines engaged and it only needs about another inch, if I pull it back a bit, not enough to disengage the shaft, and then come forward again it just comes to a dead end.

[larrys40]

Originally Posted by DennisR

No I just undid the cable. Thinking about the angle of the torque tube, would that stop it ? I`ve got the splines engaged and it only needs about another inch, if I pull it back a bit, not enough to disengage the shaft, and then come forward again it just comes to a dead end.

Dennis, it is very possible. There is a limit on the travel of the driveshaft downward.... Not sure how your alignment is but I would jack the axle up closer up to position and then try and push it in. If you have to pull it back out and put a little lube on the front snub of the driveshaft.

greetings to you from across the pond!
Larry Shepard

[DennisR]

Greetings, there-in lies my problem, I can`t get the axle any higher because until the axle moves forward the u-bolts stop it from going higher, the spring is hitting them. I need it to come forward so the spring clears the bolts and then it would jack up into the chassis.
It has been suggested I lower the back of the engine.

[Jacksonlll]

My guess is that the spring is the problem. Can you force it to go into place with out knocking the car off the jacks???? Be careful, but sometimes, when you get to this point, you have to push hard. That spring does not want to go back in place. Good luck.

[VFRhugh]

If you replaced the pilot bearing there might be a problem there.
Hugh

[Fullraceflathead]

It is possible for the disc to fall off center if you hit the fingers hard enough with the trans input shaft.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

He said it's bolted up to the ENGINE, OK!
Bill W.

[Tom Endy]

If I understand this problem correctly, the transmission has been mounted to the back of the engine, therefor there should be no issue with the pilot bearing, clutch fingers, transmission input shaft, etc. My understanding is he is having difficulty pushing the drive shaft fully into the spline of the U-joint.

The solution may be to push harder. It that doesn't work I would remove the U-joint from the back of the transmission and see if it will slide onto the splines of the drive shaft. Quite often the splines on the U-joint are found gouged, restricting the drive shaft. These can be cleaned up with a file, or replace the U-joint.

Tom Endy

[DennisR]

Thanks for the replies, I think my explanation of the problem doesn`t help, my problem is at the universal joint end, it won`t go in far enough, until it does the spring doesn't line up with the crossmember.
There is a saying `those that can - do, those that can`t - teach, looks like I don`t fall into either class

[DennisR]

Sorry, my previous post was a bit late coming. Tom, I did check the spider and couldn`t see any damage, the drive shaft slid out easy, but I`ll take another look just in case, as a matter of interest how do you decide on when it`s time to replace it.

[5lugnuts]

Turning the engine might allow the universal joint to "fall" into better alignment with the drive shaft or maybe relieve the stress on a nicked spline. The u joint may have slid back on the tail shaft of the trans and now the back end of the u joint is presenting a different angle than it would when assembled properly.

[katy]

How about loosening off the rear spring shackles, that might give you enough slack so that the spring will go up into the U bolts.

[DennisR]

Originally Posted by 5lugnuts

Turning the engine might allow the universal joint to "fall" into better alignment with the drive shaft or maybe relieve the stress on a nicked spline. The u joint may have slid back on the tail shaft of the trans and now the back end of the u joint is presenting a different angle than it would when assembled properly.

Worth a try, thanks.

[DennisR]

Originally Posted by katy

How about loosening off the rear spring shackles, that might give you enough slack so that the spring will go up into the U bolts.

I`m a bit wary of the spring Katy, I kept it on the axle so it was still under tension, I don`t have a spreader.