need help with installing gearbox!!!!!!!

[Mr GTS4]

ok. i'm doing a conversion on my R32 GTS4 and we have everything done.. loom and computer installed, hole cut. everything is done except the gearbox bolted up.... we got it up and the the gearbox sits about an inch away from the bell housing and doesn't go and further. my friend used a alignment kit for the clutch but he couldn't see properly. so do you think it might be that or is there some special way of getting it back in. the auto came out easily after stuffing around with that top bolt on the gearbox.. 2 hrs later.

yesterday there was a huge storm and we were still working on it.. hehehe we got really wet. but he kept working at it but still couldn't get it.

and thoughts?

[BenA31]

my mate did a conversion from a auto non turbo r32 to a turbo manual just a week or 2 ago, and yeah from wot i remember he had a similar problem, i think he needed a custom mount thing (the standard manual gearbox mount wouldn't fit to the chassis of the previous auto area) cos the bell housing was a different shape of that for the auto.

i'm probally wrong in this, but from wot i'm aware, might b ur problem.........

[Mr GTS4]

nah. all of the mounts are fine and everything i got came off a 93 gts4 manual same car and same year as mine. the gts4 are the same layout even if they are auto or manual. i don't need to change the tail shaft, even though i have it there.

[Dsturbd]

Did you remove the auto bush ?

Put the box in gear as it makes it easier to go in

Drop the exhaust down so the motor hangs down at the back

[Mr GTS4]

thanks man. i'll see how it goes.

[YBSLO4]

If you havn't already you need to remove the cup pressed into the crank bearing hole, then leave it out (use a slide hammer or delicately tap it out with hammer and cold chisel on the edge, but only as last resort) then before ya fit the spigget bearing get some fine grade 800-1000 sand paper on a pencila nd softly smooth out the inside to ensure it slides easier onto the imput shaft.

Now all nissan imports have very tight space around the bell housing, as i found when doing the conversion on my 97' 180sx. there is two ways around this. (Before either make sure your remove the front pipe off the turbo dump to the cat, it allows easier work with gearboxes)

* Turn the box sideways to actually get the gearbox in, then turn it back to upright to bolt in. Makre sure you don't EVER use the bolts to pull the gearbox in it will crack the bell housing, screw teh crank bearing or bend the imput shaft... and in drivetrain parts, we are talking a thou's make a HUGE difference on balanced parts!

* Another way is to wack it on a hoist if possible, then loosen the engine crossmember bolts about 2/3's off on both sides then get a flat piece of timber long enuff to reach from a car jack to the bottom of the sump of the engine, put a thick piece of wood/metal under the sump across its entire surface area to prevent any crushing, then slowly jack the engine up a little. This tilts the engine in a better angle to get the box in without the bell housing hitting.

[Jay95R33]

Yepp, that last inch sucks!!

In addition to what has been said before, make sure the box has an even gap all the way around it (between it and the motor).

If possible, put it in gear, get someone to push the back of the box towards the motor, and another person to 'jiggle' the rear wheels to turn the shafts in the box, this might help it line up the teeth etc...

Oh, a really cool trick to get the spiggot bearing out that works 100% with zero fuss....... Get a tube of dry lube, it's sort of like softish wax but is actual lube.. Fill the hole in the pressure plate (where the siggot bearing is) with dry lube, get as much in there as you can. The get a (I think) 5/16th bolt, if 5/16th's isn't the right size, then get a bolt that JUST fit's into the siggot bearing.

With the siggot bearing full of dry lube, put the bolt in the hole and hit the bolt in with a hammer. Hydraulics will do the rest The dry lube will force the siggot bearing out with about 3-4 taps of the hammer

I was amazed at how easy it was to do.

J

[Sumo]

When we did the clutch on my 33, we used an old shaft from the wreckers to line the splines up on the clutch to the hole it sits in.... other wise you could be up sh*t street trying to get it to line up. And r33's have a heavy arsed box - not sure if they are the same as r32's, but you need 2 big blokes

Sumo

[blind_elk]

My experience has been:

1. The gearbox input shaft has to be perfectly square-on to the spigot bush.

2. The splines on the input shaft need to be aligned with the splines in the clutch plate.

I once spent about 2 hours under a car (it was up on ramps), with 2 jacks trying to get the gearbox square-on. About to give up, but gave it 1 more try - and home it went.

[Jay95R33]

Just for info. Most of the input shafts across the nissan range are the same. We used an inmput shaft from a 180B to line it up on a R33 !!! LOL

[Mr GTS4]

sweet as. i'm going to get a 180b shaft today.. hehehe were dodgy.. but it works so its ok.

i want to get the car out to willowbank for a street meet that is on wednesday night. so i want to get it done as soon as possible.. thanks alot guys. i'll post up how it goes tomorrow.

[xRHETTx]

I spent 3 hours trying to put a gearbox back onto my R31. I got it off ok, but just couldnt get it that last little bit to get it back on. In the end i unbolted the exhaust brackets under the car and loosened the motor mount things and it went on easily. The motor just needed to be tilted that little bit more.

But it might be different with R32/conversions.

[Mr GTS4]

its all good now. we got the gearbox in and bolted up in about 1 hr. if you are stuck trying to line up a clutch by a 180b or 200b gearbox from the wreakers for $50 then hit the sh1t out of it for the input shaft and it takes you about 10 secs to line it up... so easy.

with that bearing we got another one to compare but it was the same so we just drilled out the one that was in there perfectly and the gearbox fits in nicely. now all we need to do this afternoon is the clutch cylinders and put the radiator but in and the bonnet on and its RACE TIME!!!

anyone going out to the street meet at willowbank tonight?