frankiecutz

So I just did a clutch on my soon to be installed JDM ITR motor. Should I be happy or a little worried that it was so easy to put the transmission back on?? Is there anyway to check that the splines are aligned properly?

I lined up everything so I don't see a reason for it not to have worked the first time. I've just read too many posts online that it takes people several tries before they get it. This is the first time I've done this so I really don't want to find out once the motor is installed that I f'd something up.

Thanks in advance.

1991_crxsi

iTrader: (1)

I have gotten them to slide on really easy so long as the transmission is clocked and angled properly. A little wiggle and a little turn and bingo, it slides right on. If you used an alignment tool when you put the pressure plate over the disk and it was centered correctly, then you should be okay. If the splines were not aligned, then the transmission would not blot up. I'm thinking that you should be golden.

frankiecutz

Yup I used an alignment tool when I installed the clutch/pressure plate. Of note too....the motor was on the ground so it was very easy for me to slightly lift the tranny and slide on. Maybe I'm just lucky that everything lined up perfectly. It also probably helps that I triple checked everything before I started. Thanks.

EnjoyTheRideDC2

iTrader: (1)

The only time you'll hear of someone having an issue mating a transmission onto an engine block is when the engine is still mounted in the bay. When performing a clutch job with the engine outside of the car, slipping on the transmission is like connecting legos together.

B_Swapped93

This^ I always used to remove the engine when I did the clutch when I had a civic/tegg.

wunfstgsr

Not nessasary at all, they sell trans jack adapters to hold the trans even as you jack it up level then just push it in. I set the trans on the jack adapter plate and push in position and jack it up slowly till its level then carfelully push it in flush. With out the adapter for the jack its super hard to do it with engine in bay i agree especially by your self.

ferio-ichi3

I dont take the motor out, just drop the trans, do my ish, and jack it back up til its like an inch off, just lift it up and manhandle it til it goes back in. Simple.

B_Swapped93

Lifting the trans wasn't the issue for me trying to balance the engine with one mount left was. Yes I could have used my hoist but all the time spent fighting to get it all level with solid mounts was beyond frustrating, there's no give all my projects were solo too. I see how it seems like more work but for me I just had the 3 mounts and then just unplug a few sensors and it's out, I did always loose coolant. For me it was the best/fastest i had tons of stuff removed like the AC/PS/EVAP/heater hoses the list goes on but you get the idea, it was easy with my set ups.

wunfstgsr

I see, what i do is use a seperate jack with a piece of wood and hold the engine up under the oil pan.

B_Swapped93

The garage is separate from the house, if it were to fall i'd have been fucked I live out in the country so it's not like a neighbour would have herd me. Reason why I play it safe when going under the car or anything in the garage, even for work it's just me in the middle of nowhere.

wunfstgsr

Yea that wouldnt be good haha

B serious

iTrader: (1)

This almost always compresses the pan gasket and causes loose bolts and leaks. I do it that way too. I just am aware that the pan gasket will probably need replacement afterwards.

OP....your trans SHOULD slide on easily. Especially when on the ground/out of the car. Thats the point of the alignment tool. People who have a hard time are doing this with the engine still in the bay.

wunfstgsr

Iv never had that happen to me, i use a piece of wood and it just braces the engine theres still two mounts holding it. But maybe it can happen its just never hapened to me knock on wood haha.

EnjoyTheRideDC2

iTrader: (1)

Interesting. With a jack centered under a piece of wood that's longer than the oil pan, the pressure would be spread across it's length. Assuming the rear mount, drivers side engine and torque mounts are still in good condition, the force applied on the oil pan to hold the engine in place shouldn't be enough to compress the gasket to the point of replacement.

Hasn't happened to me either...(knocked on wood as well).

B serious

iTrader: (1)

The gasket is compressed a certain amount with the bolts. As it ages, it becomes less "springy" and more brittle. It will take a set to however much the bolts are compressing it. It might still be leak-free.

But...putting an additional 200-300lbs on the pan by jacking the engine up on it, and leaving it there will compress the gasket a tiny bit further. Once you remove the jack, the gasket won't spring back. The bolts will lose their tensile load because the gasket is no longer pushing against them, and thusly become loose. IIRC, the bolts are only tightened to like 7-9LB-FT. That's about all the torque that M6 bolts are rated for.

It doesn't take long for that to happen. I can usually do clutch jobs in like 3 hours, start to finish on a B series car. You're just supporting the motor slightly....until you hang the trans on it...which puts a lot of load on the oil pan because it's got quite a bit of leverage on it with the trans hanging way out there. Then you lift up the whole assembly using the pan, in order to get the upper trans mounts back on. Notice what happens when you lift up on the pan to get the trans-side to lift up. You lose quite a bit of motion. The engine is pushing up on the mounts and even taking load off the front end of the car.

The compression/loosening is most likely to happen on older gaskets. I have had it happen on a 2001 GSR, a 99 EM1 and 00 EM1 with original gaskets. There were no pan leaks before doing the clutch. Then...all of a sudden, I saw weeps or little drips of oil a week or two after replacing the clutch. When I went to replace the gasket, I noticed that a lot of the bolts were loose or already or had fallen out completely. After removing the gasket, you can clearly feel that it was too old and brittle to spring back.

This also happens to JDM swaps that sit on pallets for long periods of time. You see no leaks...then you install it...and two weeks later, you're seeing oil coming out of the pan.

It's not really too big of an issue with honda-bonded pans like S2000's or K series motors. And it's not a big issue on motors with newer gaskets that will spring back after being compressed.

I have an engine holder-upper-thingy (technical term) now. Or I use an engine hoist to support the motor. But sometimes, I am lazy or the engine needs to be propped up....so I use a jack and some wood. I do this expecting to have leaks later...or I just change the pan gasket as a precaution since I'm already down there and the downpipe is already off.

wunfstgsr

Good info! My engines usually have a fresh gasket down there but i did however do this on my old stock 98 GSR when i swapped clutches but i guess the pan held up. I usually try and bolt the trans mount as fast as i can but i still leave the jack with adapter under bracing the trans to relieve as much tension when the trans is put on. but i see exactly what you mean, once the trans is on theres more preasure squishing the pan gasket.