i recently installed a new spool in my transmission and now i cant get my C clip to seat into the bearing. the tranny is 100% assembled and i only swapped out the spool. same gears, same housing, same everything. ive pried my *** off and cant get that C clip to lock down. ive turned the tranny 180* and hit it onto the ground and that still didnt do it. when i pry on the gearset it sounds as if that gear set is hitting the tranny case. i need to move it about half the width of the C clip to get it in place. its damn close.
the spool change shouldnt inhibit the movement of the gearset to lock that C clip into place. ive had this tranny apart about 4 different times changing parts in the past and never had an issue before.
anyone have any worldly advice for me?

 

That c clip is a bitch. Maybe some how you can get someone to open it up while you try to close the case. Also maybe try moving the gear selector shaft while closing the case so it drops down.

 

ive tried all gears on the selector and no avail. i thought maybe warming it up might help due to the fact its been below freezing for the last week or so. maybe the good old heat might help. hell its worth a shot. the case is closed, sealed so its really close to popping into place.

 

Did you open the clip before you closed/tightened the case?

 

yeah its open and loose in the housing. theres no doubt its ready to go into place. ive done this before but never had a problem with it.
like i said when i put a screwdriver in the case from the C clip opening and pry up on the gearset it seems as thoug the gearset hits something inside which is preventing it from moving far enough up for the C clip to seat.

 

Sounds like you definitely know how to get the C-clip to seat so there has to be something not working in the tranny itself. And it's a bit hard to tell without actually seeing the tranny to work on it. Hmmm....

The countershaft nut is tightened down the entire way? I don't think you would have changed it though; you said you just did the spool.

What state do you have the tranny in when flipping it over to try and get the C-clamp to seat? Do you have any of the 12mm bolts tightened around the housings and then flip it over, while the C-clamp is pried out... and it still doesnt' want to go?

Double check to make sure the reverse gear **** is in properly, too. I had one upside down once and the case didn't even want to seat.

 

did any shims come out under the gears or anything? u usually slowly tighten the bolts around the case if i cant get it to fully seat. if u r careful it will work. its prob the bearing is just tight going back on

 

besides the C clip the tranny is ready to install. everything tightened down, all bolts installed etc etc etc. this is what baffles me.

when i tapped the tranny on the ground it was in the same state of completion.

 

Hmm. This one is definitely a bit baffling.

You've probably checked it, but I'm going to suggest the obvious, though. The C-clip isn't damaged at all? Not bent or anything of the sort? As well as the groove that it clips into? That's fine? I've never seen anything ever happen with either of those or the area of the casing above the countershaft. But hey, crazy **** can happen I suppose.

Either that, or thee countershaft just doesn't want to move with everything bolted down already. Perhaps the shaft is just jammed against the clip. I'm pretty sure I only have the case tightened down by hand with four bolts when I seat the C-clip. Then once it's seated, I go through and tighten everything. But, again, I suspect you've done enough tranmissions to have made whatever way you do it work.

Regardless, I just can't see that spool changing anything that has to do with the C-clip seating on the bearing.

 

its weird. worst case scenario i pull the thing apart and steal the C clip from anyother tranny or i just pull the one out i have and make sure it slides into the bearing groove. when i get motivated ill do it. its not a huge ordeala though i should get it done just to fire the thing up. last time it was fired was last june.