My late mid-life crisis 77 Spider

azruss · Post by **azruss** » Wed May 27, 2015 4:26 pm

An inch out and you should be clear of the pilot bearing. Now, the only thing between you and removal is the clutch. It will want to bind with the slightest bit of misalignment. If you are planning on replacing the clutch, you may want to shower the area through the 1" gap with WD-40 or the like to get some lubrication on the splines. You will have some clean-up to do afterward. check your gap top to bottom and side to side. try prying with 2 pry bars on each side at the same time. If you have any long bolts that fit the 2 side holes. put them through the bell housing holes, put a nut on the bolt in the 1" gap and screw the long bolt into the threaded hole on the engine. now you can use the nut to exert pressure on each side of the bell housing. you may want to whack on the engine at the back while you have the pressure on the bellhousing to get the splines to loosen up or shake the back of the tranny.

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Wed May 27, 2015 6:57 pm

Ok! I hate to ask for help but I was starting to think I was blacklisted or something for the lack of response (rroller excepted). Lots of insights for me, a novice as to clutch, flywheels, etc. I expect yes to put in a new clutch and anything else so I don't have to do this again in some time! I like the bolt idea - very clever. I was about to get out the wood splitting wedges. It's still therapy for me and keeps me off the streets, and I'm a persistent SOB - it'll come out...eventually. Thank you.

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Wed May 27, 2015 7:00 pm

After all this work, make sure you put in a lightened flywheel, it makes an amazing performance difference!

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Sat May 30, 2015 9:05 pm

Well, Successo!

Finally realized my original problem was I hadn't taken off that tinny cover at the front of the transmission. (Duh!) After that I got it slid back much further but after hours of struggling, noticed I was hung up on my exhaust downpipe. thanks rroller and azruss and I just have one more thing to say..... Sonofabitchhhhhhhh!

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Sun May 31, 2015 2:57 pm

In all the threads and instructions I've read I never heard mention of removing that thin tinny flywheel cover at the front of the transmission as required for transmission removal. As a novice and not knowing which piece the flywheel was going to stay with on the removal, I didn't notice it as a problem - maybe it should have been obvious. Correction - looking back, now i see removal of flywheel cover in threads. Oh well, pobodys nerfect. On to the transmission rebuild!

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 5:38 pm

When you're taking out your transmission, don't be a dummy and forget to remove this first like I did!

Now I'm deep into it:

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:02 pm

Good luck with it, keep us informed and lots of pics too!

AriK · Post by **AriK** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:10 am

+1 on that. You're very brave and not the dummy you lead us on to be.

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:17 pm

Thanks for the comments! I'm taking lots of photos of the disassembly for reference.

It will be very gratifying if I can rebuild this and get it back in the car

This is where I'm currently stuck. Need to find a "machine shop" to help me get off the bushing here holding on first and second gear. Frustrating because I'd like to look at second gear as that's the one that I couldn't shift into.Otherwise going smoothly with some things that are supposed to be difficult being easy and visa versa.Besides the photos I'm putting parts in labelled baggies and trying to be very organized.

The parts look to be in pretty good shape overall. Can anyone recommend what parts I might replace routinely on a 40 year old gearbox with close to 100K miles on it?

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 6:36 pm

Took the main shaft to a friendly mechanic who pushed the gear and bushing off for me. Find out how on Monday. Meanwhile, looks like I need a clutch anyway:

I know lots of you do this stuff everyday but it's virgin territory for me and kind of exciting.
Picked these up cheap on E-Bay. What do you think?

Maybe under the hood...

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Sun Jun 14, 2015 1:13 pm

leave em on the hood and start a long distance trucking company with the car.

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Sun Jun 14, 2015 3:46 pm

I think they look kinda cool there.

azruss · Post by **azruss** » Sun Jun 14, 2015 7:14 pm

If you mount the air horns there, you will have to mount bull horns on the front of the hood.

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:39 am

Plus mud flaps with that wonderful female outline.

Nanonevol · Post by **Nanonevol** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:00 pm

Well the bushings off with the help of a local garage so now I can see what might be causing it not to shift into second gear.

Time to order parts.

My late mid-life crisis 77 Spider

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Re: My late mid-life crisis 77 Spider