Cannot Get Engine & Bellhousing or 4 Speed Separated!

Fellas -
Yanked the AMC 390 and T10 4 sp out of my car yesterday. Engine was running but I never drove it. Not sure how long it sat immobile prior to me puchasing it, but it could have been a decade or more.

Got the engine and trans out together. Removed all bolts (yes, I got them all). Nothing coming loose. First I tried to pull the trans out. Used pry bars, etc, and it wouldn't come. I can rotate the trans, but I can't pull it more than 1/4" off the bellhousing. It's stuck.

Then I unbolted the bellhousing and tried to pry that off. Same deal - no luck. At the top and the driver's side of the bell, I'm able to get it about 1/2" off the block, but that's it. I am able to get the bellhousing off the block dowels, but not much more.

Since the trans is what appears to be stuck, I'm assuming the input is hung up. Looks like a critter made a nest in the bellhousing; maybe a mouse nest. If so, mouse pee on the input could have made it pretty crusty.

After I gave up trying last night, I hosed everything down with PB Blaster and WD-40. Maybe it will free up now.

If it doesn't, any ideas? If I get much more aggressive with the prybars, I'm going to break the aluminum bellhousing. I guess the worst case scenario would be to take a cutoff wheel and just cut a big hole in the bellhousing so I can see what's going on and maybe pry something loose.

Thanks,

Scott

 

you need to unbolt the pressure plate.
You may have to drill an accesshole to get the wrench in.

 

Maybe you can loosen the pressure plate bolts through the clutch fork hole. If not enough
room, maybe torch the fork out, easier to replace than the bell housing.

 

I agree with Randy, you need to access the pressure plate bolts and then you can direct the PB Blaster into the pilot bearing. You may be able to hang the engine from the hoist with the trans pointing down and let gravity pull on it for awhile.

Worst case is to remove the input sleeve that the throwout bearing rides on and pull the trans case away. You can find the needle bearings later.

 

I had a similar problem on my old chev pickup a long time ago. The input shaft stuck to the pilot bearing. I ended up, hooking a come-along to the back bumper and puled the transmission out of the pilot bearing. There was burr on the input that caught the bushing causing it to jam. You likely have similar problem, only with corrosion between the shaft and bushing.

 

I had a Clutch disc crusty rusted to the input shaft spline, only way to get mine apart was to sacrifice the bellhousing to access the pressure plate bolts, once there out you can separate from engine, then get other parts cut away, once I got down to the hub of the clutch disc I slit it carefully down both sides and removed it, input cleaned up enough to use the transmission. Brute force will result in damage good luck

 

Got it (sort of).

I was able to move the throwout bearing back and forth a bit, so it wasn't hung up.

I got the clutch fork out and then was able to access the pressure plate bolts with a wiggler extension. Once I got the pressure plate bolts off, the trans and bell came off. Managed to save the bellhousing; don't think it's boogered up at all.

The problem is that the input shaft was rusted to the clutch disk. It's still attached, but I think I can pop the disk back a few inches, clean off the input with a wire brush, and then hopefully slide it off.

Crime scene photos below. I think I may have to resurface the flywheel...

Thanks,

Scott

 

Looks like a hard fought fight, you won! A couple of bloody knuckles later.... ugh.

 

Soak the clutch disk/input splines down with the PB every so often for a day or two and you should be able to get the disk off. I've seen flywheels that laid out in the weather for ten years that didn't look that rough. Was it under water for a time or just mouse pee?

 

I don't think it was ever under water, but it's a 40+ year old car and I've only had it for a year.

I hit it with the PB a few hours ago. Will see if I can get it off today.

Thanks

Scott

 

Maybe hit the disc hub with a torch to heat & break free?

 

The disc is junk already, I would just weld a couple of bolts onto it and use a puller against the input shaft. No need to damage anything else pounding on it, etc.

 

That is the worst one Ive seen!

 

i've been there . heat it cool it with water and slide it off .

 

Good save!

 

Worse case scenario: Take clutch plate springs out and hook some sort of hub puller to plate and to the input shaft. Turn the puller screw till there is some pressure on it and soak some more with PB or LW. Let it sit for a hour or two. Repeat turning the screw some more and soaking till it comes loose. Guess you have experienced the art of rust welding, a new technology, LOL.