ShamelessCookie

iTrader: (4)

I recently bought a 2000 LS1/T56 Camaro with ~130k on the clock. I'm pretty sure the clutch was still original.

I dropped the motor & tranny to do a bunch of work, including rear main seal, pilot bearing, flywheel, clutch, slave, etc.

The pilot bearing was totally trashed and it chewed away at the input shaft. I ordered a new input shaft & bearing, but I don't know how to install them.

I have the front cover off the tranny and can see the input shaft and wiggle it a bit. Where do I go from here? I've searched high and low and no one seems to have a step by step guide for this.

Thanks, in advance.

bigj2717

iTrader: (15)

To get the input shaft out you have to tear down the whole transmission

ShamelessCookie

iTrader: (4)

I was afraid you might say that... I guess I'll go by the rebuild how-to. Thanks.

quik01ss

iTrader: (24)

Your talking about the shaft that is sticking out the front of the tranny if so I've sone it but just taking the trann out and sitting the rear of it in a 5gallon bucket so it sits upright and take the front cover off and there is your input shaft with 4th gear on it. It just siting in the and the face cover has a bearing race in it and the input has the bearing on it I've done it before to my friends cobra going fron 10 spline to 26 spline took like 10mins to change no problems what so ever

So you don't have to take the whole tranny apart that above is false

thesource

iTrader: (60)

Unbolt the front plate and the input shaft will come out.

DAVESS02

iTrader: (30)

A professional could do this and get the end play right but I wouldnt recommend an amateur do it this way. It'd be better to tear it all down. I, being an amateur, couldnt get the front plate to fit back down with the shift rails and such. I must have allowed something to shift while I had the front plate off. A plus to tearing it all down is that you'll be able to inspect everything else while you're there. Changing the input shaft means you have to change the shims behind the front bearing race to get your end play right and I think its a whole lot easier to set this with just the main shaft and input shaft installed. FWIW I think I shot for .001 on my total end play. Yea, its a lot more time but IMO worth the extra effort if you're not doing this stuff all day long for a living.

ShamelessCookie

iTrader: (4)

this is where i stand

thesource

iTrader: (60)

Pull the shaft out, be sure to keep the 4th gear syncro locked into the shift keys and reinstall the new input shaft. Glue up the front plate and you are done.

ShamelessCookie

iTrader: (4)

We managed to get the shaft swapped with a little finesse. Nothing else needed to come apart.

Thanks everyone.

DAVESS02

iTrader: (30)

Maybe I'm missing something here but a new shaft will have a new small bearing race and even if he puts the old front bearing onto the new shaft, wont the end play possibly change?

eagle_eye_SS

When you say to keep the 4th gear synchro locked, does this mean I should have the trans in 4th gear before i start the procedure? Never been in a transmission before and trying to get as much info as possible before installing the new input shaft. Old thread but hoping I can still get a response. Thanks!!

Global Warmer LQ4

iTrader: (1)

Did you ever get anyfeed back on this elsewhere? I'm about to buy the input shaft/bellhousing/front plate combo and i'm still deciding if i want to try it myself..

RyanS13

iTrader: (10)

if you are afraid of end play, bolt it back together, check end play, if out of spec, replace the shim, check again, repeat until good then seal cover. its not the "Right Way" to do it, but will save you from having to get new snap rings and quite a bit of time, tools, and frustration.

I found there isn't a whole lot of variance in the used shims i have saved, and i never have actually need to to re shim a input, we get Vipers at work with broken Bells/bent inputs and i swap them out. Make sure to keep the shifter in neutral, and if need be a small thin flat blade screw driver or long thin pick can help you get the shift rails in the holes. if you get the shift forks f'd up and going different directions you may end up having a full tear down, they can be tuff/frustrating to line back up in the case and at a certain point just easy to pull it apart and reset them.

blackandgold

iTrader: (2)

hmm...130k...A teardown/inspection might not be a terrible idea. Alternatively, slap a new input shaft in there and drive it till something goes wrong.

eagle_eye_SS

No, I never got any feedback so I just went ahead and did it. Put the transmission in 4th gear and stood it upright and unbolted it. I had to slide the shift fork down a little further to get the input shaft out. It was a little bit tricky to get it out and the new one in but just took some wiggling and finessing. Make sure you 4th synchro goes in like it came out and you should be good.

I didn't have the proper equipment or know how to check end play as RyanS13 suggests. I just pressed the new race in the bottom of the input shaft and pressed the new taper bearing on the shaft itself. Then I just bolted it back together. I think my tolerances for end play are a little tight than they are supposed to because I can hear a little whine coming from what I assume is the new taper bearing but am not sure. Could also be the new pilot whining a little.

All in all, I've only barely passed 300 miles since putting it back together. Other than the little whine, all appears to be great.