2000 Trans Am, M6. I have searched, but still need help.

So I bought the car in June, came to find out it had an annoying oil leak, somewhere in the rear of the engine. Suspected the RMS, and tore it down to fix it. The problem turned out to be the cam position sensor, I replaced the O-ring and replaced the sensor. While I was in there, I did the RMS and the front seal on the T-56, as it was weeping some. I realized that pulling the trans was a PITA, so I went ahead and did the flywheel/clutch/pressure plate as well as a new pilot bearing and slave cylinder with a Tick remote bleeder. The clutch/flywheel package is a GMPP parts kit from Summit for the LS1&LS6

Summit link

So after all that, I am now trying to install the trans. I can get it up in there, thru the clutch disk and even into the pilot bearing, but I keep getting within about ¼” if getting the trans to mate with the bellhousing, but it won’t go any further. I put grease on the input shaft, so I know it is going as far as engaging the pilot bearing a little over 1/2”, just not all the way. I applied grease to the throwout bearing, and that grease now shows up on the pressure plate fingers. So I know the TO bearing is getting all the way there. Could the PP fingers and TO bearing be keeping me from getting this all the way in?

My searches have shown that is generally not a good idea to pull the trans up to the bellhousing with the bolts, but I am running out of ideas. I have had it up in there and within 1/4” three times and I don’t know what else to do. I have the bleeder open, so I feel like the slave shouldn’t be giving me this much trouble, but I can’t find anything else binding. The dowels are lined up, and I have gone as far as getting the bottom 4 bolts started before I talk myself out of running them in to close the gap. When I pull out the trans and look at the pilot bearing, it is in fine shape. It has not been beaten up with all the in and out. The plastic alignment tool I have says all is aligned.

Please help, or tell me it’s OK to run it in with the bolts

Thanks

 

open the bleeder

 

I got that

 

check your dowel pins. and all mating surfaces of the tranny when you get it in place.. i have seen a wire holding me from putting in a tranny before. it would catch at the top of the housing and you couldnt see it.. i had to run my hand around the whole housing and check and i found it

 

If you are afraid to pull the gap tight with the bolts, go slow with it and make sure they don't get tough to turn. When i did mine I had the same issue but I pulled it tight with the bolts and have not had a problem. Just be careful and watch the pressure you are putting on the block and trans.

 

I will do that, so far we have been very careful... all I really have that can get in the way are 2 wire looms and the remote bleeder line, and I have been watching all three.

Is there any chance that the TO bearing contacting the PP fingers will give me this much resistance, even with the bleeder open?

I was thinking that I should be able to get the machine surfaces to mate right up before I start any bolts. if it is possible to have some interference from the PP on the way in, then I am less wary of pulling it together w/ the bolts.

 

That was my thought when i was doing mine.

 

well in some cases with a new clutch kit you will have a little resistance.. put your bellhousing bolts in and tighten them finger tight. then start at one bolt and start staggering to different bolts.. turn each bolt like 1-2 turns that way you dont wedge the tranny or go in whopsided.. and if it gets tight to turn then back off and check your progress(pull tranny out and inspect whats hitting) if it doesnt then tighten er down and give it a test drive..

 

just thought about another thing did you make sure you had all the old pilot bearing out? and did you make sure you had the new pilot bearing in all the way? and make sure you have got any shears of metal around the pilot hole holding the shaft from going in.

 

I was actually pretty careful about this because I thought i had it all out once, and found out otherwise when I went to install the new one. I will double check this, but I think I'm good there. The new one is flush with the crank, and went in smoothly.

Thanks for the help

 

sorry. didn't see that it was open

 

No problem, I did start to ramble a little.