[abefromen]

[QUOTE="QUICK-SILVER";6457711]Any chance the splines on the pilot shaft are bottoming out against the pilot bushing?

I considered this too. I put grease on the nose of the input before installing the trans as always. It was dark moly lube type. When I took the trans out yesterday I looked at it and there was a "ring" of grease about midway or maybe a little further up towards the trans on the nose which told me it was not jammed all the way into the pilot bushing. I also test fit the bushing on the input nose to make sure it was not tight and when I drove it in I made sure it was in as far as it could go. It was flush with the hole in the crank.

Originally Posted by Singleton

You stated that the flywheel was brand new. Don't assume that it was surfaced correctly from the factory.

Several years ago I had a similar issue, difficult to place the trans into first gear, grinding going to reverse. Everything was Brand New, Autogear M22, Hurst shifter, fork, throw-out bearing, clutch disc/PP, and Hays flywheel, all new.

Tried everything I could think of to the fix the issue, adjustable throw-out bearing, adjustable pivot, different clutch linkage, nothing worked.

Finally, after a couple thousand miles of putting up with the gear grinding, I decided to change the clutch and pp to a different manufacturer. I doing so I also figured that I would take the NEW Hays flywheel to the local machinist and have it resurfaced, for the hell of it. Turns out the flywheel surface was WAY off, not close to being true. That was my issue the whole time, even with the clutch depressed, the high point of the flywheel was touching the clutch disc at every revolution, just enough to keep the input shaft slowly spinning causing the gear grinding in reverse and the difficulty going into 1st gear.

So don't assume the new flywheel is true.

Could it be so uneven that it won't allow gear engagement? I guess anything is possible because it is an offshore made part. Do you think your issue could have been the first clutch you were using and went away with the replacement and not really a flywheel prob?
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