T90 Transmission removal

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:17 am

Just be careful where your jack stand is placed under the rear of the engine.
You don't want to be pressing up against the bell housing.

One question for Wes. With the carrier spring removed is there enough room/slack to remove the clutch fork with the bell housing still in place?

Post by **wesk** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:54 pm

If he pulls the bell with the tranny there is no reason to fool with the spring or the fork.

If not pulling the bell housing then the fork is retained on the pivot ball with only the spring tension of the cable and the return spring and will slide right off the pivot ball as you remove the tranny.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:30 pm

Yes, understand that part. I was wondering if he left the bell on if there
was enough room to reach in and get the fork off.

Post by **wesk** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:36 pm

It's a PITA through the top hole but once you pull the tranny the fork & bearing are dangling right in front of that huge round hole! I thought you already did this once?

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:51 pm

Yes mine is out right now. I pulled all three together.

Just trying to figure out what has him jammed up and how to free.

Thanks,
Brian

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:46 pm

To pull the transmission away from the bellhousing, you must remove the clutch fork from the inside of the bellhousing. The throwout bearing can remain. Just slip the fork off the pivot ball the fork rests on and out from behind the throwout carrier ears. Otherwise, you need to take the bellhousing with or attached to the transmission. John

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:51 pm

Seems I missed a full page of responces for some reason. I'd disconnect your radiator hoses if you haven't. If the engine tilts down in the rear for you to do the job, you'll put alot of tension on the necks of the radiator. Sorry I missed some of the responces. John

jsnwalker · Post by **jsnwalker** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:01 pm

First off, here is a photo of how the main gears look inside the tranny; a bit chewed up, quite a bit of rust.

As you guys directed me yesterday, I went out this morning and reattached the bell housing to the tranny using the 4 mounting bolts. I then pulled the starter and turns out the teeth on the starter are extremely chewed up with metal shards everywhere. Photo below.

Looking more and more like something is jamming the input shaft from sliding out? Regardless, I pulled the 9 bell housing mounting bolts and made a cardboard template like Wes suggested to hold them all. I then started to pull the bell housing away from the motor and got it far enough back that the built-in starter mounting bolt cleared the thin metal plate. It seems like I just need to pull it back a bit farther and it should be ready to drop but another massive storm rolled in and I had to quit. Gotta love the weather...

Just to know what to expect when I can get back out there, what all is going to be left attached to the motor when I pull the bell housing completely off? Is that large fly wheel supposed to stay on the motor or come with the bell housing?

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:13 pm

Flywheel and clutch stay on the motor. The thin motor plate stays between the flywheel and the block. I'd remove your transfercase shift levers if you haven't already done so.

I feel for you out in the weather. I've had my tool box filled with hail and gravel blown in my eyes more than once. Make sure your wheels are chocked good. Don't want the rest to move now that the drivelines are unattached. Try and keep the input shaft in line with the engine as you pull rearwards or it will bind in the clutch disc splines and pilot bushing in the flywheel. It sometimes helps to have the rear of the engine tipped a bit downwards. Going back in is even more of a challenge. It's very easy to shift the clutch disc if you apply weight to it while wiggling things. If you shift the disc before you are in the pilot bushing, you have to re-center it with the allignment tool.

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:17 pm

After looking at your starter, you can assume the starter ring has some bad spots to it also. Does the starter you have use a foot operated pedal, or has it been converted to a solinoid type on top of it?

jsnwalker · Post by **jsnwalker** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:37 pm

Just waiting for the days of 80+ degrees and sunshine!

I did pull the transfercase shift levers after I took that photo, should be free and clear to slide out. It seemed that the bell housing started to get stuck while sliding it back like the tranny did, but I started to be a little more ginger with it since I didn't know if that fly wheel was to come with it. I'll man handle it a bit more once the rain stops in a few days!

For the starter ring, I didn't look to closely at it yet, was going to do that once it was safely in the garage. Based on how gnarly that gear was, I'm expecting to find some more damage. And I will have to check how the starter is operated, just yanked it off and got focused on the gear without looking at the starter itself much.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:37 pm

As mentioned. Pull the transfer levers. Easy to do on the military D18.

Ok. I have a couple of questions. Was your jeep running, and if so
starting and shifting properly? Did it take a lot of grinding on the starter to get it going?

My starter gear was chewed up like that but it was because Bubba roasted
the throwout bearing making the clutch inoperative. He started and drove
it like that for a while.

The other thing. Once your bell housing is off count the teeth on your flywheel. You should have the 129 tooth flywheel. Wrong starter gear or
wrong flywheel will do that as well.

As John and Wes suggested. Don't let the assembly get out of line
with the engine while disconnecting. Besides getting the clutch out of
line you can bend the input shaft.

Be sure and look up Rick Stivers' T90 and D18 rebuild guides on line. Along with the manuals he has invaluable advice on how to take them apart and rebuild. Good stuff to read while it's pouring outside.

Be safe.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:51 pm

You gotta love RTV.....

oilleaker1 · Post by **oilleaker1** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:52 pm

The reason I asked about how the starter is activated is that the foot type has a adjustment to it that engauges the motor when the bendix is at certain depths. If it's turning on the starter motor with little engaugenment, that can cause what you have. John

Post by **wesk** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:36 pm

There is no retaining clip on the back of the clutch release fork. The tranny will slide out as long as you disconnect the retraction spring and the actuating cable. No need to fart with removing the fork. If the tranny input shaft is gummed up or tilted it may bind with the throwout bearing/fork assembly restricting movement of the tranny. Just get the tranny straight and if there is garbage on the input shaft just get a long screw driver and pry against the fork forcing it to slide towards the engine as you pull the tranny out.

Keeping the bell and tranny aligned dead center with the center of the flywheel during removal is tough and mis-alignment will often result in a stubborn removal. It helps to use two alignment pins threaded into the dowell bolt holes for the bell housing during both removal and installation of the bell/tranny/transfer assembly.

In the same thought if you decided to pull the tranny from the bell then two guide bolts installed in two empty tranny mount bolt hole will help make the removal and installation a lot smoother and easier.

In both cases just take appropriate size long bolts with heads cut off and the tip ground to a bullet shape to use for temporary guide studs. The length of these guide studs should equal the length of the input shaft that needs to be removed from the bell.