I've finally got everything cleaned and back on as far as the clutch components are concerned. I installed a new rear main seal, new flywheel, clutch disc, and clutch pressure plate. On the transmission I cleaned it externally, installed a new slave cylinder, new top cover gasket, new shift rail rubber plugs, new rear tailshaft seal, and re-sealed the extension housing with silicone. Now I'm so ready to hurry up and get the transmission back in and all the external components back in. It wasn't bad getting the transmission out, I had 1 other person helping me. I can imagine it will be extremely difficult to get back in, since you have to line up the input shaft with the pilot hole. I will have it on a transmission jack under the truck, and again 1 person to help lift it up any further if needed. I was wondering if there is anything I could do to make installation easier. It's on stands, in my home garage. When should I install the transmission mount to the transmission, before or after the trans is back in? When should I put up the crossmember? While my helper is lining up and pushing the trans forward, what's the two easiest bolts I can get it to keep it in place while I put all the others in? Obviously I won't be able to put the top two bolts in while my helper is lining it up, those were insane to get to begin with. Just any hints or help you can suggest will be great.

 

I also lay on my back under the truck, put the tranny on my crest and kick it into place with my feet. I'll then grab the crossmember and just trow it in to hold the tranny up to stick a few bolts in the get going.

 

Did you replace the pilot shaft bearing in the end of the crankshaft? If no, do it before you put the tranny back in.

I would spend the four or five bucks for an alignment tool at your local auot parts store if you have done so alaready. I state this because you mentioned being concerned about lining up the input whaft with the clutch. This will ensure that the clutch disc splines are lined up correctly before you install the transmission.

I always install the crossmember after I get the tranny in and get most of the bellhousing to engine bolts tightend up. Use a transmission jack or floor jack support the end of the tranny until you get the crossmember in.

Good luck with it. Definitley a two man job getting it back in.

 

I put in a new pilot bearing before I put the new flywheel on. That wasn't a whole lot of fun either tightening the flywheel bolts, while everything spun. But I got all the bolts tightended to factory specs with some mild threadlocker on. I used the clutch alignment tool to line the disc up when I put the new pressure plate over it, and while I tightened those bolts. So all the clutch stuff should be perfect now. Now I know putting the transmission back in is going to be a nightmare. I can't even vision how to align the input shaft up while someone is holding the back of the transmission pushing it forward while I'm putting some bolts in to hold the transmission up.

 

It won't be that bad. Sounds like you've done everything correctly thus far. I did my daughter's and my help was my mentally challenged brother (he's the 35 year old guy you who's not quite right that you see collecting the shopping carts at a Target Sore). Point being it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do it. You will be fine.

I used a floor jack to support the transmission. Once we were ready to put it in, my brother would move the back of the transmission as I instructed (up/down, left/right). This worked OK except for the couple of times he went the oppostie direction.

Looking at the work you have done, I trust you have drained the tranny fluid. Makes it a little lighter and a lot les messy if you wait to fill it back up until it is installed. Just my two cents.

Oh and one more thing. If you bought a bench bled slave cylinder and have not touched the clutch pedal since you removed the hydraulic line, you may not have to bleed it once it's hooked up. This will save you a bunch of time and frustration. If you haven't moved the clutch pdeal yet, don't until you reattach the hydraulic line. Once it's hooked back up, try operting the clutch and see if it works. I couldn't believe it when mine did but I sem to remember tha the Haynes manual said this would happen.

If you do not have a bench bled unit, bench bleed it yourself before reinstalling. It should have had instructions on how to do this if it needs to be done (or perhaps you already did this).

Good luck with it. Bet you knock it out in five minutes or less.

 

I was getting everything cleaned up around the Ranger today to make installation a little less messy and noticed where I had the transmission sitting under the truck in position to be hoisted up that there was a small bit of transmission fluid about the size of a quarter under the bottom near the extension housing. This worried me, as I siliconed the extension housing with red silicone, and I'm wonder if I didn't put enough, but I know I did the recommended 1/8" Ford says, I probably did a larger bead. Then I was wondering if it dripped from the drain plug that I hadn't tightened with a wrench but just my fingers. The fluid is drained, I just swished some around in the trans to clean everything out. I have heard something along the lines of not having to bleed the clutch line if you haven't messed with the pedal. I haven't touched the pedal and neither has anyone else. As far as knowing if the new slave cylinder has been bench bled, I don't know, I doubt it. It didn't come with any instructions at all. It was a Brakeware slave cylinder from Autozone, so I doubt it was the one that's been bench bled. So how would you go about bench bleeding the slave cylinder before I put the transmission back in? I've alread installed the new slave cylinder into the transmission and tightened the bolts down to the factory 19lbs-ft. Can I still bench bleed it with it in there or is it something that has to be bench bled like a master cylinder? I wouldn't know it's the first time I've done a clutch.

 

I suspect that you can still bench bleed it but I've never done it. I bought a Ford unit from the dealer and it was already bench bled. I seem to remember the Haynes manual had some sort of discussion on this but I may be thinking of the brake master cylinder. I will head out to the garage in a few and check on this.

As far as the fluid goes, I would just clean it up and see if any more reapears. It may have (probably did) leaked out of the drain plug if it wasn't tight. you should be able to see where it leaked from. Another source could be from the rear seal. Sometimes they will leak from there, then run down the extension housing if you did not have the output shaft plugged off with the driveshaft or one of those cheap plugs from the autoparts store that never stay in.

Did you use RTV or did you use permatex #2 (my personal favorite).

You seem quote nervous. Don't be. If you screw it up, you already know how to get it back out.

Seriously, take your time, use good common sense and you will be OK. From the sounds of it, you've done a very good job on everything up to this point. Once it pops in, you are going to wonder what all the fuss was about.