Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) clutch replacement

[bradyw]

Started to replace the clutch today and not seeing how to get the transmission back far enough. Its hitting the floor of the cab. Im doing the kdp at the same time so i pulled everything off the front of the motor thinking i could angle it to get the clearence but still having trouble worried about being able to keep everything straight going back in. I wish the tower was removable like the nv3500 do i need to cut the floor or am i missing somthing. Ill keep trying to find a thread with step by step inst. The chiltons book (cant efford the good one ) i have sucks they say to just slide it back and down but dont have the room. My email is -- email address removed -- if any one has a pdf file with better instructiions. Thanks this place is the best.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

You need to bend the rear lip of the hole in the floor upward, and put a jack under the front of the engine (harmonic balancer if installed) to tilt the front up and the rear of the engine down somewhat.

 

[bradyw]

Do i need to take exhaust off the turbo i have a jack under the motor and let all the way down i still need to push up on the front of the motor correct? Will all the inner cooler plumbing flex that much?thanks

 

[GAmes]

A factory service manual on CD is only $35, but I don't think it covers your problem. When I still had a NV4500 the transmission was removed numerous times ( I broke a lot of them) and there was never a clearance problem with the floor board. However, the G56 did have an issue. I found that if you loosen the nuts on the long bolts that go thru the motor mounts about 1/4 of an inch, the engine will tip a lot easier. DO NOT put the pressure on the botton of the oil pan!! Use the bracket that the A/C compressor bolts to or the damper. Caution, a board under the damper will more than likely slip.

 

[SRadke]

There's room. Slide it back till it hits the back of floorboard hole then lower it till it clears and keep going back. It'll work.

 

[bradyw]

I got it out feel alot better now but in my clutch kit there are two extra bushings one with a shoulder are these just different than the needle bearing for the main shaft in the flywheel. What to clean the shaft with, clutch dust is all over it, wire brush, emery cloth, a rag and brakeleen. The rear main is not leakin it looks like the rear valve cover is leakin will fix first. The transmission looks like it has been gone through seal looks good. I dont mean to be cheep i know it could bite me in the a... But found my dream truck and best of all my daughter love it too because she rides horses and we can finally go some where my wife hasnt been able to work in three years do to medical issues i dont want to be so tight but every PENNY counts. Thats why i am so thankful for this web site thanks to the people and members of tdr

 

[bradyw]

I was thinkin today i wouldnt have had to move the transmission so far back if i would have left it bolted to the bell housing. And do i bolt the transmission to the bell housing before motor or bell housing to motor first anybody know about bushings in pic. Thankx

 

[bradyw]

How do u get some attention around here lol

 

[GCroyle]

Brady,



'97, NV4500, right?



I have installed the NV4500 both ways, with and w/o bell housing. Both req'd some engine tilting to get the initial req'd trans position.



As 2 piece installation:

Pluses, the bell housing, fork and bearing are one piece and it is easy to line up the housing on the dowel sleeves. Possible assistance on this method, I used same size bolts with heads cut off as guide pins while stabbing trans, might help.



As a 1 pc. installation:

Negatives, more of a chance to damage the dowel sleeve holes in the b-housing as you get the trans in place.

Positives, housing, fork, bearing and trans one pc.



Which is best, a lot depends on your equipment or improvisation skills.



Bushing, only issues, NO GREASE, only oil. Later the bushing was replaced by open needle bearing with yellow grease. Trans shaft must be in smooth clean condition, don't get crazy with the emery cloth.



Possible assistance at Dodge Ram 1997 5. 9L NV4500 5 Speed Clutch Installation - YouTube



Good luck and be carefull, do not force the trans in place, position and guide.

 

[bradyw]

Thank u so much. Will post results have owned it a month and half and havent been able to drive it yet

 

[SRadke]

Bolt the bellhousing on the trans on the ground. WAY easier to get things lined up.

 

[JKosten]

Do the rear main while you have everything out. It is worth the peace of mind.

And Joe is correct just bend the floor pan up a little. . and if you have 4" exhaust it will get in the way...

 

[Nyoest]

My 96 is snug. Real snug after the dd clutch. I found for me pulling the Trans seperate of the b housing worked well. Also once back enough I rotate the Trans counter clockwise so the shift tower goes into the Trans lever slot, that allows plenty of room to withdraw the Trans. Each one is a bit different. Ymmv

 

[bradyw]

Well got it all in and done. I decided to go with two part install easier to get to top bell housing bolt was nervous about alignment going back together but measured transmission to bell housing to keep my alingment right slipped right in. Pedal feels good havent driven yet going to do kdp next day or so and valve cover gaskets. One more thing i watched the utube video and didnt use the neverseeze looking grease that came with kit i used so stalub extreme pressure wheal greese so not to fling up on contact surface. Old clutch looked to be orignal it had 255000 miles and had gotten hot and lost all grease. Thankx for all the help and addvice. Ill post again once i drive it.

 

[hsmith]

I recently had a friend at a local transmission shop install my SBDD unit because I just didn't want to. (LAZY) Took two of them less than two hours, not hurrying, start to finish. This included installing the starter spacer required with this clutch. They did the one piece method, tilting the engine just a bit. Would have taken me three times as long.

 

[bradyw]

I got into kdp today and it looked to be out about a 1/16 or more so i used a punch and tried to knock it in wouldn't move i even was using a 3lb sledge. I wond up puting a washer under the egg shaped washer so it would be flat and not at an angle still put red loctite and torked it to 18lbs. Is this normal

 

[GAmes]

I hope it is normal. Mine wo't go flush with the case either. I didn't add a washer, a tab at an angle won't hurt anything. I hope you went with a slightly longer bolt.

 

[bradyw]

I got the tst kit it came with a longer bolt just wanted to make sure and get the true torke if washer was at a angle it could bend and loosen the torke on the bolt and fall out.

 

[bradyw]

Well i finally got to drive it today. Got all the front of the motor back together and the valve cover gaskets changed, took it for a drive everything was smooth until i got to third gear it grinded going in like it wasnt lined up, stayed in, felt good fourth and fifth no problems. Any advice or threads to look at

 

[SRadke]

Sounds like a fluke. If you never opened up the trans, nothing should have changed in there. If you changed the fluid, you may notice minor changes in the effectiveness of the syncros caused by that.



-Scott