T18 to bellhousing bolt question...

This should be simple. Bolt the Jeep T18 to the Jeep bellhousing. 4 bolts. Well one stud and 3 bolts. So here are the problems......

1 - The stud that goes behind the clutch fork (bought from PartsMike) is designed like a wheel stud. It just needs to be pressed into the hole. I don't have a press. But I do have a socket, a BFH, a big C clamp and a few other tools. But I can't get the darn thing pressed in. I'm afraid if I press the snot out of it, it will crack the bellhousing. It's kind thin along the edge there. Can anyone see a problem just using a bolt?

2 - The holes in the bellhousing, when you thread the bolt into it, is a 7/16, course thread. It threads in by hand almost through. Then it starts to get tight and quickly needs to have a socket. I've cleaned the threads. I assume the hole is tapered so it holds the bolt in tighter.

3 - The bolt that fits the bellhousing threads is 7/16 but the holes the bolt goes through in the transmission is much larger. It looks like it needs a bushing of some type in the trans then the bolt goes through the bushing, into the bellhousing.

Any thoughts? Any pictures of the tranny/bellhousing bolts and how the mount? FSM does not show anything that helps me.

 

My t15 uses (4) 7/16" bolts (14 threads per inch). I ended up drilling out my holes in the bellhousing and installing helicoils because my threads weren't "clean" and some of the aluminum threads had stripped. With these, you make the hole larger, thread the hole, then screw in the helicoil, which looks like a spring. The ID of the helicoil is 7/16" like the original bolts. Works great.

http://www.amazon.com/Heli-Coil-55217-7-16-14-Kit/dp/B000CMHVKI

 

I've used helicoils before but the threads are not stripped. Or don't seem to be. They tighten up. When we put the micrometer in the holes, ID was .01 less on the inside than the outside. Not much but enough to get hard enough that I can't twist it in by hand.

If I have to drill it out and tap, I'm going to drill it out to match the holes on the tranny....something line 5/8?

 

No pics, but if I remember correctly I used a large carriage bolt in place of the stud and was able to put a nut on it when it came through the T18. I also had to notch the clutch fork that I had because it wouldn't rotate properly around the head of the carriage bolt without binding on full depression.

I lied...I found a pic...

 

I used a button head capscrew (allen) . with a nut .you can hold bolt with allen when clutch fork is forward . nwedgar picture looks good

 

NWedgar, that looks very clean. Did you cut the bellhousing so the square part under the head fit into a square in the aluminum?

The wheel stud looking thing from PartsMike should work but I don't want to force it and crack the bellhousing. I can always drill out the hole slightly larger than it currently is The stud has a flat spot cut on it so once it's in, it will not turn.

This can't be that hard.

Pict of the bolt that fits the bellhousing and how it fits in the hole in the tranny

 

I did not modify the bellhousing at all. I don't know which bellhousing I have, but it is the one that allows for the bolt on slave cylinder, which I also did. I probably have a pic of the part number somewhere if you're interested.

 

That would be great. I'll be ordering lots of stuff from PartsMike on Monday. He was closed on Friday. I used what I believe is either a T150 bellhousing or the original from the tranny. I did not have to drill anything...yet. It has the holes to mount the slave cylinder for the hydraulic clutch.

I'm going to take some measurements and figure out what to use as a bushing in the tranny. And I'll get that darn stud (or somthing to work) in where it goes. I will get the tranny on the bellhousing tonight!!!

 

The T-150 bell will have a symmetric pattern, the Ford "butterfly" pattern:


The Jeep T-18 pattern has a single bolt hole different:


The picture shows the long adapter that is used on the wagons and J-trucks. but you can see the out-of-place bolt.

A T-18 from a 77-79 CJ is something of an oddball, and I'm not sure what its configuration would be. However, my factory parts book does not show any press-in stud, like you are describing.

 

I think the bell part number is 3229127 and has a 79 stamped in another section near the part number.

 

Picts of my stuff...
bellhousing showing the 7/16 bolts. The socket is over the stud I got from PartsMike that goes in the odd hole on the tranny.


This shows how the 7/16 bolts that fit the bellhousing are too small for the holes on the tranny


Backside of Bellhousing


Pict showing front of tranny


It seems like no one has ever had this problem. But I dont' see where the tranny was drilled. The holes look stock. If I remember, the mounting hole measures .590"ID on the tranny. I can solve the problem but I really want to see what is wrong and why I am the only person to ever have the problem. If I need a different bellhousing, I'd rather know now instead of spending time and money getting it to work for now but not work later on.

 

So what's the history of this transmission? Did it come in the Jeep, or from a junkyard? Have the components ever been together?

 

Tim, I got it around 4-5 years ago and all it did was sit on an engine stand. He also sent a bell housing with it but it might be a T150 housing that never has been bolted up to this transmission. I thought it had been but I would have seen the markings where the stud was in the bell housing and the clutch fork would have to have already been notched and it has not been. The hole the fork goes through is a rectangle, not a square. This is going from the best of my memory. The I got the tranny from a guy that was going to an auto. It is supposed to be a T18 out of a late 70's CJ. I have counted input vs. output revolutions and it is a 6.32 first gear. I have no reason to think it was any thing other than what it was sold to me as. The bolt holes match, the size of the input shaft seems to match what I understand the input shaft to be. Below is the various measurements of the input shaft:

The PTO port is on the drivers side.
The little drawing below the numbers is what is cast on the top of the case, next to the reverse indicator for the back up lights.

 

when i had put a stud like that i would put a stack of washer on the stud and leave just enough space for the nut,then tight ed it until it pulled the stud in. If it needed i would put more washer until it was all the way in.

 

Picts as requested. And i have another front bearing retainer. Just have not replaced it. But then again I didn't notice it was broken. I assume you are talking about where the input shaft goes through the hole in the front? Where it looks like it is a little worn? Or am I missing something big and obvious?



Other side if you don't like the first


I did get the numbers off the bell housing. 3229127 CF and on the other side of the bossing there is a "79" lightly embossed. Now I match nwedgar

 

Eh-hem.

You are missing the part that the throwout bearing slides on.

 

Tim and Nick. Thanks. I guess I would have had a little problem. Darn thing does not look broken at all. When it broke it broke off clean.

Nick, thanks for verifying the 1/2" bolt holes on the tranny. I feel better that the tranny is the correct one. now I need to find a bushing or drill the bell housing.

I'm thinking it might be easier to drill the bell housing. Thoughts?

 

Here's a pic with the retainer. I got mine from PartsMike.



and for kicks...in the video link below you can see the fork moving, and the carriage bolt that I used in place of the stud. For the life of me I can't figure that out, I swear I didn't drill it out, I must have just inserted the carriage bolt and held it in place while putting the nut on the outside.

[video]http://s986.beta.photobucket.com/user/nwedgar/media/Clutch/MVI_0579-1.mp4.html[/video]

 

Thanks for the video. I was not sure how the t.o. bearing moved on the clutch for. I might be wrong but it seems like the fork might ride in the middle of the T.O bearing and it pushes and pulls both. Is that correct? Or does the T.O. bearing just slide down the bearing retainer and the fork just pushes it forward and the clutch has pressure on it to push it back?

 

The TO bearing is attached to the fork so it pushes and pulls. Whenever you get around to that part of your assembly you'll have to make sure that you have return springs on the fork to pull the bearing back off the clutch, otherwise the bearing will spin if it makes contact and wear out faster.