928ntslow

Seems easy, but I am perplexed! This is on my Euro 82 4.7L automatic.

Bell housing cover is off. I loosened the pinch bolt and removed the bolts for the flex plate. The ring gear is attached to the flex plate. HOWEVER, when I look at the WSM, the flex plate is located on the rear side (coupling side) of the ring gear. Mine is on the front side towards the engine.

The issue is that I can slide the coupling back, but after unbolting the flex plate and ring gear, the TT shaft won't let me pull the unit out so I can get to the flywheel bolts.

I thought that maybe I am could use a long allen head tool through the open holes at the center of the flex plate, but they don't match up. The thinking was pulling the flywheel and flex plate assembly out together.

What am I missing? It seems impossible to remove this without dropping the trans and TT and pulling it back.

Any idea's?

Ketchmi

All you have to do is take the rear coupler pinch bolt out and slide the shaft back in the torque tube, it will go a couple of inches. It may take a little work but a lot less than dropping the trans.

928ntslow

Maybe I didn't explain it well enough.

The coupling is not the issue, that slides back enough. The end of the TT shaft is far enough forward that it does not allow me to remove the flex plate and ring gear to get to the flywheel bolts...to get to the rear main

BTW, I forgot to mention that there is a circlip on the end of the TT shaft that has a a washer or two behind it on the shaft. The only reason I think this is for is so that the coupling doesn't slide too far forward causing the flex plate/toast your engine issue.

Mrmerlin

Kieth, What Dave is saying is to drop the exhaust system , and center heat shields, remove the rear pinch bolt on the driveshaft and slide the driveshaft rearwards, it should go about 3 inches or so with the rear pinch bolt removed

928ntslow

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I shall try this! Thanks Stan!...and Dave!

Ketchmi

Yup, that was the idea...you should only have to move the rear heat shield. The exhaust may or may not be in the way depending on what you have for tools.

928nut

Good timing guys, I was scratching my scalp over the same issue with my '79 automatic. I thought I'd have to drop the entire torque tube to get at the flywheel bolts. Didn't know/realize the driveshaft would move that much. It pays to hang around here ;-)

928nut

928ntslow

Nice idea, but it doesn't seem to be working for me. I removed the pinch bolts and thee rear coupling slides back and forth, but I can't get the shaft to move back. I am using a pry bar at the front end of the shaft and it won't move back. The shaft will slide forward about 3/4 of an inch, but stops dead when I move it back to the original position. I used some serious force too. all bolts are off at the ring gear and flex plate and I made sure it was not catching on any of it. What am I missing?

Imo000

Can you take some pics?

Bill Ball

Keith:

You have the early TT shaft with the circlip and shims preventing it from moving back. Look from the front at the forward end of the shaft.

928ntslow

Yes Bill, I see that. So now what?

Here are a couple of pics from both sides of the flexplate and ring gear. The shaft is as far back as I can get it. The clip on the end of the shaft does not prevent it from sliding through. It has to be in the TT itself.

Mrmerlin

OK since you cant get the driveshaft to move then try removing either the bell housing bolts till they are almost out then the trans mounts and slide the trans/TT backif you remove the bell housing bolts then the TT will drop and that might make things more difficult to work around try putting a piece of wood on the front TT crossmember

Bill Ball

So, I think I see that the clip and its retainer clear the center. Hmmmmm.... If that's not it, I'm stumped. The TT shaft should slide in the bearings/bearing carriers unless somehow one is seized on the shaft.

I wasn't aware that the flexplate went infront of the starter ring. Of course, it can't on the later cars as the ring gear is part of the flywheel, but that's not relevant to your problem anyway.

Bill Ball

The tranny can only move back an inch or so. That's not enough with the early long TT shaft to get the flexplate to clear. To get at the rear main seal, if you can't get the shaft back enough to remove the flexplate, you will have to remove the TT, or at least drop it way down out of the way. This means the exhaust must come off, the bellhousing must come completely off (or cut the rear crosspiece on the bellhousing), the heatshields and TT supports must be removed and the TT with the ring gear swung down out of the way or removed entirely. Fun and games. I hope you figure out what is impeding the shaft, but I'm not of any help there.

928ntslow

Actually, it looks like I can move the tranny back at least 3 or 4 inches. I am guessing that the fluid lines and electronics can stay put without disconnection. I think I can remove the 4 TT bolts in the bell housing, the 4 tranny bolts and get a floor jack under the tranny and slide the whole assembly back enough to get things done. Not my first choice, but it is better than the next alternative. I only need to move the end of the shaft back about an inch.

Pisses me off, I figured this was an easy thing to do as it took me no time on my GTS 5 spd.

Bill, I don't think there is anything seized in the TT. The shaft spins quite nicely and when I slide the shaft back the 1 or so that it does, you hear a distinctive "tink" like something is locked and it is not supposed to slide back.