[donraye]

[quote=jshel1;905118]Don,

I second Dwight. You NEED the clutch alignment tool definitely.

With a seasoned pilot bearing already in place and no change of either block or bell housing, the transmission will mate with the clutch like butter. There transmission and bell housing will go together with a nice clap. I seasoned my pilot bearing on a virgin install and it was as described above... NO cinching down of bolts between bell housing and tranny necessary, none.

In fact, we (TIT) have never installed one already mated... always transmission in first, then engine.
Also, remove the hood & go from the side.[/QUOTE

Thanks! You, Dwight, Bob Cowan and Clois Harlan have been a God send to me in getting ready to do this! All you're (and their) help as well as all the other kind replies to this thread are highly appreciated and I'd be lost without them.
When I talked to Clois Harlan by PM he said that one reason he pulled his engine (twice just this year!) in this way, was that he did not like having to disconect the hydraulic clutch line and then have to bleed it later on the install. That's why he just pried the bellhousing loose from the engine and then pulled it.
I love that idea but am still unclear about one thing being new to this task.
Will I have to pull the transmission from the bellhousing before I can disconnect the bellhousing from the motor? Or can I leave the tranny/bellhousing in the frame as an un-disturbed unit and pry the engine away from the bellhousing after removing the bellhousing to engine bolts and putting tension on the engine with the hoist and then unbolting the engine mounts? (providing of course that all the other engine periferals are already disconnected and clear).
The way Clois talked about his pulls I got the impression he never disconnected anything between the bellhousing and the tranny but rather just disconnected the bolts that hold the bellhousing to the engine then pryed it away to pull it. Is that correct?
Once I understand that part I think I am ready to go to it at last.
Don