Just put a new clutch kit in a 1991 dodge power ram 250, 5.9 4 spd manual. Old pilot bushing was chewed pretty bad, and the new one was to long to sit flush in the crank. could not get the transmission to go in the last half inch. Removed and tried a cutoff shorter bushing that now sits competely in the crank but am having same difficulty installing transmission. Any ideas would be very appreciated.

 

Two questions:
1. Are you sure you put the pressure plate in flywheel side toward the engine? Clutch damper springs must face the transmission.
2. Did you use an alignment tool to center the clutch disk?

 

Yes the flywheel, disc and pressure plate are installed correctly, and I used the alignment tool. I'm pretty sure the splines of the input shaft are in the clutch disc because I left the tranny in gear and can no longer turn the output shaft. Only have half inch to go to meet the bellhousing.

 

If you checked that the bearing was the correct size for the input shaft and you cleaned all burrs from the cut off operation. Sounds like the tip of the input shaft is just not perfectly aligned with the bushing. It is a tight fit. Grab the tail shaft and while applying forward pressure shake the crap out of it. (up and down and left and right) This is not a time to be gentle as there is really nothing you can hurt.

 

Plastic alignment tool had a little play in it, so we tried an old input shaft. Our tranny jack was to big (it was for heavy commercial trucks) and kept hitting exhaust and cross members. And we still had the transfer case on the tranny. But yep we got it close and with quite a bit of jiggling and kicking we got it in.
Thanks so much.