2000 Tacoma Clutch Replacement - Transmission Alignment Bearing Stuck on Input Shaft

I have been reading all the posts about clutch replacement complications due to the transmission seizing onto the motor alignment dowels. Additionally on other forums there were discussions about the seized alignment bearing. That is what we will be tackling today. This is an R59 transmission on a First Gen V6 4x4. The starter is on the passenger side. There were 6 bolts holding the bell housing to the motor plus two holding the starter to the bell housing. We have the transmission completely free and pulled back about 3/4" from the engine but it will not come off. We believe that the bearing is stuck on the shaft. For clarification, since the bearing is stuck the transmission shaft, the shaft can not pull through the clutch and the clutch is attached to the fly wheel. I am posting all of this because this is my first time attempting a clutch repair and just learned all of this. We will be cutting a hole in the bell housing to gain access to the bolts holding the clutch to the fly wheel. We will rotate the engine using the front pully on the crank shaft to rotate the fly wheel and get to each of the bolts.

 

if it is the pilot bearing, I dont know, I have never had one of those stuck to the the input shaft.

I dont envy you your job... they only way I can see this getting any worse is if you are by yourself, doing this on the ground outside in the dirt and the weather sucking. If it wouldnt be too much to ask... pictures please.

 

Wow! Cutting a hole in the bell housing sounds pretty drastic. So you think the pilot bearing has pulled loose from the flywheel, but is stuck on the end of the transmission shaft? The end of the transmission shaft that goes into the pilot bearing is pretty small, so there isn’t much surface area there. Hard to imagine it won’t pop loose with a little persuasion. I’ve only done this job twice. I did have it hang up some, but with lifting, lowering, wiggling, and prying it came out. If you pry on it hard I can’t imagine you would break anything other than the clutch disk or the pilot bearing, and you are going to replace those anyway. Maybe you could spray a bunch of PB Blaster in there through that 3/4” gap and let it sit a while to give it time to penetrate. I don’t know, but cutting a hole in the bell housing seems pretty extreme.

 

Never seen that happen in my years .

Most times they hang up in the crank

Interesting things do happen

 

OK well I drilled the hole and removed the 6 screws holding the clutch cover onto the fly wheel. I will post a picture. The transmission still would not come loose. So we downloaded the Toyota service manual and it described the Rear End Plate. There is a plate on the front of the transmission that is not mentioned in the Haynes manual. We had felt those three screws before but they seemed to part of the transmission and we didn't remove them. After removing them the transmission came right out and the pilot bearing was not stuck on the input shaft. We got a loaner Pilot Bearing puller from AutoZone and removed the Pilot Bearing. We mostly followed the Marlin Crawler installation instruction for our new clutch and bearings. I forgot to align the splines with the tool while tightening the pate to the fly wheel; It was getting late. We will see if it has any impact.

 

If your gonna be dumb you gotta be tough!

 

Don't do that. get a ratchet strap and put tension on it pulling and wiggle the trans. first.

BE VERY VERY CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When it comes off don't let it fall on your head. Your going to need that later.

edit: Oh God, I'm too late. Well carry on. We all make mistakes.

 

You can align the outside of the clutch disc to the pressure plate by feel as you tighten the plate but it's much easier to use the alignment tool.

You'll fight it back in if not aligned. All us old guys have fought them when young it's part of learning. Just don't use drills and torches as a first tactic.

 

We couldn't get it to go back on. It was about 1/2 from contact with engine. While doing everything possible the fork came loose from the release bearing. So it is back out and we are following the directions a little more closely. Added grease to the shaft splines and aligned the spring tips. Another weekend shot.

 

That's where it always hangs up if not perfectly straight. Once it finds home, it slides right in like it was made for it.

edit: remember those splines in the clutch have to line up with the input shaft of the trans. going in, wiggle and push, take it out a litle bit and push it back in.

laughs. I know it sounds bad. Thing is if you were that close you had it, it just wasn't the sweet spot.

 

Also, make sure that the trans is aligned perfectly. If not, you could put side load on the clutch and bend the dang thing from the weight of the trans. i have taken my trans out 4 times now by myself with a floor jack. (no not because i suck lol actual repairs)

If you need an actual manual for it from the factory PM me.

 

We reassembled the transmission and everything else except the drive shafts. When we depressed the clutch it doesn't pop back up. Is that something that improves after we start the engine? Or should we bleed the line and pump the peddle? Also can we run the engine without the drive shafts attached to the transmission and transfer case?

 

Did you have the flywheel machined ?
Are you using a brand new clutch master cylinder and clutch slave cylinder ? Jack up the rear of the truck ...this will help you bleed
Is there a clutch adjustment rod under the dash ? How does your over center spring look ? its above your clutch pedal ? When is the last time you lubed the clutch pedal bushings ?
Yes , you can run the truck without the driveshafts for testing purposes
Check out some info lower in this thread
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...on-your-5-speed-transmission-write-up.338836/

 

I swapped the clutch in my 1995 SR5 after my wife ruined it, and had zero issues. I did have to make sure to pull the trans off and reinstall it straight back, or it would bind. Never in a million years would I have taken a hole saw to the case, so bravo to however you put pants on with balls that big.

 

Its all back together now and runs like a champ! I had to bleed the slave cylinder to get pressure back on the clutch pedal. Its just like doing brakes. The reason, I guess, that it had no pressure is that while it was disconnected I depressed the clutch pedal. This pushed the end off the slave cylinder and some fluid came out.

Also we greased up the transmission splines pretty well and used the alignment tool so I think that helped. Lastly the Harbor Freight t$100 transmission jack was a life saver.

 

I taped up that hole with Gorilla tape. This is our Moab truck and my sons school daily driver so its been fun. Go Utes!