marrying 325 gearbox to 2.7 engine

[adit]

i have fitted a 2.7 (autobox) engine to my convertible and tried to attach the car's original gearbox.
after fitting the spigot bearing hkf and i eventually mated the two together after much heaving, pushing and swearing. however, the engine was almost impossible to turn over, even my hand (socket and bar on the crank).
i was advised to disconnect the box and have a look. we have managed to move the box back an inch or two and the engine now turns as sweet as a nut. but now we just cannot get the box fully off
has the input shaft pushed right through the pressure plate and now won't line up to slide back out again? getting very now
any help much appreciated guys

[town325i]

was it in gear at the time with prop shaft on?

[e21Jason]

Did you change the flywheel over as well as the box

Jason

[adit]

no, it was in neutral and the prop and exhaust were disconnected.

we used the original flywheel from the 325 engine (as there wasn't one with the 2.7)

[andyp]

are you sure you fitted the right spigot bush ? and did you try it on the gearbox shaft first, to me it sounds like the problem

[adit]

i shall have to wait and see if i ever manage to get the gearbox off andy. i gave all the exact details to the stealers

[e21Jason]

The auto box uses a spacer was this still on the crank

Jason

[town325i]

how did you centralise the clutch? if with a tool i would check that it is central ive done it before managed to get the gearbox on and the engine would turn over very easy

[Brianmoooore]

Have you removed the 6mm hex headed bolt on the exhaust side?

[adit]

many thanks for the comments chaps.
jas: no. no spacer mate
town: yes mate, it was centralised with a correct tool
brian: yes, the bolt was removed
will: thanks mate, may have to go down that route

thanks again guys

[adit]

andyp/willnz: you were correct chaps

as i had a spare gearbox, i hacksawed two cuts approx 4cm x 8cm along the bottom of the bell housing and broke away the part i'd cut, in order to gain access to the pressure plate allen bolts. i has sufficient room to get a socket on them and undo one, then turn the engine round to the next one and so on.
the gearbox and clutch then just fell away from the engine, with the spigot bearing firmly stuck on the input shaft!
did the stealers supply me with an incorrect bearing? it seems so!
as and when i get the correct one, i shall try it on the shaft before fitting it in the block! isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?
i shall use the box and (new) clutch from the breaker.

[adit]

i went to the stealers and they told me that the bearing was correct. the one for the 325 input shaft and the 2,7 engine are one and the same. they even gave me a print-out as proof.
anyway, i managed to get the other gearbox off the donor car today and guess what....the bearing slid straight on, no problem whatsoever!
i checked the first shaft and it doesn't look corroded or burred at all, but the bearing just didn't want to go on. weird.
anyway on with the new gearbox and clutch tomorrow ("summer" weather permitting) and try again
thanks again guys.
p.s you're not coming to southern england this weekend by any chance will? i make a jolly good cup of tea old bean

[spook]

Ady, the zones gearbox king


And dont lay lay in the flea darts if you decide to help Ady. i had about forty of the fookers stuck in my back

[adit]

i told you, acupuncture free of charge
i thought you were a chippy!

(god only knows what he's like when he gets a splinter )

BTW: what happened to you today then moosh?

[adit]

not referring to me are you? I am also an old geezer like you but live on the opposite side of the world, so a quick trip to southern England is rather difficult..

Glad you are getting the problem sorted anyway, that spigot shaft oversize has got me puzzled.

Hope the weather in your neck of the world is better than we are having here, only frogs and fish would enjoy it!

yes, i was. old?? 25?

cheers will. i'm going to sand/file the end of the old shaft out of curiosity, just to see.

no, snap! this is our english "summer" after all. we've had our 4-5 days of sunshine. then everyone started moaning that it was too hot and it's rained/blown a gale ever since!