That last bit is usually the trickiest part. Make sure your clutch plate is 100% aligned. Did you use a clutch tool? It's possible your splines aren't lining up either. I've had luck with turning the input shaft of the trans (youd have to slip it back out a bit and reach your hand in) or by spinning the crank on the engine via the crank pulley. That will align the splines and allow it to slip together.

DO NOT force it together with the bolts. You end up cracking your clutch plate.

 

Bench press trans and shake like hell while pushing forward. You have to get the input shaft splines lined up with the clutch disk and the pilot on the input shaft into the pilot bearing. I find jacking up the front if the engine to get it to lean back helps with this. Another trick is to use the ppf bolts as guide pins, they'll thread into the bell housing bolt holes.

Whatever you do don't force it together with the bell housing bolts. If it takes more torque on the wratchet than one finger can exert you have something in a bind.

 

Okay, I thought it had to do with the splines and everything. We did use the alignment tool. He wanted to tighten the bolts and I told him no. Glad I did.

 

Yes, this. Especially the part about jacking up the front of the engine. Use a piece of wood to distribute the load on the oil pan evenly. It doesn't take much, maybe an inch, total

 

Alright. Sounds good. Thanks everyone.

 

The hardest part isn't the spline engagement, but getting the pilot bearing to engage with the input shaft on the trans. That interface has to be dead-nuts straight. The clutch disc will flex in the PP a bit, but the pilot bearing isn't moving at all. Wiggle up/down and side/side with the front of the motor jacked up as high as it will go, as others have mentioned.

 

I usually have to fight the "pipe guides" by twisting the engine vs the trans.
Having the engine in the lift and no mounts helps (and the trans resting on the cross-pipe +a 2x2").

Just for fun I missed tapping the pilot bearing to the bottom once so it locked the engine when thightened down, not a fun finding.

You have to experience the issues first hand to learn, reading about it doesn't help (me at least).

 

When the third commandment states:

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"

it was talking about installing the Miata transmission.

 

what's going on here - am i the only one that noticed the bottom motor mount plates are missing?