Today got the trans all assembled, and painted.
Couple things:
Make sure the needle bearings are seated properly in the input shaft; your press will break one of it's not. This will knurl the end of your main shaft and require some light shaping.
When putting the trans into your press get a buddy, save your back.
When you pick up the trans vertically by just the case on the way to the press and/or from the press all of your needle bearings fall out of the input shaft when the main shaft slides out the back.
The key stock used to hold the countershaft and reverse shaft needs to be straight and square. Your tcase adapter won't go on properly if it isn't. If you try to force that adapter you'll strip the case.
Do not use the bearing retainer bolts to "press" the retainer into place. You will crack it and finding a replacement is a pain. A really good weld shop may be able to braise and polish it back to working order-MAYBE! It should go easy; try a different snap ring and/or make sure the front and rear bearings aren't swapped.
A 5" hose clamp works awesome when assembling the main shaft 1st gear slider. Use the hose clamp to contain all 3 of the detent balls/springs, and as you slide the big gear on it will slide the hose clamp down and with a little luck, some cussing, and safety glasses it will go together. Do not pick up the assembly by the slider. Those detent balls are inter-dimensional when they leave their home in the gear.
The locking snap rings on the main shaft can stand to have the slightest grove filed into them to give your pliers somewhere to sit. Wear safety glasses, every time the snap ring pops off the pliers a little metal goes somewhere.
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