Hot mess, a 1967 CJ-5 restoration

This bell housing has no inspection cover like earlier or non-dauntless models. I assume the bell housing is a General Motors flavor. However, after I removed a smaller floor panel (more on the firewall) that went over the top of the housing, I got a little better view using an angled mirror. It became clear what happened!
The shift fork has a retainer on it to keep it positioned on the pivot. The fork had slid out of the retainer and was not pivoting on the fulcrum ball. It was easy to push back into place and I now have the clutch working correctly.

Attachment 12035 Attachment 12036

I forgot to mention this a few posts back and you might find it funny. The t-case insulator is from an import. I had to go and buy M10-1.5 nuts to get it attached.

You have great perseverance David! Way to keep digging. That clutch fork mechanism has caused all of us issues at one point or another. It is the same type of set up on most early vehicles. The "art" of getting all the components lined up and slid into place when installing a transmission is always a task. The slightest bump and the stuff falls out of place. Its a good thing you were able to get in there and clip the fork back on.

I am still wondering what combination mount/transfer case/cross member you ended up with on that. If you get a chance, can you take a photo of how that turned out? You never know who might run into that again.

Well done Davide! It is correct that clutch forks are the ire of the whole clutch jobs for us all. I've learned that if a transmission doesn't fight you when engaging the splines of the clutch, stop and find out what's wrong.... Something is probably wrong.

Bob, here are a couple pics of the t-case mount. A top and front view.

Attachment 12037 Attachment 12038

On another note, I was under the Hot Mess futzing around and saw that the t-case rear output shaft was leaking. Has to be the seal which looked and felt new. Does it ever end.....

Thanks David! I started a separate thread with it and added it to the Tech Section. I am sure someone will run into that again.

I thought you put a new seal in there. When you go back after it, be sure to put a wear sleeve on the yoke if the seal has worn any groves in it.

No, there is always one more thing you want to get to.

I'm making a big assumption here, but the seal should be new. The entire story with the Hot Mess started with a t-case that went bad and the one I put in was supposed to be a reman assembly. The seal looked and the rubber felt new, granted it did sit on a garage floor at my Dad's for many years. When I put in the speedo gear set in, I even applied some grease to the inside of the seal lip before bolting the housing back down. The yoke looked in great shape and had no groove in it from previous wear.

The t-case got drained and the old seal is out. It looked to be an original OEM. Stamped part number on it and a fully housed metal casing. The new one comes in later today. A double-lipped National seal. Yoke shaft looks great, no grooves. Not that I want to, but should I be putting something on the splines to eliminate that possibility of seepage?

I turned the engine over, just to hear her roar again. Had to shoot a little starting fluid in to make that happen. This time I saw no fuel coming into the clear filter, even though the pump is new. There was a little dampening of gas in it, but not half filled as you'd expect. I'll take the inlet line off the carb and will try again. I'm suspecting that the float needle is buggered up.

What I didn't expect while turning the engine over was the front yoke on the t-case turning. The transmission was in neutral, so that should not have happened. I'll have to take the shift tower off and inspect. I did notice that the throw on reverse and 1st was longer than 2nd and 3rd. I probably didn't get that smaller back fork in correctly.

On my t90 the 2-3 shift is shorter then R-1.

The pinion may have been turning just from friction in the gears, and no load on the yoke. I bet if you held the yoke or had the weight of a driveshaft, it would stop. My trans and tcase I have sitting on the floor, will spin with it in neutral. (Not sure if this is how it should be)

Interesting! Dr. Dana will tell us.