Clutch Cable Connection

The drama continues. I paid a guy to put the transmission together and get the CJ driveable.

It is a new cable. Near as I can tell, the guy I paid to put it all together for me, among other things forgot to put the cable in when he put the transmission back on, among other things. He was fired, and nobody else at the shop wanted to work on it. I brought tit home and decided to do it myself. Anyway, is it possible to put the cable in, without removing everything?

I hate it when you pay people to screw things up and then have them walk away.

If you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all...

I have had that happen to me and I removed the transmission and transfer case as a unit to get to the clutch bearing fork. I really tried to get it out but it was jammed in such a place that the magnet I had wouldn't pick it up.

When you move the trans-transfer case unit back you will have to move it back far enough that the input shaft on the transmission will probably disengage from the pilot bushing in the flywheel. You will need some way to realign the input shaft into the pilot bushing without causing damage to the bushing.

I have had a couple of people tell me over the years that it is possible to separate the transmission just far enough that the shaft doesn't disengage the pilot bushing and allow the clutch fork to dislodge from wherever it is caught so that a magnet will be able to retrieve it. If you can get the fork out that way it may be able to be put back in its proper place and the transmission bolted to the bellhousing without wrestling the input shaft back into the pilot bushing.

My personal experience is that I couldn't make that happen, but you mileage may vary...

A couple of things to remember...

Make sure the clutch fork where the clutch cable attaches isn't bent in so that the clutch cable ball can be installed after the whole thing is put together. You might be able to get the whole unit installed with the clutch cable already installed and hanging out of the bellhousing, but I have never done that successfully. If the end of the clutch fork happens to be bent, the chances of getting straighten out while installed without dislodging it aren't good. ASK ME How I KNOW THIS!   

The other thing to remember is to install the clutch pivot shaft with the spring end towards the transfer case pivot ball. (The load spring goes in that end, and it is the longer arm on the pivot tube on that end). To do
otherwise (with the short arm towards the transfer case) will cause the clutch fork to be pulled too far and the cable will disengage from the clutch cable and damage the clutch fork end where the clutch cable ball installs.

Don't give up! We are all here to help you succeed. Perhaps others reading this thread have different suggestions on how to dislodge the lost fork from the bottom of the bellhousing. I never had that kind of luck.

Steely - LOL thanks for the encouragment. I think I have it! I did what you said. Prior to reading your post. I'm like there is NO WAY, I'm pulling this entire thing apart again.. I used page 155 of the manual as a guide. I don't have small hands, but using a long thick tie strap and some yellow tape on the ball to keep the cable on the fork I'm good.