You need to pull the pilot bearing and a reducer sleeve to get the proper bushing into the crank. It was not a fun job

Is the crank on the engine side?

I have a pilot bearing puller you can use.

Ok, great. I'll let you know when I need it and come bum it off of you. It's too cold to start this project now, so it may be awhile. Plus, I still need to learn more before I tear into this. I'd love to have it done before Spring.
 
Is the crank on the engine side?



Ok, great. I'll let you know when I need it and come bum it off of you. It's too cold to start this project now, so it may be awhile. Plus, I still need to learn more before I tear into this. I'd love to have it done before Spring.

Yes. The crankshaft. Have you pulled a transmission / done a clutch before?
 
Yes. The crankshaft. Have you pulled a transmission / done a clutch before?

I did pull my current transmission and do the clutch about 17,000 miles ago. I think I used a 3 claw puller from HF to remove the pilot bearing. Will I be doing something similar? I guess I just can't remember what I saw when I was there.
 
Last edited:
Where does the crank shaft pilot sleeve go? What do I have to remove to install it? How do I remove it? And how do I install the crank shaft pilot sleeve?

I’ve got some rust I can see inside the transmission. Should I just remove it as carefully as possible?

My experience with this part. It wasn’t fun.

The piece you see attached to the slide hammer is the bushing that the smaller bearing next to it sits in. The last photo is the auto bushing seated in the crank.

Post in thread '2005 Rubicon; A Rubi Brother'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/2005-rubicon-a-rubi-brother.55498/post-1080573
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
My experience with this part. It wasn’t fun.

The piece you see attached to the slide hammer is the bushing that the smaller bearing next to it sits in. The last photo is the auto bushing seated in the crank.

Post in thread '2005 Rubicon; A Rubi Brother'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/2005-rubicon-a-rubi-brother.55498/post-1080573

Hey @Jamison C, can you read this post again. I just edited it with some questions.

Looks like I need to read your thread multiple times. I already read it apparently. That last photo I can see it seated, and I can also see the plate with six threaded holes for the drive plate to bolt on to, but I am not sure how this is going to work. Do you bolt the drive plate to those 6 holes, then bolt the drive plate with the 4 bolts to the TC and then install the transmission? Have to get the TC to engage the pump when you slide it on the splines. Arghh.
 
Last edited:
Looks like I just need to read your thread multiple times. Thanks for the photo brother!

Of course! In my research it seemed this was a piece of info that got missed a lot. Thats why I went overboard with the documentation lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
Hey @Jamison C, can you read this post again. I just edited it with some questions.

Looks like I need to read your thread multiple times. I already read it apparently. That last photo I can see it seated, and I can also see the plate with six threaded holes for the drive plate to bolt on to, but I am not sure how this is going to work. Do you bolt the drive plate to those 6 holes, then bolt the drive plate with the 4 bolts to the TC and then install the transmission? Have to get the TC to engage the pump when you slide it on the splines. Arghh.

YOu will install the new bushing, like Jamison shows. The flexplate (that's the thin, sheetmetal thing with the starter gear on it) will bolt up to the crank (which you just installed the bushing in) with the reinforcement plate and 6 NEW bolts. The T/C nose will pilot into the new bushing on the crank and once you have the transmission installed, you will use four bolts thru the flex plate to the torque converter (which you will access through the lower dust shield that should have come with your tansmission). Its also called an access panel, as its how you access the T/C and Flexplate connection. IIRC there is one bolt that is offset on the Flexplate / Torque converter pattern too, so it will only go one way. Its good to find that out before you install and mark it somehow.
 
YOu will install the new bushing, like Jamison shows. The flexplate (that's the thin, sheetmetal thing with the starter gear on it) will bolt up to the crank (which you just installed the bushing in) with the reinforcement plate and 6 NEW bolts. The T/C nose will pilot into the new bushing on the crank and once you have the transmission installed, you will use four bolts thru the flex plate to the torque converter (which you will access through the lower dust shield that should have come with your tansmission). Its also called an access panel, as its how you access the T/C and Flexplate connection. IIRC there is one bolt that is offset on the Flexplate / Torque converter pattern too, so it will only go one way. Its good to find that out before you install and mark it somehow.

This is awesome! I've fiddled with all these parts enough to know what you're saying. You're right, there is only one orientation of the 6 flex plate bolts through the reinforcement plate that will work. Glad to know I need 6 NEW bolts too. I'll get on that. I just need to make sense of the dust shield/access panel so I can understand how that panel works. My TC did come with the 4 bolts that bolt from the flex plate side (front) to the TC (behind it). I also have the upper and lower dust shields. Really appreciate this. Helps me see how it's all going together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
This is awesome! I've fiddled with all these parts enough to know what you're saying. You're right, there is only one orientation of the 6 flex plate bolts through the reinforcement plate that will work. Glad to know I need 6 NEW bolts too. I'll get on that. I just need to make sense of the dust shield/access panel so I can understand how that panel works. My TC did come with the 4 bolts that bolt from the flex plate side (front) to the TC (behind it). Really appreciate this. Helps me see how it's all going together.

I think there is only one orientation of the flex plate to torque converter bolts too.

and FWIW, the Flexplate to Crank bolts are NLA. You can probably reuse them...but the manual says to replace. I found ARP makes a replacement set, but you probably won't like the price, P/N 146-2901. I bought them. I also needed torque converter bolts, so I got the OEM ones. They are still available and the P/N is 6504 383.

Also, another Caveat...I think these things are pretty universal, but I did the swap on an 04. Some of my notes on the flexplate say 02-04...but I don't know what the differences would be.
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: JMT and Wildman
Hey @Jamison C, can you read this post again. I just edited it with some questions.

Looks like I need to read your thread multiple times. I already read it apparently. That last photo I can see it seated, and I can also see the plate with six threaded holes for the drive plate to bolt on to, but I am not sure how this is going to work. Do you bolt the drive plate to those 6 holes, then bolt the drive plate with the 4 bolts to the TC and then install the transmission? Have to get the TC to engage the pump when you slide it on the splines. Arghh.

@Mike_H covered it pretty well but this post kind of helps you see what's going on. Like Mike said, the flex plate only attaches one way to the TC. Figure the out before hand and mark the TC. The flex plate then gets attached to the engine crank. When you mate the transmission to the engine, find the mark on your TC and find a bolt hole next to it. Then move your flex plate into a position where you know where the rectangular hole will be oriented with the mark on the TC. It's hard to explain, but once you see it it makes sense.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/2005-rubicon-a-rubi-brother.55498/post-1081118
 
I think there is only one orientation of the flex plate to torque converter bolts too.

and FWIW, the Flexplate to Crank bolts are NLA. You can probably reuse them...but the manual says to replace. I found ARP makes a replacement set, but you probably won't like the price, P/N 146-2901. I bought them. I also needed torque converter bolts, so I got the OEM ones. They are still available and the P/N is 6504 383.

Also, another Caveat...I think these things are pretty universal, but I did the swap on an 04. Some of my notes on the flexplate say 02-04...but I don't know what the differences would be.

I ordered the bolts from ARP. Bring on another $42! I was skeptical, but read a really good thread on another forum about the torque and stretching the threads. Then Jamison showed me a post you had made to him and the high torque (67 foot/lbs) for that bolt. At that point I broke down and ordered. Better safe than sorry. Just do it right the first time and don’t destroy something.
 
I ordered the bolts from ARP. Bring on another $42! I was skeptical, but read a really good thread on another forum about the torque and stretching the threads. Then Jamison showed me a post you had made to him and the high torque (67 foot/lbs) for that bolt. At that point I broke down and ordered. Better safe than sorry. Just do it right the first time and don’t destroy something.

42 dollars now is a WHOLE lot better than dropping the transmission and fixing something because a bolt broke....
 
I ordered the bolts from ARP. Bring on another $42! I was skeptical, but read a really good thread on another forum about the torque and stretching the threads. Then Jamison showed me a post you had made to him and the high torque (67 foot/lbs) for that bolt. At that point I broke down and ordered. Better safe than sorry. Just do it right the first time and don’t destroy something.

What's $42? Shit I've replaced as many of the bolts on my engine & transmission as I can with ARP just for the safety & peace of mind factor.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: JMT
What's $42? Shit I've replaced as many of the bolts on my engine & transmission as I can with ARP just for the safety & peace of mind factor.

6 - 1/2-20 chromoly bolts. 🤣 You have spent a large fortune. Ask me how I know!

And yes, that’s why I’m doing it. Safety and peace of mind (piece of mind for some 🤣). I prefer to do this once.

Painted the entire brake pedal bracket. I love how the factory painted just the pedal stalk about 2/3 the way up. 🤔 Not going to rust much being inside, so I get it. Pinching penny’s. But I like to have things done right.

image.jpg


Did a bench test on the new/used Mopar Starter today. Working like a champ!

IMG_2441.jpeg