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[terry paget]

OE03 EWW 3.2 petrol manual saloon
Clutch job. Gearbox is detached from block but seems stuck on splines. Picture below. How should I proceed?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9pq7snkdird8dux/GEARBOXSTUCK.jpg

[05omegav6]

Leaving the jack where it is, grab the box from behind by the exhaust brackets and give it a tug whilst jiggling it...
If you jack it another half inch to ensure it's taking all the weight and make sure that your feet are sticking out from under the rear bumper so the you are jiggling/pulling with your arms at a stretch above you.

This is simply because the box may well roll of the jack and I won't have someone dropping a gearbox on their head on my account

The box is heavier than it looks btw...

[terry paget]

Leaving the jack where it is, grab the box from behind by the exhaust brackets and give it a tug whilst jiggling it...
If you jack it another half inch to ensure it's taking all the weight and make sure that your feet are sticking out from under the rear bumper so the you are jiggling/pulling with your arms at a stretch above you.

This is simply because the box may well roll of the jack and I won't have someone dropping a gearbox on their head on my account

The box is heavier than it looks btw...

Thanks, Al. I don't think I have done anything wrong, and it's moved an inch or so. I wonder if the splines beyond where the friction plate runs are rusty. I am inclined to attach a rope to the rear bracket and pull on that. If that fails attach it to the my estate and jerk it with that.

[05omegav6]

 A couple of taps with a modest club hammer on the exhaust bracket should suffice

At least if you pull it out with another car you won't be underneath it

I know somethings on the Omega require will power and wishful thinking, but none of it is glued together by magic

[chrisgixer]

Carefull you don't pull the entire car off the stands. Steady steady.

[Andy H]

What symptoms prompted the clutch replacement? (slipping? not releasing? crunching noises?)

Most likely is rust on the splines where they didn't get any action. Pushing the box back and forth a few times ought to overcome that

If the clutch centre has broken it might be canting over and catching (a bit like the action of an inertia real seatbelt). Repeated gentle attempts, (& maybe raising/lowering the tail of the box) should eventually get it out.

I won't insult your intelligence by asking if you have disconnected the gear change linkage and hydraulic hose  ........

[terry paget]

This clutch has slipped on and off for the last four years. It is now bad.
I have disconnected the gear linkage, and the rod is hanging down clear of the lever foot. I have disconnected the hydraulic pipe at the master cylinder..
I have attached a rope to the exhaust support bracket and heaved on it. Trouble there is the rope is elastic, and I feel I am pulling against the clutch springs. It needs a jerk or an impact to free it. Glad Andy agrees that rust on unused spline section is likely cause.

I am sensible of the danger of pulling the car off the axle stands if I use the estate to heave. The rear wheels are chocked, handbrake is hard on, and I can put ramps under the front wheels to minimise danger. It would still leave the jack under the gearbox.

There is about an inch gap between crankcase and gearbox.

Wife and I have tried rocking car in and out, me pulling the jack handle forward, she pulling the rope back. All we achieved was to move the jack base forward under the gearbox.

[05omegav6]

Keep jiggling, it will come out

[terry paget]

Keep jiggling, it will come out

Might do. Trouble seems to be the gap remains at one inch. All we are doing is flex the clutch springs. I feel it needs a big jerk to yank it through the rusty splines section.

[05omegav6]

Push it back in half an inch and take a run up, as it were

[terry paget]

Push it back in half an inch and take a run up, as it were

Good idea. I am not sure I can push it back in. I might be able to get a bolt in and pull it back in. I will try.

[terry paget]

No joy. I cannot push it back in or hammer it back in. I have not any bolts long enough to pull it back in. The prop shaft bolts look similar, but they are a different pitch. It si well and truly stuck.

[martin42]

Just have to keep wiggling it,it will come out 

[Andy H]

This clutch has slipped on and off for the last four years. It is now bad.
I have disconnected the gear linkage, and the rod is hanging down clear of the lever foot. I have disconnected the hydraulic pipe at the master cylinder..
I have attached a rope to the exhaust support bracket and heaved on it. Trouble there is the rope is elastic, and I feel I am pulling against the clutch springs. It needs a jerk or an impact to free it. Glad Andy agrees that rust on unused spline section is likely cause.

I am sensible of the danger of pulling the car off the axle stands if I use the estate to heave. The rear wheels are chocked, handbrake is hard on, and I can put ramps under the front wheels to minimise danger. It would still leave the jack under the gearbox.

There is about an inch gap between crankcase and gearbox.

Wife and I have tried rocking car in and out, me pulling the jack handle forward, she pulling the rope back. All we achieved was to move the jack base forward under the gearbox.

When I took my box out I think I also removed a steel plate that connects the back of the gearbox to the base of the gear lever surround  never really worked out if it was absolutely necessary to remove it or whether I should have been able to tie it up out of the way 

[05omegav6]

I leave it in, but it can snag on the top of the box... although there's more than enough movement on it to nudge it out of the way should the need arise