I can't find a specific clutch alignment tool for my T/A. I checked autozone/advance auto parts and the chevy dealership in town, and no one has it. I have a universal one, but it doesn't have the 26 teeth, just sort of a cone piece. Would that work? Apprecaite any advice!

 

Call around at more auto stores. I just helped a friend hunt one down and we had to check 4 different stores.

 

If the tranny is on a jack just use the input shaft to get it perfect. This will align and center everything better than the tool any day.

 

Amen to that. Those plastic alignment tools are for the birds, they aren't long enough to get everything squared up anyways. ESPECIALLY with a street twin when you have 2 friction disks to go through.

To use this method you must snug up the pressure plate just enough so that the friction disk holds its location, but loose enough that the disk can move. Install the tranny to align it and then remove it to snug up the pressure plate bolts.

OR

With an LT1/T56 clutch you can install the tranny with the pressure plate loose and then tighten the pressure plate down through the area where a the slave cylinder attaches. This will take a little longer to tighten down since you will need to turn the motor over to get to each pressure plate bolt (in stages and in a star pattern like lug nuts). This method will save net time though over attempting installation, realigning, attempting installation, realigning, attempting installation, realigning......................
I have installed single disk clutches before with an old input shaft from a trans with success, but couldn’t have any luck with the junk plastic alignment tools for the T56.

It sounds kind of like you’ve done a clutch job before and just can’t get your hands on the right tool so you may already know this; but I’ll throw in this advice as well just in case or for the benefit of anyone reading along. Leave your tranny in gear to that you can use the driveshaft to rotate the input shaft and help align the splines. This is also especially important for a twin disk clutch install, but can help on a single disk install as well.

Good luck.
Brent