Your assumption about making the bearing cap (that's what the maintenance manual calls the "circular piece of the input shaft that bolts to the front of the T5") smaller is correct. Take it off the transmission and bring it and the bellhousing to a decent machine shop. They will measure the hole in the bellhousing and turn down the outer lip of the bearing cap to match.
Other things to worry about include matching the length of the new input shaft to the old one, matching the splines of the shaft to your clutch and matching the diameter of the end of the shaft to your pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft.
Last edited by Bill Hanlon; 03/23/2026 11:25 PM.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12
'52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
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