Hi everyone,
I'm in the middle of rebuilding my m41 transmission and I'm having issues getting the layshaft out. Drifting the shaft out with a hammer and brass punch I managed to get the shaft just inside the case and then it stopped. I'm afraid of hammering too hard since I have already cracked one of the spacer rings and I know some of these parts are NLA. According to all the literature I've read, the shaft is driven out backwards but my question to all of you in the know is this. Can the layshaft be installed in reverse? I seem to remember that the shaft is of different diameters at each end.
For those of you with a transmission sitting around, can you see numbers stamped into the layshaft when you look at the back or front of the transmission?

I have done this once before with no problems, but this time it's causing me some grief.I just want to make sure that I am not trying to press the shaft out the wrong way. I am now in the hunt for someone that will let me use a press to do it better.
Thanks for all the input guys and have a great weekend,
Klaus