man ur not gonna believe this...I just now figured it out...the clutch disc....IS TOO BIG. the splines don't line up. I just put the clutch disc up to the input shaft, and the clutch disc went over it like nothing. the diameter of the splines on disc were too big in comparison to the input shaft. therefore it was as if the transmission wasn't even connected but the engine was running. explains many of my symptoms, if not, all of them. I never would have thought I received a wrong part. thought u might like to know this. man, this was a tough one to figure out! lol.