I know some places sell that nifty splined tool - I don't have one. Any insight so I don't have to break stuff when I got to bolt the trans up to the motor for the final time? Eyeballing usually work? It seemed pretty precise when I wrestled it apart and the new disk barely fits the splines on my trans anyway. (TIGHT)
well do you have another ****** of the same ? take the main shaft and use it for alignment if that is the only manual ****** you are ever gonan work on ,otherwise some clutches come with the little splined shaft in the box for you to use
carve one out of a broomstick (easy if you have access to a lathe) or go buy one of those "universal clutch centering tool" gizmos at the parts store-george
Grim, I have an old piece of broom stick that was turned on a wood working lathe. The big end fits the inside of the splines of the disk and the small end fits the pilot bushing. Or you could leave the pressure plate bolts loose and gently work the trans into position; then tighten the pressure plate bolts. (depends on the bell housing; could be "fiddley") Hummm.. seems yorg and I are on the same wavelength! 'Cept he types faster!!!
A trick that sometimes works for that ( but only if you can reach the press plate bolts after the block and ****** are bolted together, like through the hole for the starter ), is leave the press plate bolts loose enough so you can still move the cluch disc around, but it needs to be clamped enough so it doesnt drop down to one side. Eyeball it and stick it together, and then tighten everything up. Sometimes the fit is so critical that the cheapy plastic spline tool is not accurate enough, and doing it that way saved me a couple of times...
Depending on the fit of the splines & the pilot bushing, you may be able to snug down the pressure plate bolts then center the disc by eye & feel. I've also heard that if everything is hooked up, depending on the setup you've got, get the splines engaged, support the ****** & bump the starter while easing the trans forward - takes about 5 hands, but... I've only tried it once & didn't have a lot of luck with it, but I got a buddy who swears by it. Again, depending on your setup, might be able to have someone push the clutch in partway while you're under there guiding it in... All just random craziness
I cut the shaft of an old blown up ******, but I just had an epiphany... measure the inside diameter of the cluth splines and then go to the hardware store and buy a cheap dowel rod. May need to be wittled down a little, but should have something close, and wood is easy to work with. Geno
[ QUOTE ] Again, depending on your setup, might be able to have someone push the clutch in partway while you're under there guiding it in... [/ QUOTE ] I tried that once, but my buddy who was pushing on the clutch was much stronger than me trying to push the engine in place... Another trick that sometimes works is putting a round piece of steel with a much smaller diameter than the pilot bushing ( like a socket extension )though the disc into the bushing and move it all the way to one side, look at the angle , move it to the other side and compare the angle to the first one, then do up and down. It is actually more accurate than it sounds...
I bought one of those universal clutch alignment tools from NAPA, the ones with the 10 or so different input sizes and not one of them worked with my Y block. Just something to consider. Save your receipt.
The eyeball method usually works if you can get your head in there for a straight-on look. Some parts stores sell dirt-cheap turned wood or molded plastic tools, and early Ford size is readily available because trucks used that setup for eons. On an early Ford, a piece of pipe over the lever on the bellhousing will allow you to release the clutch if you need to adjust. If working alone and there's room, put a couple of long studs or allthreads into bellhousing, support the ends, and you have the trans on rails so you can slide it fore&aft fairly easily.
if ya got nuthin' eyeball it and do like flaternie sed; [ QUOTE ] Again, depending on your setup, might be able to have someone push the clutch in partway while you're under there guiding it in... [/ QUOTE ] or buy the plastic one, they are cheap. what transmission ya got? I've got a bucket full of old input shafts. Paul well half full anyway
Early Ford Frankentrans. Mostly a '39. Excluding Napa it never occurred to me to try a parts store since they've been no real help so far. I tried to buy one of the plastic tools on the way home yesterday. It took five minutes of talking just to get the guy off of the computer and into the back so I could see the damn tools. He made two weak attempts to actually think, then I left. I have another super crusty transmission with mulched gears and an oil and water bog inside. I just refuse to invest the time to dis***emble it right now for the input shaft. I'll eyeball it and if it doesn't slide right into place I'll back off the pressure plate bolts, find some allthread and try that. Who knows, I might have a dowel and some odd bits - sockets or something - that I can stack together and work it out. One thing. The plate is pretty tight on the input shaft...too tight to get on by hand but it looks like I could knock everything together with a block of wood and a hammer. Normal? I figure I'll just put a little bit of anti-sieze on the splines and pound it together.
"The plate is pretty tight on the input shaft...too tight to get on by hand" That ain't right, and it's going to make actaul ***embly difficult and may be enough too tight to cause difficulties in operation. Therapy may be as simple as knocking it on and removing it several times. First, eyeball the ends of the splines in the disk closely and attack any burrs or sharp edges, then try to free things up some.
if you have the spare trans to get the shaft from i STRONGLY recommend you dismantle it to use for an alignment tool.if you don't line up everything properly you could bend the clutch disc on the way in,which will cause CHATTER like you won't believe,and could eventually lead to the center of the disc blowing out,which means taking the whole goddammed thing apart again which is a giant pain in the ***!!! have i made myself clear?
Sir, yes sir. I think I have some file work to do on that disk before I fit anything together anyway. Strike two for the tool at the other parts store on my lunch break. The dowels and sockets come out when I get home....but you can't make me take that trans apart.
I use one of the plastic things, but I've got a Chevrolet motor/trans, and you can buy the alignment tool at 7-11. If you're not planning on saving or rebuilding your spare transmission, you could always saw (hacksaw, sawzall, whatever) the input shaft off flush with the front of the case. No real dis***embly required there...and I'd probably go ahead and weld a little loop on the end of it just for ease of removal once you get the clutch ***embled onto the flywheel. Just a thought...
"take that trans apart" You only need five minutes to get it about 1/8 of the way apart. This will allow you to use the input as a lapping tool for the disc problem and give you your alignment tool free: At back of trans, cut off cotter pin and yank out the dowel pin that goes through the lower shafts from the lower rear corner area of case. Go to front, use a longish punch or piece of rod to drive back the lower shaft visible behind clutch crossover shaft. When it comes out the back, the cluster gear will drop down into the hideous stinking swamp of prehistoric grease at the bottom of the case. Undo the four bolts at front and yankout the input shaft. Free tool!
Oh, yes, since you're clearly transmissiophobic, wear rubber gloves and drop the extracted gear right into a coffee can full of thinner to disinfect--otherwise, you'll smell like Herbert Hoover's transmission fluid for about a week, causing such familial and social dislocation you'll give it all up and buy a Volvo.
You're all determined to make me stink. I'll take it apart and report back tomorrow with an update. I think my main issue now is getting the disk and input to work together.
Deburr, then put that input into a vise and push the disc on and off to see if that loosens it up. If not, maybe put a little fine valvegrinding paste in there and lap some more on the spare input. That should loosen it up, and make the defective part unreturnable too... Look over the input on the good trans too, it might have picked up some burrs on its splines in its many adventures.
Do you have a torch? cut the junk shaft off, grind it, Weld a big washer on it, so you can pull it out.
On the smaller fords I used to use a piece of steel rod just smaller than the pilot bushing, with masking tape wrapped round it to get the diameter right, and more tape wrapped round it to bring it up to the inner diameter of the splines in the plate. Works good enough, you have to use a little bit of "feel" and eyeball but a quick and easily replicated method if there's nothing better. Mart.
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