In my continuing adventures of replacing the bearings in the bottom end of a
TR3 with the engine still in the car, I have discovered that I cannot pull
the rear main bearing shells out as I have a TR4 clutch with the flat clutch
face instead of the concave face of a TR3 clutch. This prohibits complete
removal of the rear main bearing cap because of interferance between the
clutch face and the bottom half of the oil seal, which is still attached to
the bearing cap. If I could, I really don't want to disconnect the bottom
half of the oil seal from the bearing cap, as the current alignment of the
original oil seal is great and does not leak at all. :-o
I am considering dropping/loosening the tranny to slide it back so that I
can change out the rear main bearing shells. The crank journals all look
great. I just want to replace the shells.
What is involved in getting a couple of inches of access in between the bell
housing and the engine? Can this be done without major surgery? Should I
put this off until I can pull the engine? Should I worry a lot about the
difficulty in realigning the clutch and reinstalling the tranny? Do I ask
too many questions?
BTW - I will check out my tranny # and other pertainent info to contribute
to the ongoing TR3/4 tranny thread. I am virtually certain that I have a
TR4 tranny in a late TR3A. I could very easily double clutch into first
while rolling; all the while believing it was my manly stud-like shifting
prowess which enabled me to make these shifts so well. Malarky!, I must
have a first gear syncro.
Thanks in advance.
Jack Brooks
1960 TR3-A, TS69032L
1974 Norton Commando 850
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