[Healeys] Fwd: New Clutch query

Tue Sep 28 17:28:54 MDT 2021

OK Richard, I get that. I’ve been over zealous but no harm.

I do confess to, perhaps, being overly obsessed with “centring”. I’ve been sitting on the cold garage floor with my head, at a most uncomfortable height, where the gearbox would sit. I’ve been lining it all up by eye. Hard to explain…..stick the black nylon thing in and try to centre it, by eye, within the circle at the centre of the “plate – release lever” (Thing held in by three metal clips). Idea being to keep the circumference of the nylon equidistant all the way round with the plate’s centre. If you see what I mean.

What, I think, was happening was that the plate would move slightly off centre as the bolts were tightened up. One time, I got them precisely equidistant, but the shaft would not go in and out. I’ve reverted to my previous method which was to tighten up the bolts, little by little, whilst constantly checking the shaft for perfect in/out movement.

By that method, at least, it’s perfectly aligned and I just await another pair of hands. Tomorrow, maybe.

I shall support it underneath if I can. Hopefully with a trolley jack. It’s at an awkward height for that and that’ll be tricky.

Thanks for your input,

Simon

Since you are doing it the right way, that is, a few turns at each time on each bolt, then it doesn't matter if you go criss-cross or 1,2 3. 4 etc.  It's not like a wheel that must be centered using special tapered nuts. A clutch cover is a big spring. It does not have to be "centered" .... just clamped down uniformly.  

On Tue, Sep 28, 2021 at 1:57 AM <simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com <mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com> > wrote:

I’ve been doing it as one does a road wheel…….12 o’clock, 6 o’clock , 9 o’clock, 3 o’clock etcetc. Progressively, round and round about one turn at a time. Using the progress of the dowels as a reference.

Are you suggesting to, say, start at 12 then to 1, to 2 etcetc? Progressively around the flywheel??

An interesting difference. I could start at the area from which – I think – the plate moves slightly off centre….

Simon

From: richard mayor < <mailto:boyracer466 at gmail.com> boyracer466 at gmail.com> 
Sent: 28 September 2021 02:12
To:  <mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com> simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Fwd: New Clutch query

When you tighten the cover bolts are you doing it progressively?  That is, tighten each one a bit at a time as you move around the bolt circle?  That's the way to do it. 

On Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 1:56 PM <simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com <mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com> > wrote:

Richard,

Hi. Thanks for this.

You can present the clutch and cover to the flywheel using the plastic tool.  Tighten the cover just enough to hold the disc....... remove the plastic tool ......then insert the metal input shaft, loosen the bolt, finish the alignment and tighten the bolts. 

*	Yes, I did work that out. And put it into practise. I reckon that I was almost there when one of the three little springs in the centre of the housing sprang out. So I had to take it all out and start again. No worry as I’m getting a lot of practise.
*	One thing…..I get it centralized when it’s all loose but, as I tighten the bolts, opposite after opposite, it seems to move off centre by about 2mm. Always to the same place. It’s a mystery as I’d guess I get it pretty tight before it starts to move. ie, it moves when it shouldn’t be able to. Or does it? Maybe the plate is staying still but the centre of the housing shifts as the springs tighten up.
*	I’ve the car up on ramps so can sit on the floor with my head sticking up where the gearbox would sit. PITA getting in and out, but effective. See pic.

Another aid is to put an old fan belt around the back the transmission. One of you can then easily lift or lower the back end of the transmission to make things line up.

*	I use an old heavy lifting sling which achieves the same thing

When I do it, I place a piece of 2x4 at the back of the cylinder head between it and the firewall.  Because the engine is well balanced on its motor mounts it does not put much pressure on the firewall.  It will do no damage.  The engine in this position is well suited to receive the transmission.

*    I’ve got a piece of scaffolding plank under the sump. About 12” by 8” by 2.5”. I will be paying huge attention to the relative levels of engine and gearbox.

  I then use the floor jack to get the front of the transmision to the right level. Then you can guide the tranny forward using the fan belt to raise or lower the rear of the transmission.   Make sure the transmission is in gear so you can turn the rear output flange as needed to get the clutch and input shaft splines to line up.  I have used this method many times with success doing it all by myself.  Take your time and with a bit of finesse it should slide right in. Never let the weight of the transmission hang on the input shaft and clutch.  Use the floor jact to support the weight of the transmission at all times. 

*	I will. For sure.

Thanks again,

Simon

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/healeys/attachments/20210929/9d5e8c0b/attachment.htm>