Clutch/ flywheel

trev · Post by **trev** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:03 pm

1) when installing the clutch, is an alignment tool necessary?

2) i purchased a new flywheel and need to have the two guide holes drilled to fit onto the two tapered dowel bolts; does anyone know the tapering specs?

RimfireJim · Post by **RimfireJim** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:29 pm

1) I can tell you, from personal experience, not a professional mechanic's standpoint, that no, it's not necessary - I've done it on both my M38 and a Ford flathead V-8 without a special pilot bearing alignment tool, unless you call a drift special. At least, that's what I think I used - it's been 30 years. I don't think I even had the drift when I did it on the Jeep. But, you'll have to get it pretty well centered somehow or you're going to be fighting it trying to get it all back together.

2) Sorry, can't help you on that one.

-Jim

Post by **wesk** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:44 pm

A simple piece of wood dowel the diameter of the clutch hub and turn the first inch or so down to the diameter of your pilot bushing and voila you have an alignment tool. Or you can eyeball center as you install the pressure plate if the bell is off. then when you are ready to insert the tranny get the tranny input shaft into the clutch hub and if it doesn't immediately slip into the pilot bushing have a helper depress the clutch pedal and you wiggle and push the tranny while with the tranny and transfer if connected in gear, rotating the tranny or transfer output.

The two tapered dowel holes for the flywheel reguire the correct angle reamer to properly fit the new tapered dowel bolts. If this has already been done before then you often run into a tapered hole that is too big for your new tapered dowel bolts and then you must either replace the flywheel or upgrade to the new style staright oversized shoulder dowel bolts. Most folks don't fool with the tapered dowels anymore. They just upgrade to the large straight shouldered dowel bolts and drill the holes to the new size.

Since we are doing the tranny and discussing dowel bolts do not forget that the bell housing uses two straight shouldered dowel bolts as well.

artificer · Post by **artificer** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:53 pm

Just to add to Wes' post....always use an aligning device, it just makes things so EZ compared with eyeballing.
A wooden dowel which fits the pilot bush/bearing then wrapping on masking or electricians tape so that this tape is just @ the splines ID might be easier for some who don't have the ability to turn things.

trev · Post by **trev** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:56 am

thanks guys for the advice. i definitely appreciate it.