DIY Clutch Replacement

[vfrqqq]

Is there any nuance to re-installing a flywheel to ensure it’s aligned with the rotational axis of the motor? When I losened the eight bolts, there didn’t appear to be any play in the positioning of the flywheel. So it would seem that one could just put it in place and screw in the bolts, no?

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by blsfrs

IMO. It's not the flywheel or the "alignment". I'd replace the pressure pate and disc. It's new. see if your supplier will give you an exchange.

JB Autospots won’t exchange or take back an installed or partially used product.

[blsfrs]

Did you reach out to SBC? If the dealer won't help try the manufacturer.

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by blsfrs

Did you reach out to SBC? If the dealer won't help try the manufacturer.

I’ll look into that.

Incidentally, since I’m essentially trying to evaluate different likelihood statements about what the problem is, can you explain more about why you think the clutch disk and pressure plate are the problem?

[blsfrs]

I'm not an expert but I have worked on cars for a long time. When a flywheel is resurfaced, an equal amount of material is removed from its entire face. Its "balance" won't change. That leaves the pressure plate and disc as the variables.

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by vfrqqq

Is there any nuance to re-installing a flywheel to ensure it’s aligned with the rotational axis of the motor? When I losened the eight bolts, there didn’t appear to be any play in the positioning of the flywheel. So it would seem that one could just put it in place and screw in the bolts, no?

Lol I guess this answers my question, or at least confirms that the service manual includes the necessary steps.

[vfrqqq]

Just got the transmission back on for the second time after replacing the flywheel and the vibration is no more! So happy. I was fully prepared to have to either just deal with the problem or take it to a shop to have it done professionally.

[Feezz]

Its very useful, You put best efforts!

[blsfrs]

I am curious to know what the machine shop did to your flywheel when they resurfaced it. Have you discussed the problem with them?

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by blsfrs

I am curious to know what the machine shop did to your flywheel when they resurfaced it. Have you discussed the problem with them?

I didn't talk to the machine shop about my issue yet, but am going to since the resurfacing cost me $75 (i.e., more than half the cost of a replacement Exedy OEM flywheel). When I picked up the flywheel, I asked the machinist what the difference was between resurfacing and milling the flywheel and the way he described it was that resurfacing uses something that is more like a really fine, precise in-plane grinding wheel that more gradually removes material, whereas milling is more of a cutting action. He also described that it's not really great to mill the surface because you could have variations in the thickness of material in different places due to localized heat stress and that it can actually induce localized heat stress. Alternatively, resurfacing is supposed to produce a more uniform surface, according to the machinist.

So, in the end, my sense is that the resurfacing process is perhaps a more gradual and controlled process whereas the milling, while being essentially equally precise, is more of a more forceful removal of material. But that's just my impression. I'm not a materials engineer and the shop I went to does work on hot rod performance engines and such, so I would assume they probably know what their talking about, but I suppose someone on here with actual machining experience might chime in to the contrary.

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by Feezz

Its very useful, You put best efforts!

There are a couple things I would note for anyone who takes on doing their own work on their transmission and that I don't think are really talked about on this thread (or maybe I missed it or it could also be elsewhere on the forum). Anyway...

1) I didn't realize until after the second time putting on the transmission was how important it is to understand and match up the angles at which the axis of the engine flywheel is at relative to the input shaft of the transmission. The first time I installed the transmission, I had it jacked up waaay too high, which together with the second item explains why it took me and my helper more than two hours just to get input shaft in the ring gear of the clutch disk. I did not appreciate that the input shaft on the transmission really needs to be pointing up at least a few degrees from horizontal, which is much more than I expected.

2) I also didn't realize until toward the end of the first install the importance of having my helper rotate the crankshaft pulley at the same time while I was underneath and pushing the transmission in. I appreciated that the input shaft and the clutch disk ring gear are a tight fit, but had assumed that at some point it would just slip into place even if it was just slightly off.

Understanding these two points the second time around literally resulted in it taking maybe 30 seconds to get the input shaft into the clutch disk, and without much force applied at all. I could not believe how much easier it was. So point being that there's a little more to think about than simply putting everything back together the way you took it apart.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by vfrqqq

2) I also didn't realize until toward the end of the first install the importance of having my helper rotate the crankshaft pulley at the same time while I was underneath and pushing the transmission in. I appreciated that the input shaft and the clutch disk ring gear are a tight fit, but had assumed that at some point it would just slip into place even if it was just slightly off.

Yeah you would think the tranny would rotate into alignment as soon as you try to ram it on but it can be supper stubborn sometimes. I simply put it in gear (just yank the shaft) and then turn the tranny by hand. Just grab on where the prop shaft bolts on and give it a little turn. If it's still stubborn, give it another little turn. It's kind of like Russian roulette. Sometimes the splines line up and sometimes they don't.

[blsfrs]

Originally Posted by ermax

Yeah you would think the tranny would rotate into alignment as soon as you try to ram it on but it can be supper stubborn sometimes. I simply put it in gear (just yank the shaft) and then turn the tranny by hand. Just grab on where the prop shaft bolts on and give it a little turn. If it's still stubborn, give it another little turn. It's kind of like Russian roulette. Sometimes the splines line up and sometimes they don't.

Not to be too picky, but what you describe won't work with our platform. the drive shaft has a slip in yoke. There is nothing to grab to rotate the the shafts. Unless you leave the transmission in a gear on removal, there is no way to put it in a gear since the shifter is not installed until after the tranny is in place. The 2 dowels prevent any rotation of the transmission when sliding it in to the clutch disc. The "easiest" way to do it is as the op described. Ask me how I know.

[vfrqqq]

Something that surprised me was just how far the crank pulley had to be rotated before the transmission just slide into place. If I had to guess I would say it was at least 30+ degrees of rotation. Which seems a bit odd since there are 26(?) teeth on the input shaft spline which would theoretically mean you only needed to rotate less than about 13 degrees before the splines lined up with the ring gear. Oh well.