Super beat flywheel, wrong size friction, and scorched pressure plate...
This is fine.
Getting the clutch and pressure plate out with the bellhousing on was a huge pain. Getting everything twisted to clear the crossmember was something of a mess.
Are you supposed to pull the bellhousing first? Looking at the engine, I am not sure how to support it without the bellhousing attached.
It's impossible to pull the bell housing without removing the flywheel- - - - -bolts hidden underneath it. If you think you must pull the bell for some reason, put a long 4 X 4 across the fenders near the cowl, and use a 2" wide ratchet strap under the oil pan to support the back of the engine. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
When I bought the truck, the dude said he put a new clutch in the year before. When I got it home, the clutch was totally out of adjustment so it did not fully disengage when you pushed the pedal.
I now suspect that he did replace it, did not adjust it, and drove it long enough to ruin all of the pieces before I got it and adjusted it right.
It should be real interesting to see how it drives with a good flywheel/clutch pack.
@Jerry: I am confused. I am working on a 283, not one of the sixes. As far as I can tell, all of the bolts holding the bellhousing on come in from the outside/back.
I don't have a pic of mine, but this one from Lugnutz is similar and also seems to have all the bolts on the outside?
Was the disc in the right way? If the disc is in the wrong way it won't disengage all the way. One tell tale sign it was in backwards is the fly wheel bolts will have some scratch marks on them.
51 GMC 100 with 59 chevy 261 under the hood. 3 on the floor with 3.42 gear.
yep, you have to support the engine and take the BH off. Disc/PP look like it was installed incorrectly with the shape of that FW. Can that be machined? Like with that, I`d have to reinspect everything the PO touched.
Last edited by Guitplayer; 02/09/20254:41 PM.
~ BD. "You won't find me in an old folks home" Pioneer Florida Cracker 1958 Apache Stepside 1958 Apache 1/2 ton Panel 1959 Apache 1/2 ton Panel
Was the disc in the right way? If the disc is in the wrong way it won't disengage all the way. One tell tale sign it was in backwards is the fly wheel bolts will have some scratch marks on them.
The clutch disc was in correctly *this time*, but the reused flywheel bolts indicate that it was installed wrong previously.
This flywheel is pretty badly beat and the machine shop wants more to resurface it than a new Luk costs. Given the obvious hot spot damage to the pressure plate, I am not sure this flywheel is salvageable anyway.
So the project is on partial hold until I get a new flywheel.
OOPS! I missed the V8 detail! Same procedure, however- - - -jack the engine up under the oil pan (use a piece of 2X6 between the jack and the pan to avoid denting it) and unbolt the rear mounts. Then support the back of the engine with a strap if you need to move the truck around while the bellhousing is off. There's really enough room to remove the flywheel for machining without pulling the BH- - - -most shops I've worked for would fire me if I tried something like pulling parts for no good reason. That's about a 3-hour job in a flat rate shop- - - -drop the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel, resurface the flywheel, and test-drive the rig to lunch with a new clutch installed. Once the flywheel is refaced, you might get away with reinstalling those new-looking clutch parts.
Too bad we're not closer to each other- - - -I've got half a dozen of those flywheels stashed away!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
To be clear, I did take the whole assembly out without taking the flywheel off. It just seemed like it didn't want to fit through the bellhousing/crossmember slot as installed.
The clutch parts are also roached. The clutch is badly glazed and is no longer flat. The pressure plate has visible heat spotting, a few cracks, and a few chunks where it galled and left pits.
A flywheel from HRL would be your best bet, especially if its ready to go. Yeah those bolts look toasted and about to break. Id give that pilot bushing a check too.
~ BD. "You won't find me in an old folks home" Pioneer Florida Cracker 1958 Apache Stepside 1958 Apache 1/2 ton Panel 1959 Apache 1/2 ton Panel
I have new: Flywheel (on the way) Flywheel bolts Pilot bushing Clutch disc Pressure plate Clutch bolts Throwout bearing Clutch fork clip Bellhousing mounts
Once all of that goes in, it should be a pretty good setup.
I am going to the 60s/70s flywheel without the machined lip around the edge so I can use the more common 11"/12" clutch disks
When you get your flywheel mounting bolts make sure that they are the same LENGTH as the old ones. If you don't check this it can cause a lot of headaches. Don't ask me how I know just know I know and keep on working. 2 minutes of inspection will save you a lot of REWORK.
Brian Moore 1949 3100 5 window Deluxe "Today is better than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow"
When you get your flywheel mounting bolts make sure that they are the same LENGTH as the old ones. If you don't check this it can cause a lot of headaches. Don't ask me how I know just know I know and keep on working. 2 minutes of inspection will save you a lot of REWORK.
Thanks. I got a new set of SBC bolts, but my wife and I are taking turns in the hospital so it has just been sitting ever since.
