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Halfway through my clutch job - questions on the torque tube and the clutch fork pin
So I got the torque tube disconnected yesterday. I expected the thing to be destroyed, but it appears to me to be okay. A little backstory - the car started vibrating hard in the middle of the rev-range during a race, but we continued driving it. Drove for about 8 hours and then the clutch let go - the way it failed I suspect the throwout bearing binded up. Going in, there was some suspicion the torque tube bearings had come apart, but I don't see the smoking gun I was looking for.
I spun the thing by hand, and while it looks like the shaft might have a little runout, it doesn't look like anything that would cause serious vibration at speed. The bearings themselves even feel smooth. I didn't notice any crunchyness you usually feel with bad bearings.
Talking with Constantine of Black Sea (that does torque tube rebuilds) he mentioned that if the bearings come loose it will often eat up the nub at the end of the driveshaft that sits into the pilot bearing. I test fit the new pilot bearing, and there is a small amount of play, but not an amount I would expect from the end being beat up. Looks like normal wear to me.
Complicating matters further, near the end of the race the exhaust broke off, and the vibration seemed like it was not as severe. Its possible the vibration was the exhaust rubbing somewhere on the frame.
Second question - has anyone used the tool from arnnworx to remove the clutch fork pin? That thing is seriously stuck in there. Assuming I can't get it out, I just undo the pressure plate bolts from the hole where the starter used to be and the whole thing comes off?
Last edited by ddombrowski; 02-08-2016 at 12:38 PM.
Engine mounts are good. I tried threading a bolt into the pin, grabbing it with some vice grips, and hitting it with a hammer. Not moving, not even close. I'm doing this on jackstands so I don't have much room for a real slide hammer.
I suppose you're right that it is premature to guess the vibration without seeing the clutch disc and pressure plate. Believe me, I really really wish I could be posting pictures of those as well right now, but the clutch fork defeated me as of last night. I was just hoping someone could chime in with a "no, all driveshafts look like that, yours is good" or "holy crap that looks terrible, all the ones I do are perfect!"
If I don't find a smoking gun on the vibration from the clutch/PP, then I'm faced with the decision to put it all back together and risk having to remove the trans/torque tube again if the vibration persists, or prematurely swap the driveshaft from my parts car (which is a ton of extra work).
What about swapping the entire torque tube from the parts car? A little less work that way.
Sorry, I didnt mean just the driveshaft, I meant the whole torque tube. Even still though, its a lot of extra work in the sense that I have to drop the rear suspension on two cars (plus actually pull the trans on the second car).
The middle shaft, it says, is visually ok but there was still looseness in the pilot bearing.
I had seen that. Thats what I was referring to when I put the note about the nub at the end of the shaft being worn down and why I put the video up of me test-fitting the pilot bearing. The website says that the middle shaft was 'unacceptable' but I don't know of any spec, official or otherwise, for what is acceptable.
It says that pronounced vibrations will ruin the clutch, and I can certainly see that, but I don't have a feel for how much slop in the driveshaft will cause 'pronounced vibrations' without having worked on a half dozen or more of these cars like some of you guys have.
Agree with Van. I'd take it apart first. I don't notice anything in those videos that seems bad, though I'm not a TT expert by any means. I trust you removed the bolt that locks the fork axle in place?
Agree with Van. I'd take it apart first. I don't notice anything in those videos that seems bad, though I'm not a TT expert by any means. I trust you removed the bolt that locks the fork axle in place?
How much is a TT rebuild? Seems like a good idea while its out.
North of 1,000 if we go with the rebuild from Black Sea, plus the additional labor of having to drop the rear suspension and another alignment afterwards. Not something I want to do if I don't have to, especially not on a budget limited chumpcar.
Second question - has anyone used the tool from arnnworx to remove the clutch fork pin? That thing is seriously stuck in there. Assuming I can't get it out, I just undo the pressure plate bolts from the hole where the starter used to be and the whole thing comes off?
Yes you can undo the pressure plate bolts to remove the clutch and bell housing as a unit... bin there done that...
Check out the video on Clark's garage about the TT rebuild if you decide to go it alone. Sonic bearings will get you some good SKF bearings and there's an outfit in Canada that will sell you the new delrin inserts. I had a buddy machine me a special tool to help with the insertion of the bearings to keep them from "cocking" on insertion. Good luck..
That's why you should listen to those who have the experience, this has been documented a thousand times and people never listens. Did the mods erased the archives or the search option on the forum?
Relax, guy. I was operating under the assumption that we already had a standard spring type clutch. Regardless, I took the advice of Van and investigated further before making any purchases. I have plenty of experience with this stuff.
02-08-2016, 10:51 AM
Halfway through my clutch job - questions on the torque tube and the clutch fork pin
I trust you removed the bolt that locks the fork axle in place?
