Clutch Helper Spring Fiasco
07-10-2005, 09:28 PM
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Clutch Helper Spring Fiasco
Wow, what an afternoon!
Tentatively sold my SHO, and also had some work I've been wanting to do on the 911. So, yesterday was SHO stuff (found a blown Tokico strut, 18 mo. old), and today was 911. I drive the 42 miles to my shop, and step one is rip out the Bursch, as I just can't stand it anymore - after hearing Gost's testimony of what I already know (the Fabspeed's an awesome sound on a 3.2L), I go back to the muffler bypass. Item one off the list, no worries.
Item 2 was the clutch helper spring replacement. After pulling the rubber boot off the old cable to inspect it, I decide to leave the old cable on, and just replace the helper spring & circlips, etc. 1st time jacking on the center of the engine, wow is that handy ("Duh", I'm sure, from some of the veterans
). All seems to be going smoothly, but when I went to button it up after the re-install, the clutch pedal's on the floor, no explanation (turns out the helper spring's location is crucial on this one). I'm juuuuuuust about done after about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, press the clutch pedal down and SNAP!!! (cringe, look slowly at the clutch area...)
The clutch cable is held in place at the trans by a u-shaped slot, with 2 nuts on the cable itself holding position at the slot. Well, turns out the weakest part of the piece decided to break off. After 2 of us gave it a quick look, I realize I'm screwed - where am I going to get something TIG'd nicely on a Sunday? Ugh, and I gotta get home too.
After showing a 3rd guy at the shop the photo of the area in question in Wayne Dempsey's 101 projects book, I realize that's a bolted-in bracket, and not a cast part of the transmission after all. I dive under the car again, sure enough, 2 nuts later, the bracket comes out (#915 116 613 1R). It's also white metal, not aluminum. Crud.
So I grab a cast iron bracket used on to mount an alternator off a SHO, and begin to modify it - cut here, drill there, remove this tab, etc. After a couple of hours of looking for & then frigging around with the new bracket, success! And, I got to drive her home without incident. It did take some playing with the location of the cable nuts for proper action, but in the end, no worries.
With the new spring, the clutch action is much smoother. Hopefully the replacement part will arrive quickly, as I'm not thrilled running a hacked bracket like this.
Thought I'd share the latest escapades.
Tentatively sold my SHO, and also had some work I've been wanting to do on the 911. So, yesterday was SHO stuff (found a blown Tokico strut, 18 mo. old), and today was 911. I drive the 42 miles to my shop, and step one is rip out the Bursch, as I just can't stand it anymore - after hearing Gost's testimony of what I already know (the Fabspeed's an awesome sound on a 3.2L), I go back to the muffler bypass. Item one off the list, no worries.
Item 2 was the clutch helper spring replacement. After pulling the rubber boot off the old cable to inspect it, I decide to leave the old cable on, and just replace the helper spring & circlips, etc. 1st time jacking on the center of the engine, wow is that handy ("Duh", I'm sure, from some of the veterans
). All seems to be going smoothly, but when I went to button it up after the re-install, the clutch pedal's on the floor, no explanation (turns out the helper spring's location is crucial on this one). I'm juuuuuuust about done after about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, press the clutch pedal down and SNAP!!! (cringe, look slowly at the clutch area...)The clutch cable is held in place at the trans by a u-shaped slot, with 2 nuts on the cable itself holding position at the slot. Well, turns out the weakest part of the piece decided to break off. After 2 of us gave it a quick look, I realize I'm screwed - where am I going to get something TIG'd nicely on a Sunday? Ugh, and I gotta get home too.
After showing a 3rd guy at the shop the photo of the area in question in Wayne Dempsey's 101 projects book, I realize that's a bolted-in bracket, and not a cast part of the transmission after all. I dive under the car again, sure enough, 2 nuts later, the bracket comes out (#915 116 613 1R). It's also white metal, not aluminum. Crud.
So I grab a cast iron bracket used on to mount an alternator off a SHO, and begin to modify it - cut here, drill there, remove this tab, etc. After a couple of hours of looking for & then frigging around with the new bracket, success! And, I got to drive her home without incident. It did take some playing with the location of the cable nuts for proper action, but in the end, no worries.
With the new spring, the clutch action is much smoother. Hopefully the replacement part will arrive quickly, as I'm not thrilled running a hacked bracket like this.
Thought I'd share the latest escapades.
