clutch saga
09-22-2007, 05:42 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
clutch saga
I started the project early in July and today finally got to drive again. The car has 217,000 kms and the clutch went south somewhere around 170,000. It was pretty obvious that it was the original rubber centre as fasteners were frozen and had to be cut away. The clutch fork retaining rod was immovable and that required cutting the bellhousing away with a cutoff wheel on the mini grinder. I discovered that there are several bellhousings, all quite similar but just off enough not to work. i discovered this the hard way after having it all together and it wouldn't start because I had gotten a 951 bellhousing. So it all had to come off again. However the next time around I was meticulous and even drilled the axle bolts and safety wired them using stainless wire. On the -while-i was-in-there- front I noticed that the hole in the front of the shifter rod was elongated and I bored it out and fitted a bronze bushing that I had kicking around the shop. It fitted the 10mm bolt I previously welded onto the shifter perfectly. The heat shield over the cat was sagging and I riveted some sheet metal on it so that it could be re-fastened. A ref sensor was damaged coming out and I had doubts it would work and true enough no start. Fortunately Mantis Racing is just 15 mins away and as luck would have it some fellow were there and they found me a sensor off a blown motor. Behold we have noise.
Clutch take up is smooth in spite of the fact that the flywheel was not machined. I did however scour and clean it thoroughly to remove organic material. It was smooth as a babys bum and I figured it was ok. The transaxle was replaced last year with one rebuilt and less than a 1000 on it so with the clutch, and fix on the shifter the things goes through the gears like a dream. As good as new I'm guessin. The only leftovers are to replace the hotwire to the solenoid, it has issues and to figure why the motor won't catch when I try starting from hot. A lot of cranking before the music starts. Anyway as usual the folks on this board have as always been tremendously helpful and I doubt I could have done it without your help. Thank you.
Clutch take up is smooth in spite of the fact that the flywheel was not machined. I did however scour and clean it thoroughly to remove organic material. It was smooth as a babys bum and I figured it was ok. The transaxle was replaced last year with one rebuilt and less than a 1000 on it so with the clutch, and fix on the shifter the things goes through the gears like a dream. As good as new I'm guessin. The only leftovers are to replace the hotwire to the solenoid, it has issues and to figure why the motor won't catch when I try starting from hot. A lot of cranking before the music starts. Anyway as usual the folks on this board have as always been tremendously helpful and I doubt I could have done it without your help. Thank you.
09-23-2007, 12:47 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
As I learned the 951 clutch is slightly larger and so the housing is machined to allow the larger pressure plate. The difference is very slight, but very significant.