So Im doing my annual flex plate release.

I checked with a straight edge and it has deflected so I loosen the clamp and pklamp and it doesn't move......same deflection.

I tried prying on the flywheel....no move......should I pry harder? get out the BFH?

Should I start the engine to free things up? Ky?

 

I thought with the PKlamp you don't have to do this any more. Maybe that's why it doesn't move. Maybe the flex plate was already warped from before and it has taken a set.

Jerry Feather

 

Don't pry on the flywheel, pry on the flexplate itself. Alternatively spray the TT and clamp with suitable lubricant and leave overnight.

 

Its straightend before ........Im going for it and will start the engine, with the clamps loose it should all free up....any issues?

 

Hi Malcolm,

We would remove the six bolts that hold the flex plate to the flywheel, spray lube in the clamp and wet the drive shaft at the aft end of the clamp, make sure the PKlamp is off and the bolt is out of the clamp, then using a pry bar carefully pull back on the flex plate near/on the clamp back and try to move it back onto the drive shaft.

You might have to work it around a bit so be patient. Light raps with a plastic hammer might also help loosen it a bit.

Once it moves, expose the drive shaft splines and inspect them for any damage.

HTH,

 

Stop! With the clamp loose, you may strip the teeth off the shaft if you try to start it.

Have you checked the position of the rear clamp before?

 

did you remove the front pinch bolt from the clamp?
And what Ken said? (Have you checked the position of the rear clamp before?) And retorqued it
I wouldnt spray any lubricant on the splines, unless there is visible rust ,
this will make the clamp have to work that much harder to actually clamp the shaft.

Its also possible that the flex clamp was loctited into postion if so apply some heat to free it. though not much

 

Thx all.......the F1 race is running long so havent touched the car since last post....I wont start the engine.

The rear pinch bolt hasnt been touched....at least not since Ive owned the car +10 years now

The front bolt is finger loose, its not holding the clamp

The pklamp bolts are likewise finger loose.

 

remove the pinch collar bolt,
then remove the Pclamp,
remove the rear pinchbolt,
and inspect the driveshaft for alignment in the trans input shaft once the rear is aligned and torqued,
then go to work on the front use blue loctite on the bolt threads and torque to 66ft/lbs

 

Back in the garage.....its been +3 hrs since clamp bolts were released and....

 

No personal experience but I remember a similar thread a while back.
The cure was to release the six flexplate to flywheel bolts.
This allowed the deflected flexplate to flatten.

 

I don't understand that, but I don't dispute it either. Jerry Feather

 

the flex plate flattend over time and the clamp is now 4mm from where it was.

Ill remove the main clamp bolt and proceed with normal install and torque followed by the pklamp install.

Stan....Im doing this project in my garage on the floor just so I can move my car to work another. Ill look at the rear clamp/bolts etc when have more time and shall reference your points of advice.

Timing is everything as Ive been talking PM w/Constantine for the sclamp and sbearings for the TT rebuild.

thx all

 

I don't understand what the relation is between the rear pinch bolt and the front flex plate loading up again.

Not having the rear pinch bolt aligned and not torqued correctly can ruin drive shafts, we have a few here that way. But it doesn't have anything to do with the front flexplate becoming loaded. If anything that means trhe rear pinch bolt is holding just well.

Spraying lube into the clamp and drive shaft joint will help in this situation to free things up and get them moving without causing any damage to the drive shaft splines. Once everything is apart the clamp and drive shaft can simply be sprayed with brake cleaner to wash it all off.

Cheers,

 

Constantine to answer your questions,

Firstly if the rear pinch bolt isnt tight and most of them are loose,
this will let the driveshaft move.

If the rear bolt isnt tight then the driveshaft can move.

The moving driveshaft also has help,
the TT bearings assist in holding the shaft in a preloaded position against the flex plate, and the front clamp is of dubious holding power so it too can slide on the splines,

since the flex is made to move it will over time move forwards since thats whats happening to the driveshaft when it loads and unloads it stretches.

this will over time cause the rear bolt to dig into the shaft splines and thus the bolt will have shank damage as well as possibly damaging the splines and the input shaft bolt cut groove.

Then with the rear of the shaft being moveable the shaft will migrate forwards and over time destroy the thrust bearing..

This is why its so very important that the rear bolt be checked as part of this flex plate inspection.



The other question on spraying a lubricant onto the splines is this , with a lubricant applied to the splines this will reduce the clamping friction of the Porsche clamp once its tight.

Since the only positive way to clean the clamp is to remove it from the driveshaft, thus entailing removing the the TT.

this isnt a good idea as the lubricant will not be fully removed from the splines unless both clamp and shaft are separated.

There should not be any reason that the clamp is bound up on the shaft unless severe corrosion has taken place or Loctite has been applied

Now I wont comment on using your clamp system as it looks to be far superior to the Porsche rendition.


That said if the rear pinch bolt isnt checked,

Then you stand a very good chance of having Thrust bearing failure no matter what type of front clamp you have installed.