Putting the gearbox back on the engine

[youngun]

This is a job ill be doing soon once ive bought an aligner tool.
Its been over a year since i took the two apart so could someone explain what needs to go back on before the two are bolted together.
Oh and what aligner tool do i need?

thanks for the help,
YG

[bmcecosse]

Here tis - it's a valve grinding stick with black tape would round to build up the diameter to fit the clutch plate - and of course you must make sure the carbon thrust is installed in the box - and the clutch plate is right side out on the flywheel!
Thanks Barry for the photo!

[youngun]

Carbon thrust?

Oh and how can i tell if the clutch plate is the right side out.

Oh and errr im not actually sure how this ere aligning tool works, could someone please explain how to do the job?

thanks again,
YG

[alex_holden]

The thrust bearing is a ring of carbon graphite in a metal case with two spigots on the outside. it attaches to the actuating lever in the bell housing with little spring clips.

One side of the clutch plate usually has 'front' stamped on it, plus if you get it the wrong way round it fouls on the flywheel bolts.

I use an old gearbox input shaft to align the plate. Basically you just need a rod that has two diameters - the end is the right size to fit in the bush on the end of the crankshaft, and the larger part fits snugly in the hole through the friction plate. You bolt the clutch housing onto the flywheel while the alignment tool is in place to make sure the plate is concentric with the flywheel.

[Alec]

Hello YG,

even with an alignment tool it is possible to get the clutch disc off centre so look at it critically and adjust before tightening the cover bolts hard down. The centre disc if viewed edge ways is assymetrical, the deeper side faces away from the flywheel.
Also when mating the gearbox to the engine, select a gear so that by turning the output shaft you can align the splines more easily.

Just be thankful that it is not a heavy gearbox.

Alec

[bmcecosse]

Yes - the valve grind tool shaft sits inside the bush in the crank tail - and the black tape centralises the plate - the picture shows it all. It's not that critical - the box will fit fine. But it would be annoying to fit it all up - then find you have left the carbon thrust out!!

[kennatt]

as bm says it's not that critical I use the valve grinding tool the idea being that with various makes of car' you can add or take off the insulating tape to make the fit. Basically make sure the end of the tool fits tightly into the engine bush and that the splines on the cutch plate fit tightly over the tape. Then nip up the cover bolts and by eye see if the end of the tool is central with the cover you can move the tool about to get a reasonably central position then progressively tighten up the cover bolts .pull the tool out and again by eye see if the friction plate is central with the bush. Put a bit of grease or vaseline on the gearbox input spline to help engagement. Offer up the gear box and keeping positive pressure between the two turn the engine at the bottom pully back and forwards and you will feel the two come together indicating that the input shaft has engaged through the friction plate spline and into the engine bush.Wish I had a tenner for the number of time I have done this over the last 40 years

[youngun]

Hmm i think i now have enough information to complete this task!

thanks for the help guys!

YG

[mike.perry]

Don't forget to make sure the clutch release forks are the correct way round. I got it wrong many years ago and you can guess what happened first time I pressed the clutch pedal. Never made that mistake again.

[youngun]

How do i tell that? I dont think ive touched them, but just to make sure.......

[bigginger]

I presume what's meant is that the solid bits of the half circles that support the release bearing are towards the rear of the car, so that they push on the bearing rather that it popping out of the open half. Hope that makes some sense - it will if you look at the thing

[rayofleamington]

Don't stress too much about the clutch alignment. All it does is sit the clutch plate central so that you can get the gearbox on. As soon as you press the cluth pedal the disk aligns itself on the gearbox shaft anyway.
Basically if you can get the engine and gearbox together it is fine. I lost my valve grinding stick so i now use a wooden spoon and tape. Whichever tool you use, make sure that the clutch looks central to everything.

If you are fitting the engine and box together off the car it is less tricky. If you fit the box whilst the engine is in the car, you need to lower the back of the engine (removing heater take off helps. Then rotate the box about 40 degrees so the top of the bellhousing clears the steering rack.

[bmcecosse]

Must be tricky grinding in valves with a wooden spoon!

[bigginger]

Must be tricky grinding in valves with a wooden spoon!

Must be tricky making cake mix with a valve grinding stick...

[alex_holden]

Must be tricky grinding in valves with a wooden spoon!

Must be tricky making cake mix with a valve grinding stick...

But the traces of grinding paste and engine oil give it an interesting flavour...

[callyspoy]

as ever we go off on a humourous tangent!

[bmcecosse]

Well - if it brings a smile .........

[rayofleamington]

Must be tricky grinding in valves with a wooden spoon!

making cakes? me??
I think you confuseth me with someone else!
maybe someone that wears marigolds ;-)
My kitchen is for dismantling fiddly mechanisms that need a lot of light (e.g. anything with small parts and springs that would get lost too easily in my garage*) and for washing my bare hands and arms when they are properly dirty.

* in my garage anything including very large things can get lost, and sometimes get found too! For a while I was sure that the mice were building their own car but I changed my mind when they started living in my cars (regularly they fall in to the MOT garage's inspection pit, which does rather shorten their life, as my MOT man isn't keen on mice)
After I realised they weren't building their own car from spares I started to think they were taking tools and parts for their own autojumble, but I'm yet to catch them running a stall, and I never find my stuff on ebay, so maybe it's aliens nicking stuff to give the mice a bad reputation...
If it was fairys doing the pilfering I'm sure I'd come back one day and find they had rebuilt my cars. I only ever find that gremlins (or the voracious tin worms) have been at work and they aren't clever enough to steal tools and parts.

ho hum. Isn't evo stick great stuff for gluing carpets!

[youngun]

Back on subject again quickly, does anyone know the torque settings for the clutch housing bolts?
Also is there a gasket between the gearbox bellhousing face and the mounting plate?
thanks,
YG

[rayofleamington]

Torque... a good push with correct length 1/2" spanner.
Gasket - No. the bellhousing is not meant to be sealed to the engine back plate.