Replacing the clutch

[mickeytwonames]

I am about to bite the bullet and replace the clutch.
Everything is disconnected and tomorrow I will be taking the engine out leaving the gearbox in place.
I have access to a clutch alignment tool and will be buying the parts from Bull Motif in the morning.
Are there any snafus to watch out for and is there any trick in getting the engine back in after the clutch has been replaced? It's a Gold Seal power unit in a 1956 Splttie.
Many thanks

[simmitc]

Follow the instructions in the manual. Make sure that you tighten the cover bolts diagonally and evenly, a little at a time to avoid distortion. When refitting the engine, leave the box in neutral and keep the plugs out of the engine - it makes it much easier to use tiny movements to align the splines on the shaft with those in friction plate. I have found the a suitable piece of wood between the jack and the gearbox, extending forwards a little way, helps to align the engine, ensuring that the clutch does not put weight on the input shaft. Don't forget a new bronze bush in the end of the crankshaft. Removing engine ancillaries such as dynamo and manifold is not essential, but can sometime make the lump lighter and easier to manouvre.

[mickeytwonames]

Can I just replace the friction plate or is it REALLY necessary to replace other parts as well?

[brucek]

Just makes common sense to replace the all the clutch parts at the same time. It takes a while to drop the gearbox or take the engine out (whichever method you choose) . You don't want to have to do that again in a few miles time because you didn't renew the one old part when you last had the car stripped.

[bmcecosse]

Friction plate and carbon thrust usually. The cover should be fine for reuse. As above - crank tail bush check/renew.

[mickeytwonames]

Thanks guys

[mickeytwonames]

Clutch - out, changed and back in. Redoing the plumbing and test drive Wednesday a.m. Thanks for all your help. The Old friction plate was as a smooth as Frank Sinatra

[mickeytwonames]

Took the old bird out for a spin (without the bonnet on) What a difference a clutch makes!

[mickeytwonames]

Drove to York and back - 350 mile round trip - petrol consumption now excellent

[welshrat]

A little confused, why did you take the engine out to change the clutch, surely much quicker to drop the box or have I missed something?

[bmcecosse]

No - it's MUCH easier to pull the engine........

[mickeytwonames]

Engine out was the advice I took. Easy - someone said fiddling about with the clutch linkage was a recipe for disaster.Anyway it slipped out and back in easy.