New Clutch Install Gone Bad, New Clutch?

Shoud I start over again with the same clutch that I bought or do it again with another new one?

Here's what happened.

Once clutch was installed I hooked up the pedal linkage, push on pedal... ZERO MOVMENT! Judging from postion of throw out bearing & clutch fork, it looks as if clutch was in the disengaged position

After doing a search I realized that I made the following Rookie mistakes

1. I used the transmission bolts to suck in the trans to the bell housiing

2. The pilot shaft that comes with the kit did not slide in & out smoothly after clutch disk & pressure plate was installed.

3. Thier was one edge of the pressure plate ( bolt hole flange to flywheel) that did not clear the outer raised rim of the flywheel. I sucked that in by tightining the pressure plate bolts.

4. After I took everything apart I placed the pilot shaft & clutch disk on the flywheel & noticed that it was not centered unless I held it in firmly. Did not pay attention to this when I installed.

Clutch was a Sachs, I double checked the part #

So do I risk it again with the same clutch or should I start all over again with a new clutch kit & if so what brand do your ecommend

 

Probably a dumb question but Is that the original engine for that vehicle? Sounds like the parts did not fit. I can't imagine you wrenched the trans to the engine hard enough to bend anything. Did you check the new parts against the old parts? I always do that as a sanity check.

That sounds like way too many problems for a clutch job.

 

There are about 5 or 6 different thicknesses or lengths of throw-out bearing. If you got one that is too short, the bearing will not contact the clutch deep enough and your clutch cannot release.---- Too long and the clutch will alwayys be contacting the clutched and remain disengadged. Clutch shops and rebuilters know about this and usually will stock varity of bearings.

Different engine/bell housing and kinds of clutch assemblies use different length of throw out bearings and bearing holders You got to set it up so that the throw out fork is about 1/2 inch from being all the way foward--- Look around the internet for some pics of Jeep set-ups to see what I am talking about. Novak might also carry the throw out bearings-- but sometimes it takes a couple of trys before you get it right.

 

OK, I took every thing apart & started all over again.Had to grind about 1/16" off the edge of one of the bolt hole flanges on pressure plate to make it seat flat against flywheel. Put in pilot shaft then clutch disk & loosely bolted pressure plate. The I ran a bungee cord through the loop on the pilot shaft to hold it true & centered in the pilot bushing then slowly a half turn at a time tightened down the pressure plate. Also used the longer release bearing that was with the old Borg & Beck clutch. Also had to do some judicious grinding on the repo clutch fork to hold the release bearing properly. I then bolted the bell housing back on with clutch fork & release bearing & used the pilot shaft to hold it in place so I could test function & hooked up clutch linkage...Happy ending everything lines up perfectly & clutch works R) Now all I have to do is install the trans again the proper way, not suck it in with the bolts like I did previously.

 

Beleive it or not getting the trans in is the hard part. For me it usually is anyway

 

That's for sure. This time I'm gonna chain the trans to an engine hoist with one of those levelers on it instead of trying to do it with a floor jack. Will let you all know how it works out

 

Thats usually how i begin. After a bit the agrivation sets in and i end up wrestleing it with nothing but my bare hands. Then right when im about limp and crying for mommy it slips in and i pat myself on the back R) Good luck