On 27 Nov 2006 at 20:10, S1500 wrote:
> Worst case scenario if I unknowingly bent the input shaft,
It isn't likely that you would bend the input shaft, but it does
stress the pilot bushing and the bearings in the gearbox and the
clutch disk and splines. Hmmm, bending the steel frame of the clutch
disk might be the most likely thing to happen. But the thing is, the
"engine mounts" really support the front of the engine and the back
of the gearbox but nothing in between. The engine and gearbox hold
onto each other and are held up as a unit. Without supporting (the
back end of) the engine (and ideally the front of the gearbox too,
though it isn't so heavy as to be a real problem) you would never be
able to pull them apart because of the stresses. In fact, you won't
even be able to get any rear support bolts out without smashing a
finger or ruining threads. And if you did manage to pull them apart
the engine would then go CLUNK, or more likely, BANG onto the frame
or ground at its back end, falling on and certainly breaking the
exhaust pipe, maybe breaking the front engine mounts, maybe denting
or cracking the bellhousing, and maybe slicing off a finger (yours,
not the car's). Or maybe it would drop the finger springs onto the
end of the input shaft, ruining the pressure plate. And anyway, you
need to crank the whole thing up high enough for the driveshaft
flange to clear the hump. So you need a jack under there after all.
Speaking of input shafts, if you remove the clutch you'll need the
clutch alignment too or a spare input shaft to get the disk lined up
properly when you bolt the pressure plate back in. But I suppose you
know that already.
> I shall tear into it further, and remove the cowling that
> covers the axel and uncover the carpeting
Axel? I assume you mean the driveshaft (which they call the
propshaft over on the other side of the The Pond). I've always
removed the front carpets but not the carpet over the hump, nor the
handbrake. You can fold back the carpet over the hump to get access
to that cowling. Piece o' cake. You'll have it out in no time!
--
Jim Muller
jimmuller@rcn.com
'80 Spitfire, '70 GT6+
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