Clutch Swap Help

[ProfGriff]

It's finally time to change the clutch in my Westie. I launched it a little too hard at an autocross last summer and the clutch no longer releases fully. I'm wondering if it's easiest to just drop the tranny, or to pull the engine and tranny as an assembly like my MGB? I'm doing this on the floor of my tiny garage without a lift, but I do have an engine hoist. The powertrain is a SOHC Ford (Pinto) and T9. I'm hoping to take advantage of a warm spell this weekend when it's not minus a jillion degrees in the garage. Any and all input is appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

[MV8]

I'd pull the engine and trans together with the hoist and a harbor freight leveler to help with the angle, then separate out of the car. Drain the trans first. If you have 3-4 inches of clearance between the crank pulley and the chassis where you could slide the engine straight forward then lift, you may be able to pull just the engine or just drop the trans if there are no integral cross members below the trans and the trans mounts to a removable cross member.

 

Consider new trans input and output seals and greasing the ujoints.

Edited December 28, 2022 by MV8

[ProfGriff]

That's kinda what I had in mind. I even picked up a leveller already. Strangely, my T9 does not have a drain plug, so I'm thinking of adding one while it's out. Pulling the engine would give me an excuse to pull the head and have a look inside. The engine only has about 3000 mi. since a re-build by the original owner/builder. I may re-seal it and do the "Craigslist Re-Build" while it's out too.

 

Thanks!

 

Phil

Edited December 28, 2022 by ProfGriff

[NSXguy]

Depending on how the car is built will depend if you can take both out in one assembly or now. My Cat has an 80s style chassis (see attached photo during my car's rebuild) and had little room in front of the block. Also the floor pan from the bulkhead forward on mine is fully plated unlike newer kits which i believe have an opening in the gearbox tunnel. 

 

How i did it on an early 80s Cat, Live axle, xflow, type2 box:

-First, I removed the waterpump (and pulley), crank pulle and alternator to create enough space to pull the block forward enough to separate it from the gearbox(obviously all necessary ancillary bits disconnected).

-Next, i lifted the block up with some wiggling (mounts have to come off or leave them bolted to chassis). I decided to take them off completed once supported by the hoist so i have max room to wiggle/maneuver

-Once engine's off, Now you can remove the gearbox either as one assembly with driveshaft connected (in my case necessary as the DS input shaft also serves to seal the oil from escaping the gearbox on a Type 2). If it's a similar config on a T9 you may have to do the same if there isnt a separate gearbox drain plug to allow you to separate the shaft from the box without making a mess. 

-Installation is the reverse. 

 

**If your Westfield is built without the upper straight chassis crossmember as in the attached photo  (it may have a V configuration there) and the gear box tunnel is open, you SHOULD be able to take the engine and box out in one assembly easier. 

 

Hope that helps. 
Cheers,

Des. 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by NSXguy

[papak]

The drain plug mod is normally done in the aluminum intermediate plate. A  ¼" plug using the appropriate drill and tap. You can use a dremel to assure a drain groove internally but it is about the lowest point in the transmission. If you're just removing the tailshaft, the disassembly is more easily done with the transmission standing on it's nose with the tailshaft straight up. PM if you have questions.

 

. 

[MV8]

20 hours ago, ProfGriff said:

That's kinda what I had in mind. I even picked up a leveller already. Strangely, my T9 does not have a drain plug, so I'm thinking of adding one while it's out. Pulling the engine would give me an excuse to pull the head and have a look inside. The engine only has about 3000 mi. since a re-build by the original owner/builder. I may re-seal it and do the "Craigslist Re-Build" while it's out too.

 

Thanks!

 

Phil

That would be a busy weekend to be back on the road Monday. You might want to do a quick compression check for variation and check that the timing marks line up with the crank on tdc and the rotor pointing to #1 in the cap. Head gaskets, block decking, and head surfacing/milling for a flat surface and/or higher compression can retard the timing and reduce valve to piston clearance. It can be corrected with an adjustable cam pulley or head shims.

[ProfGriff]

Oh, it won't be back on the road on Monday. It will be the first of May up here in Canuckistan before I even think of pulling the 7 out of the garage. I will do a compression and leak down test before I pull the engine, so that will give me a pretty good idea of its condition. I will also check the timing, because right now I have no idea what it is.

I will have a buddy who is the best mechanic I know helping me on the weekend, so hopefully it goes OK.

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'll keep all y'all posted on how it goes.

 

Cheers!

 

Phil

[ProfGriff]

Well, I finally got around to pulling the engine yesterday. It went really well. 3-1/2 hours from start to finish for the two of us with a third helper on the hoist. I could probably do it faster now that I've done it once. It helps greatly with angling the engine out to have the rear of the car higher than the front.

The clutch problem was obvious once I had separated the tranny. The friction material on the flywheel side of the clutch had sheared almost completely off the clutch disc. I'll be looking into some other clutch options from Burton.

The bad news is that it looks like #1 cyl is using oil. This didn't really show up when reading the plugs, but I can see in the #1 exhaust port that there are lots of oil deposits there. I suspect a broken ring or two. I'll have to pull the head and have a look inside.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

[ProfGriff]

As suspected, I have a bad cylinder due to broken rings. I just have the head off, but it looks like the cyl. walls may clean up with a good hone. If not, it will be time for an overbore and new pistons. I've decided to bite the bullet and do all the changes I want to the car while it's apart. That includes a cycle fender conversion, new seats (Kirkey road race?), wideband AFR gauge, MSD, elect. disconnect, etc. etc. I also have my new Revolution wheels on the way.

This may have me screwed for this season (I do have other projects on the go too), but when it's done it will be done the way I want.

The encouraging thing is that the 7 was a blast to drive even with a dodgy clutch and down on power. It will be amazing when I get it up to its real potential.

 

Cheers!

 

Phil