HELP!!......Clutch release bearing set up

[jvbtte]

I picked up my parts today to put my sled back together, BUT I am not sure how to set up the slave cylinder. It appears that the clutch release bearing is spring loaded and causing the bearing to rest on the pressure plate continuously. Does this make sense? Has anyone had experience with this Ford annular set up?

[bsimon]

Odd as it may seem, most modern CRBs are designed to stay in contact with the clutch fingers. This alleviates the need to touch off and speed up the bearing thereby saving finger wear. I don't know if your particular setup is meant to work this way but most Fords are. Ford even does this on their cable actuated release bearing setups.

 

Modern release bearing technology has come a long way since the old graphite carbon throwout bearings that would die quickly if ridden.

[jvbtte]

Does anyone have any information on the torque specs for the clutch plate and the bell housing bolts for a Ford ZX2 motor???

 

Bob: I put the throw out bearing/transmission back together today. I am going with that, thank you.

[bsimon]

I hope someone chimes in here with the proper torque specs.

 

The Caterham build manual has you nick up the 12mm bell housing and gearbox bolts to 45 ft lbs. This sounds about right considering the size of the fastener.

 

Typical 7mm clutch cover bolts are usually 11 ft lbs with Loctite 243 bolt gradoo. I strongly recommend a cross check with a Haynes or Ford manual for those clutch cover bolts. They're somewhat critical.

 

I'm in the process of putting the engine back into the chassis of my car as well. All I can say is check and double check everything as you go. We don't need to be pulling our engines out for the sake of missing some little detail. The weather is getting too nice to be spannering in the shed.

[11Budlite]

From my 1996 Ford Contour manual they list the pressure plate to flywheel bolts at 13-18 lb-ft (18-26 N-m). I'm not sure if they would have changed those specs for the later ZX2 powered cars, but I wouldn't think so. I think I'd use the Caterham specs supplied by Bob for the bellhousing. Just in case you need it, the flywheel to crankshaft bolts are 83 lb-ft (112 N-m).

[jvbtte]

Guys, thank you so much for the help, it is greatly appreciated and soo needed. I just bought a ford contour manual and there is no specs to what I needed. Again, thank you so much for all the help.

[jvbtte]

Engine and trans are back in. Tomorrow I will bolt up the prop shaft and trans. Later this week I will sort through the wire and hoses, clean and detail the engine bay and then we are on the road, hopefully by the weekend.

 

Thanks again to all you guys for the help.

[jvbtte]

I started the car and the #4 cylinder is not firing. I have good ignition. I have not been able to check the compression yet, but when I pull the plug out and turn the car over, a lot of air is coming out of the cylinder, just need to get a gauge that will reach down into the cylinders. I am leaning more towards not getting fuel through the #4 injector. Does anybody have any ideas as to what may be causing this problem? I am going to check the resistance on the injector later today.

[yellowss7]

I have not been able to check the compression yet, but when I pull the plug out and turn the car over, a lot of air is coming out of the cylinder...

 

I'm not a mechanic, but if you remove the spark plug, wouldn't you expect to get air flow out of the hole just from the compression of the pistion moving up?

 

Sorry I can't be of more help. If you have spark, do you have fuel? is the injector on #4 working?

 

Tom

[bsimon]

If in doubt...swap about.

 

Swap #3 and #4 injectors and try again. It's only two screws and a couple a Jesus clips.

[jvbtte]

Well after swapping injectors, swapping plugs, taking the plug out, checking compression, buying an OBDII analizer, did I mention taking the plug out again, checking the plug gap, did I mention putting my ear to the valve cover and hearing a clicking sound, pushing on the plug boot and miraculously the sound went away, taking plug back out, after 2 days of no sleep I decided to give the spark plug boot a little extra push and ........BINGO BANGO......no more miss............DOH!

 

The car shifts and runs great. It has been quite a learning experience to say the least. Cant wait to do it again. I guess it is the little obvious things that get you every time.

 

Thanks to every one for all the help and advice. All I have to say is that it has been alot of fun kicking my own ass this week LOL.

[climber]

Jack, I have a Westfield with xflow, but also to a t9. I desperately want to convert to the annular unit from my cobbled external cable type actuator. (Hey, it works, and is readily diagnosed and repaired if it breaks!) I see the unit is a Ford unit, but did it fit into your tranny easily, need mods to mount, spacers? Who makes it available, and do you have a parts number after all these years???

Climber