| Author | Message | ||
| Brian Evans (Bevans6)
Registered Member Username: Bevans6 Post Number: 38 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 65.92.49.192 Rating: |
It's quiet - too quiet... So I am putting a new engine together for my MCI MC-5C, converting a NOS turbo 8v-71 industrial engine. The amount of detail work that needs to be done to effect the change is tremendous, and the amount of stuff that needs to be taken apart, cleaned, inspected, and put back together is also immense... One thing I wanted to look at was the clutch. So I knew that I wanted to change the springs to the blue type, since the ones in there had no colour left at all. The clutch and plates all showed signs of somewhat recent work with grind cross-hatching well in evidence and quite new, almost unworn plates. So I talked to Luke and ordered the obvious - pilot bearing, throw-out bearing, springs, insulators, finger tips. Got all that in, and took the clutch apart. One spring was broken, all the others were collapsed a bit, but otherwise all looked good - until I went to take the fingers off the plate to change the tips. Previous Mechanic had decided that the locking plates weren't enough to lock the adjusting nuts so he welded the nuts to the trunnion studs... I got the nuts off without ruining most of the studs, but the nuts were all toast... So back to Luke, who told me that he used to keep all that stuff in stock until he moved, when it all went to his clutch rebuilder. It took about two weeks of looking before he got the new stuff together. I got it last weekend and finally, 6 weeks after starting I was able to put the clutch back together. Assembled the clutch plates, floating disc, second clutch plate, used the pilot tool on loan from Luke to align it all together, put the cover on and bolted it all down. Very simple and easy. Few tricks - use some bolts to capture the clutch cover together before you take it off the flywheel. That keeps it under tension. Take note, after the clutch is on your bench, of the finger height relative to the top of the cover and when you reassemble the clutch compress it and capture it with the bolts to the same height - that way when you put the cover back on the flywheel it will be almost properly adjusted and you only have to fine tune. Use guide studs to help you assemble things - a 4" long stud in the flywheel makes in really easy to hang the 100 lb or so clutch cover on while you slide it in and get some of the fixing bolts started. You do need a hydraulic press to safely take the clutch cover apart, but with that tool it is very easy to take a clutch cover apart, change the springs, or send the plates out for refinishing if required. Now on to the next thing - changing the throw-out bearing, inspecting the gearbox and clutch linkage, and installing it on the engine. At the same time I am mocking up the exhaust manifolds and figuring out the side turbo mounting. Brian | ||
| John & Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 532 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 96.42.5.35  Rating: |
Good work Brian. Now I know why my 5C still has a 6v71 and auto trans! John |
