Tremec Throwout

[mikey]

Help. Has anybody fitted a Tremec and checked/set the run out between the centre of the bellhousing and centre line of the crank. I have spoken to Kenny Coleman at EDU and Brian at Repower who explained what I’m supposed to do but having tried it I’m mystified. I’ve got the dial gauge which magnetic clamps to the crank, but beyond that I must admit I’m stumped though I hate to admit it. The problem is that if you can't accurately locate the centre of the crank ie spot on' how do you interpret the readings. Can anybody help please before I go completely off the rails and buy a Skoda where 5 thou is the price and not the tolerence I'm looking for.
I once thought I was intelligent, funny how one can fool oneself.
Mike.

[RigMan]

Mike,

All you need is the dial guage with a magnet stand which attaches to the end of the crank. It does not require being centrally located, just an approximation. If you think about it, you are concerned about the spatial relationship between the crank and the bellhousing. As long as the magnet does not move when you are measuring it will be fine.

You need to measure:

1. The perpendicularity of the bell housing, ie the flush face of the mating surface. This is relatively easy. Just place the dial guage on the magnet stand attached to the crank and turn the engine over by hand on the nose bolt at the other end whilst someone else reads off the deflection (if any) every 45 degrees or so. Shim to effect zero run out.

2. Centricity. This is more tricky largely because you need to get the dial guage prong to run on the locating side surface of the bellhousing or adapter plate (whichever you choose to shim). There is not that much room to physically get thre dial guage and the magnet arm within the appature with room enough for it to rotate. Once again it does not have to be central itself, as whatever excentric circle it will describe about the crank rotation will be symetrical and any deflection will be then due to run out with the bellhousing. To achieve centricity of the bellhousing with the crank requires experimentation with the offset dowels which you will need to have pre installed. Once again take readings as you have done before.

This process took me ages and needs patience as you are on a learning curve as well as requiring to be accurate. A friend/wifes help is also needed when taking readings. Be patient, it is rewarding when you have achieved it!

Let us know how you get on and best of luck. It is important to do this exercise, as well as potentially expensive if you don't!


RigMan

[Roscoe]

Mike,
Go to http://www.priveye.com/images/lakewood.htm. This article may help you out.

Roscoe

[mikey]

Thanks guys, must be the most frustrating job I've ever carried out to date, well it came close to trying to turn the woman on this weekend. She found another use for the dial gauge, said it was a good job it measured in 1/1000" intervals- sarcastic ----ch. I will let you know how I got on when I finish the job Rigman,all I can say for now is you are dead right, I wish I'd known the job I'd taken on before I'd ordered the Tremec. However i'm sure as you said satisfaction will come when its finished. Oh well back to trying. I've bought her some batteries for Christmas, good job she didn't understand the Varley green top bit-mind you that would probably dissapear too, any body got a needle and thread I can borrow on second thoughts I'll go and get the tow rope.
Regards all
Mike

[callum]

Just make sure you measure at 90 degrees to the inside edge or you'll frighten yourself! If you 'lean' the dial guage - 50 thou at 90 degress becomes 70 thou at 65 degrees etc., and you might conclude you could not achieve the required concentricity (which is 30 thou on a Tremec?)

[Purple Ronnie]

I've got to go for a lay down just reading this!x(

[Andy Barwick]

Mikey - I am just about to embark on this little job myself, after having a small amount of clutch drag, which has progressed to not being able to clear the clutch at all when the gearbox warms up. The way I am feeling at the moment is that selecting Temec instead of a toploader is the worst decision I made with the car. Luckily on my car the gearbox will come out via the cockpit as the interior is just bare aluminium.

Andy

[wilf]

Andy - can understand your frustration, but don't put it all down to the tremec. If you had gone for a toploader you should have done the same alignment thing anyway. And you would have gotten very fed up with high revs on the motorway!!

Wilf