THSCC Forums

Man, none of the shops around here carried the plastic Sube clutch alignment tool I wanted. Also, they've all (excluding CarQuest) stopped carrying the universal ones. Carquest had one for non-metric.

So, I stopped by a mechanic friend's place and borrowed one that was "close enough". So I'll put that dude on tonight.

But I'm thinking about buying a nice universal set just to have for the future. Yeah, I know, "get a dowel and some electrical tape" but I LIKE getting tools!

Anyone have some experience with any particular models

Anders

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Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

Hmm, never heard of a universal one. I think in a few days I'll regret not having the proper Toyota unit for the 2000 Celica. Evidently, Toyota doens't use an input bearing for the new front drive cars, so how do you actually line up the clutch disk with the engine... Should be fun.

The oLd sKoOl method is a broom handle.

Scott

>Hmm, never heard of a universal one.

Generally, they have screw on tips to fit different pilots.


> Toyota doens't use an input bearing

Here's one that aligns the clutch to the pressure plate
instead of the pilot bearing. That could work for you:

http://www.clutchalign.com/

Anders

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Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

Last two clutch assemblies I bought came with a plastic alignment tool for the applications (MG Midget, RX7). Hell, I thought one was shipped with every clutch! Each application, or at least each manufacturer's engine series, is probably different.

Remember, the idea is to align the cluch plate spline with the pilot bearing in the crank. Trying to get the first motion shaft to slide in without very close alignment of those two components is a near-impossible. The pressure plate/release bearing assembly doesn't provide a sufficient datum, unless you get lucky. Once you have the pressure plate torqued down, the clutch plate won't move.

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Brad

I borrowed one that was "close enough" from a friend, and the engine is in now. You can see pictures here:

http://linaracing.com/pics/eventdetail.cfm?year=2003&event=H6%20Conversion

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Lina Racing: As Seen On Radio

I've never changed a FWD transmission, but I have done plenty of clutch and RWD transmission replacements without ever having an alignment tool. The method we always used was to eyeball the disc under the pressure plate as you tightened the bolts, using the OUTSIDE edge of the pressure plate to gauge center. Hook up the clutch linkage to the throwout bearing arm if you disconnected it when you removed the clutch. Slide the input shaft of the transmission thru the throwout bearing and up to the splines in the disc. Put the transmission in gear and turn the output shaft until the input shaft splines align with the disc and slide the transmission in as far as it will go. To finalize the alignment, have someone push in the clutch pedal to release the disc and slide the tranny the rest of the way home. I had a 57 Dodge with a Hemi and 3 speed transmission. I'd blow up that tranny so frequently on almost every friday nite that I kept a spare that I'd rebuild during the week. My brother and I would change the transmission in 20 minutes on Saturday AM in time to get to work.

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