Clutch and flywheel replacement on 98 Cobra

[rown4au]

Well on my last track day the clutch was definitely slipping in the higher rpm ranges in 3rd and 4th gear when hard on the throttle and rather than have someone else do it and being a glutton for punishment I figured I would give it a shot. I have the ford service manuals and a chilton's manual which are helpful but unfortunately the transmission, exhaust, K member, driveshaft, intake, and nearly everything else isn't stock so they are of limited use in some cases.

Fast forward two weeks or so and the transmission is out and my driveline is spread out on the shop floor not to mention half my tool box it seems...

Anyway after pulling the clutch I was hoping the flywheel would not be too bad as it wasn't slipping badly but I was wrong. there looked to be a lot of hot spots so I pulled that out too and was hoping to have it turned but the steel insert in the billet flywheel is not thick enough to do so, so I managed to find a RAM billet flywheel locally today and hopefully I can piece it all back together over the long weekend.

I did a bit of research online and it seems like I should be using loctite (red or blue?) on the flywheel bolts and torqueing to 75 ft-lb. The Ford manual says 54-64 fl-lb but online for aluminum flywheels the spec seems to be 75 ft lb. Is there a trick for holding the flywheel still while doing this?

Should I be using loctite (again red or blue) on the pressure plate bolts as well?

[rown4au]

8399This is the old flywheel its not grooved but the machine shop confirmed the steel insert was too thin to resurface it without hitting the screw heads that fasten it to the billet. (apologies for the cellphone pic but its what I have)

[Tommy Gun]

I don't know the answer, but perhaps if you browse the McLeod clutch site for install process it may tell you. American Muscle also has some good install info that may tell you.


http://www.americanmuscle.com/simple-spec-clutch-install.html



.

[Carnut]

If you use Locktite, I would use blue. You might not get the red out without taking some of the threads with it.

[rown4au]

OK new pilot bearing, flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate installed. Tried to reintall the transmission and we got the tranny to within 1/4" or so of flush with the bellhousing and it is refusing to go any further. I had stuck the driveshaft in the rear of the trans to spin the input shaft to help with aligning with the clutch and it will no longer spin so I think the splines are engaged in the clutch but it is refusing to go the last little inward; any ideas?

I wondered if it might be the new pilot bearing as it seemed to be sightly proud of the end of the crank but I am pretty sure it was seated fully. I hit it enough with the hammer and a socket that I was concerned I might damage it if I kept doing so as it stopped moving.

[68fastback]

...dunno why it's not seating fully, Jaime...

...be careful whacking it too hard ...don't want to shock the crank too hard -- can damage the thrust bearing and connecting rod bearings.

Wish I could be more helpfull ...possibly someone else has some thoughts ...or maybe even the speed shop you bought it from (or Jegs or ??) might have sme insight with that clutch and the TKO?

[rown4au]

Just came across this online article from 5.0 mustang about installing a TKO 2 in a 1996 mustang and they seem to have the same issue I am:

Caption from one of the pics :

"The new box can be "stabbed" in place. The TKO II won't mate fully with its bellhousing, at least not by hand. The small gap between box and bell-housing is typical. Get the transmission this far, then use the mounting bolts to draw it in the rest of the way. This is needed because of the tight fit between the trans and bellhousing.

http://www.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_0310_tremec_tko_2_gearbox/viewall.html

The tremec manual however says to never do that however and I don't want to screw up a brand new clutch or something worse...

[rown4au]

better pic and caption from article

http://www.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_0310_tremec_tko_2_gearbox/photo_31.html

[68fastback]

...yeah, drawing it up with the bolts seems scary. Were they difficult to separate when you pulled the trans? If trans-bell housing is a tight fit it should have been tight coming apart too? If so, that might add some cred to using the bolts to draw it up, but still a bit scary.

[rown4au]

Yes it was, I am trying to remember if I had to pry them apart or not, I have been working on this job for so long some of it is starting to blur together.

I am still very leery of using the bolts, as everywhere else I can find online says not to do that.

[Carnut]

Sometimes depressing the clutch will allow the splines to line up a little better. Need to be sure it is engaged partially in the splines and have the bolts in place. You'll need a helper. Try pushing it in, wiggling the tailshaft while someone is depressing the clutch pedal.

[Tommy Gun]

I would probably pull it apart and double check everything, including pilot bearing I.D. before drawing it tight w/ bolts.

I know that's a pain and a lot of extra work.

[rown4au]

spoke to a mechanic friend this morning and he suggested that I scuff the collar on the front of the transmission that inserts into the bellhousing a bit with emory paper and lube the bellhousing and collar slightly with grease which I am going to try shortly. Fingers crossed

i am very nervous about using the bolts seems like a recipe for disaster

[68fastback]

I think Carnut may be on the right track too ...as long as the splines are already engaged in the clutch (so disc can't drop), depressing the clutch pedal will permit it to allign as needed -- so it won't fight the tranny splines. How did you pre-allign the clutch disc ...with a pilot tool of some sort? ...if that's just tad off doing what Carnut said might be the ticket.

[Tommy Gun]

:waiting2:

[rown4au]

I think Carnut may be on the right track too ...as long as the splines are already engaged in the clutch (so disc can't drop), depressing the clutch pedal will permit it to allign as needed -- so it won't fight the tranny splines. How did you pre-allign the clutch disc ...with a pilot tool of some sort? ...if that's just tad off doing what Carnut said might be the ticket.

I tried that but no go, in fact when we tried to adjust the cable it ended up with all kinds of slack somehow so that is another issue to sort out afterwards.

Anyway we ended up pulling the transmission and looking at it again and the clutch disc was very slightly to left of dead on center. So we ended up haivng to pull the bellhousing apart again and loosen the pressure plate enough to recenter the clutch disc using the plastic splined tool that I ordered with the clutch. After we put everything back together and put the tranmission back in it slid in flush relatively easily with a bit of wiggling to align the splines.

I am definitely glad I did not use the bolts... that could have been catastophic.

Anyway the moral of the story is check the clutch disc algnment several times before pulling on the bellhousing and leave the alignment tool in the clutch and pilot bearing when tightening down the pressure plate!!!

Now I just have to button everything up, figure out why I have 6 inches of clutch cable slack and sort that out and once that is fixed see if it actually works!

[68fastback]

Awesome!!!! That's gotta be a load off your mind!! :banana:

[Tommy Gun]

Did you replace the cable?

Sounds like it is disconnected somewhere?

[rown4au]

Did you replace the cable?

Sounds like it is disconnected somewhere?

Errrr no, just finished buttoning most of it up, exhaust needs to be tightened but I wanted to sort out the clutch cable issue first. Turns out when I was trying to adjust the cable to try and engage the clutch so I could try to move the disc around to avoid pulling the bellhousing I must have loosened it and the cable came off the quadrant in the drivers footwell. I took a quick look tonight and discovered this but didn't see the end of the cable anywhere so I hope it has not dissapeared into the cable sleeve somehow. I will take a better look tomorrow but I am shot so heading to bed.

[Carnut]

Maybe it's time for a new one if the current one has a lot of miles on it.

[rown4au]

No its relatively new as the previous owner replaced it , I am headin down to the shop shortly and hope I can find the end on the one currently installed under the dash

[Tommy Gun]

:waiting2:

[Carnut]

No its relatively new as the previous owner replaced it , I am headin down to the shop shortly and hope I can find the end on the one currently installed under the dash

Look on the end of the cable for it.

[Tommy Gun]

:doh:

[rown4au]

ok I was able to push the cable on the transmission end through the sheath back into the drivers footwell and reattach it to the clutch quadrant. The hardest part was actually getting my torso into the footwell upside down so I could see it. The rollcage and seat are not positioned ideally for that purpose for some reason... :doh2:

Anyway once that was done I refilled the transmission with synthetic fluid. (BG synchroshift 2) tightened up the x pipe and mufflers and reconnected the battery and shockingly it started right up.:wow2: After a few starts and stops in the driveway I did a couple of easy laps around the neighborhood to try to bed in the new clutch and flywheel a bit as I would rather not bring it to the track without any break in at all. Seems to be fine I just need to adjust the cable tension a bit as its engaging and about 3/4 of the way to the floor so I will play with that a bit over the next week or so.

Unfortunately however it can't all be victories, I definitely seem to have a few exhaust leaks on the passenger side header that I had to loosen to get the bellhousing out. I will probably just live with them for now and have another think about how to deal with that after my next track event.

[Tommy Gun]

.....laps around the neighborhood.......


Laps?


:spitcopy:



.

[rown4au]

Laps?
:spitcopy:

.

Sure had the wife and daughter running pit crew in our front yard when I came by on the 5th lap for fresh tires and fuel.
:boink:


Kidding aside, I was just trying to get a little heat in the new clutch and flywheel and took it very easy so as not to tick off the neighhbors too much, the car is really loud and obnoxious. The numbers all over it and straight pipes kind of attract attention of local law enforcement as well so didn't want to push my luck.

[Tommy Gun]

:crutch:



LOL

[68fastback]

You rock, Jaime!! :wtg: You worked through it and just some adjustments now. You have now 'bonded' with her!! ;-)

[rown4au]

You rock, Jaime!! :wtg: You worked through it and just some adjustments now. You have now 'bonded' with her!! ;-)

Thanks Dan, I know this is not that big a thing to a lot of the more experienced guys on here and after having done it now its not that scary but I never tried something this involved myself before so I wasn't really sure how it would go, thanks for the help and suggestions along the way.

At one point I can remember thinking I would feel like a real idiot if I had to load up the various parts and winch it onto a trailer so a shop could clean up my mess; man am I glad I didn't have to do that!

[68fastback]

Thanks Dan, I know this is not that big a thing to a lot of the more experienced guys on here and after having done it now its not that scary but I never tried something this involved myself before so I wasn't really sure how it would go, thanks for the help and suggestions along the way.

At one point I can remember thinking I would feel like a real idiot if I had to load up the various parts and winch it onto a trailer so a shop could clean up my mess; man am I glad I didn't have to do that!

lol ...that's *exactly* what I think whenever I take *anything* complex apart! :rofl3:

[Tommy Gun]

lol ...that's *exactly* what I think whenever I take *anything* complex apart! :rofl3:


Like? :popcorn:

.

[68fastback]

...the tractor...

...especially when I had to put it back totgether with one hand :doh2: 'cause the other was bandaged with stitches.

...or servicing our Bosch on-demand water heater since, if that doesn't work, I have to move in with Dave. I always get nervous when I disassemble things that can explode when they're reassembled :rofl3:

...and :nonono: I don't have pics ...except of my thumb and Mikey goes :barf: when I show those :haha:

[Joe G]

lol ...that's *exactly* what I think whenever I take *anything* complex apart! :rofl3::yes:


Especially when Mrs G is standing behind me like this... :rollingpin:



:yikes:

[68fastback]

:haha: