Thread: Clutch and Welch plug

Yes, it is, and no, I'm not replacing it while the engine is out. For a couple of reasons - removing the head with the engine in situ is just as easy as while it is out, and that is in an even worse position relative to the engine stand.

The position of the engine stand relative to the engine was made to allow access to the clutch - doing it again I probably could have made the clutch a bit harder to get at, but still manage, and made the welch plugs easy - hindsight is wonderful! Last time I did a clutch by pulling an engine out I did not have an engine stand, so this my first experience using a stand.

This exercise reminds me that at the 70th at Cooma I was talking to the elderly owner of a Series 1 who had prepared for his drive home with a leaking welch plug on the back of the engine by putting a block of softwood against the back of the engine held in place by a couple of turns of fencing wire around the block lengthwise, and twitched tight. He said he had done the same in Africa decades ago.

Nothing for the rest of the week - off tomorrow to Sydney for a medical appointment. Should be back Friday. Got nothing done today, getting packed and making sure everything was set for my absence.

Got back on Friday, and had to spend Saturday getting some firewood and trying to get the house warmed up. Back onto the 2a yesterday and today.

Did a bit of tidying up of the engine bay, and spent most of Sunday afternoon freeing two exhaust pipe studs from their nuts, and replacing the studs in the manifold, plus some minor changes to the lifting tackle, and attaching the RH engine mount and its foot to the engine. Today got the engine in place and largely bolted in. Except for the two almost impossible stud nuts on the flywheel housing behind the front prop shaft and transfer lever. They are still to do.

There is surprisingly little clearance getting the engine in - the exhaust pipe against the starter pushes it to the right, and then the other side catches on the engine mount bracket on the chassis. And the LH engine mount is an issue - it is almost impossible to get the engine aligned with the gearbox with it attached to either the engine or the chassis, and almost impossible to lift the engine enough to get it in place after the gearbox is bolted up (but I did manage this).

The first two pictures show it being prepared to put in, and the third shows the three guide studs I used to help align the input shaft with the clutch and flywheel. These were simply 3/8"W coach bolts with the heads cut off and the ends slotted to make it easy to get them out. The locations were chosen from where the studs had come out when removing the engine, but making sure they were in locations where it would be easy to get them out and put the proper studs in.

Engine going in from front_5132.jpgEngine going in from side_5133.jpgNote Guide studs_5135.jpg

Nice work John, hope you won’t have to do that again for a while. I like the idea with the 3/8 W studs for alignment

Originally Posted by drfish

Nice work John, hope you won’t have to do that again for a while. I like the idea with the 3/8 W studs for alignment

Thanks, that is why I put in the special picture of them. Just makes life easier, without a lot of trouble.

Good job John.
Sturdy looking gantry system you have there.
That big RSJ wouldn't even know the two and a quarter was swinging on it.

Cheers, Mick.

Well, today back into it! A little bit anyway. Got the remaining two nuts on the bell housing fitted and done up. The bottom one of the three that also hold the bracket for the slave cylinder was the real pain. This is almost impossible with the front prop shaft in place. Not wishing to remove this, I removed the transfer lever. With this removed, it is merely difficult, using a 12" wobble extension and a very fine ratchet lever. Getting the nut started was the real problem.

Just as well I removed the transfer lever - the pivot bolt was worn almost halfway through. The anti-rattle spring is pretty worn too, I think I'll see if I can find one of them.

Also degreased the radiator from where it overflowed with bars leaks in the radiator after I failed to replace the radiator cap by accident when I was keeping it going with the coolant leak while waiting for parts and time!