Clutch and Welch plug

**JDNSW** · 22nd May 2021, 05:52 PM

I didn't get anything done at all on this today. I got a call from my nephew in the village 6km away to tell me that his sister's house a block from him had burnt down. A great niece of mine and her husband driving home from nightshift in Dubbo saw the fire and called 000. They found my niece, with her dog, sitting in the gutter. They woke up my nephew, and he called another sister who lives 5km away. The house, a historic place, built as the stationmaster's house in around 1930, became the schoolteacher's house, when the station was demanned in 1940, and when the school closed in the early sixties was sold into private ownership. My niece, late fifties and single, has lived there for over twenty years.

I drove down there early this morning. The RFS was just finishing damping down, with five trucks there, and I was able to get information from the local crew, most of whom I know. The house, made of cypress pine, is totally gone - all that is left is twisted roofing iron and the metal water tanks, plus a brick chimney.

Her total possessions as of this morning consists of a nightgown, a dog, a car, but no keys (separate garage), and a trailer. Probably a lawnmower and garden tools as well, the garden shed survived. Her sister took her to Dunedoo hospital with low blood pressure, but she was discharged late this morning. She is staying at least temporarily with her sister and b-i-l. A major issue is that she is totally deaf, and has lost the electronics for her cochlear implants. And of course, has lost all her ID, phone, computer, laptop, etc.

I hope to get back to the car in a few days - I still need some parts, but there is work I could be doing.

**Cadas** · 23rd May 2021, 04:52 PM

That’s awful news, glad she is ok though.

**JDNSW** · 30th May 2021, 07:53 PM

I have been doing a bit, but nothing really to report on, mainly degreasing and general cleaning. I managed to get a replacement welch plug for the smaller one in town. I have also replaced the alternator stay and the fan belt (easier to do with the engine out). Also removed the clutch and tried unsuccessfully to remove the pilot bush. It seems to be unworn and in good shape, so I will clean out the grease I used to try and get it out, and reoil it. Both pressure plate and flywheel surface are in virtually perfect condition. Since I removed the starter to make it easier to wash the flywheel housing out, I washed the bendix drive in turps to remove the oil (who did that?) and dusted it with graphite. Both it and the ring gear look perfect. As far as I can remember the starter has never been off in the nearly thirty years I have owned it.

Today I finally got to the welch plugs First thing I found was that the welch plug I got by mail order was the wrong size. Fortunately, I also found when I cleaned it up, that it is bronze, and does not need replacing. When I cleaned up the smaller one, a hole about 2mm across became visible. Only a light tap was needed to get a screwdriver size hole in it. Levering it out was not easy, due to the restricted access - the flywheel housing is bolted to the engine stand to leave access for the clutch, which means it is constraining access to the welch plugs. Still need to do a bit of cleaning up - I think I have a suitable size wire brush wheel - somewhere!

**JDNSW** · 31st May 2021, 02:25 PM

Another setback. Found the small wire brush and cleaned up the hole - and found I had mismeasured the size of the welch plug! It is 1" (or so close that it has to be that).

It is problem living 60km out of town with no mail delivery. I'll get one when I go into town on Thursday to get my covid vaccination. And this means I probably won't get the engine back in before I have to go to Sydney to see a specialist next week and probably not before going to Yass for a grandchild's birthday. just after the long weekend!

**whitehillbilly64** · 2nd June 2021, 05:38 PM

Hi John.
I found the 'correct' one inch (25.4 mm) brass plug to tight when I tried to put them in last week on a 79 S3 2 1/4 Petrol.
I could get them to start and It was cutting the out side edge. Went to my local engine rebuilders and we decided on 25mm (63/64's) brass plugs, which was still very tight to fit to tap in.

whitehillbilly

**JDNSW** · 2nd June 2021, 07:51 PM

I can do one better - I have now thoroughly cleaned the hole to bright metal, and measured it with vernier calipers. It is actually 15/16". I'm going to town tomorrow to get a covid test, so I'll see if I can get one, and one you tried (63/64") as a backup. At worst I can make one, or turn down a 1" one. Thanks for the heads up.

**JDNSW** · 4th June 2021, 10:50 AM

Well, I spent the whole day in town yesterday. Nobody had a 15/16ths" (24mm) welch plug. I tried my mechanic, who went through his collection without luck. He also had an online ability to check stock at all the suppliers in town. And none of them had any. However he has a friend who does engine overhauls on his farm about halfway home for me, and he phoned and arranged for me to get one on the way home.

Which I did. I have yet to insert it - seem to have had phone calls all morning.

**JDNSW** · 5th June 2021, 12:13 PM

Well, got the welch plug in this morning. Not without difficulty - the engine stand limits access to it. Also installed new fuel pump that I have had for a while - the old one works fine, just leaks oil.

**mick88** · 6th June 2021, 07:21 AM

G'day John,
interesting thread to follow, nothing ever goes exactly to plan, or at lest not straight up, and every ten minute job takes an hour.
The last time I pulled my series three down to fit another engine and a new clutch i anticipated having it off the road for about a fortnight,
however after a few other bits and pieces that were sorted along the way, it ended up blowing out to over four weeks.
The colour of your engine is an unusual one.

Cheers, Mick.

**JDNSW** · 6th June 2021, 03:53 PM

According to the plate on the side of it it was overhauled in 1987, which was probably just before it was demobbed - I bought it in 1990 (I think).

Yesterday fitted the clutch, cleaned up the studs that screwed out of the flywheel housing rather than letting go of their nuts, running a die over the thread and a tap through the nut where necessary.

Nothing substantial done today, just a lot of little things - fixing better support for some of the wiring, making a new firewall to engine earth, replacing the engine mounts, rewrapping part of the main loom, that sort of thing.

Nothing will get done for about a week - Tuesday I am off to Sydney to see the bloke who cut my ear of, and make sure it has not spread. Going down on the XPT and returning Friday.

Thread: Clutch and Welch plug

Thread Tools

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions