Sunday, May 5, 2013

MEASURE TWICE AND INSTALL ONCE

After the pilot bearing was removed and noticing that the outside was worn more than the inside, I started measuring the distances from the transmission input shaft and the outside flange where the motor adapter bolts up. The end of the trans axle shaft sticks out .042" past the housing when measuring to a strait edge and the motor coupling protruded .080 past the motor adapter flange, giving only around 1/8" contact of the trans axle shaft in the pilot bearing.

Since the clutch did not seem to work that well last year when I was driving the car, I decided to pull the coupling and bring it out a little on the motor shaft, so  I measured the position of the coupling on the shaft, removed the 3 bolts connecting the two piece taper coupling, and hooked up a 3 jaw puller. I had been hoping there were jack bolt holes but I could not find any bolts that would thread the holes I thought were for that purpose, so I hooked up a 3 jaw puller and started tightening the center screw. The legs kept popping off the od of the coupling and I wasn't making any headway, so I tried heating the coupling and put hose clamps together to go around the legs to try and hold onto the od but this did not work either. There was a flange on the back of the inner tapered bushing and a space between the two halves, so I tried to drive wedges between the two halves. The gap seemed to increase and I thought the coupling finally was coming apart, only to hear a piece of the flange hit the floor. Oops! Since the flange was broken and the inner tapered bushing would need to replaced, I kept on going until finally the whole flange was gone. On to plan B. I went to Advance Auto and rented a bigger 3 jaw puller and with the flange gone, was able to get the jaws solidly onto the outside of the coupling. Finally, the two parts came apart and I was able to get the coupling off.

It was Friday and very nice out in central Ohio, so I took a 1/2 day of vacation. Randy's Auto Machine Shop called and let me know the pilot bushing was done so I stopped there to pick it up on the way home. Things were really looking up!

PILOT BUSHING INSTALLED

When I got home, I contacted Randy at Canadian EV and was told the inner tapered bushing used on the 2 piece coupling is a standard  SH 1-1/8" bushing and can be found at any power transmission store.. What a relief. I called the closest Motion Industries Branch and was told they had one in stock for $10, so off to pick up the tapered bushing. I fit tested the bushing and it was exactly what I need.

SH 1-1/8" TAPERED BUSHING


Friday night I test fitted the clutch to the trans axle spline shaft and it would not go on. The old one slid on just fine. After inspecting the shaft it appeared the clutch had been riding on the end of it and had burred it up. The new clutch with no wear just would not slide on. After filing the burrs and cleaning up the splines, it finally slid on just fine. I assembled the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate and slid it on the shaft. It went back until the outside of the pressure plate was flush with the trans axle flange but was hitting on the new pilot bushing. I had wrapped electrical tape around the instillation tool to go from the .594 of the instillation tool pilot bushing od, to the .750 size of the bushing needed to fit the coupling pilot bushing size but it must have thrown the alignment off by enough that the pilot bushing would not align. I removed the pilot bushing sleeve and the flywheel slid in over 1/4" more before the end of the pressure plate contacted the ribs in on the inside of the trans axle housing..

 TRANS AXLE SPLINES

OLD CLUTCH SPLINES

 I went to Millersport Hardware and bought 3, 1-1/8 id machine washers that measured .238 when stacked together. I put the original spacer on the motor shaft and added the 3 washers behind the tapered sleeve, then reassembled the coupling, installed the flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate. This should give me .383 shaft contact in the pilot bushing  and move the clutch splines in .238 onto unworn  shaft splines.

I rigged the motor on the engine lift and lowered it into position on the cradle, working it toward the trans axle and when the shaft had started to mate, put the two bolts in the dowel holes.Then I put a transmission jack under the motor and adjusted the height until every thing was level. With a couple wiggles and a couple turns on the half shaft, the motor popped in. I tightened the bolts pulling the dowels into position, and the motor and trans axle were mated. Everything turned smoothly when I turned the half shaft so it looks like my measurements were correct.

MOTOR MOUNTED

Now I have to make the front motor mount so I took some level readings to make sure the motor and trans axle are level in relation to the cradle.

 MOTOR LEVEL READING
 TRANS AXLE LEVEL READING
  CRADLE LEVEL READING

After leveling the cradle and adjusting the motor so it was level with the cradle I made a template of the bolt holes and distance to the motor mount pad.

MOTOR MOUNT TEMPLATE

Once the motor mount is installed, the charge connectors finished, and the engine bay is painted, it will be time to install the cradle back into the car. Oh, if I forget, someone remind me I need to put lubricant in the trans axle as most of it spilled out when I lifted the cradle to paint the bottom of it.

Randy    


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