Streetwiseguy said:
If you need to go the same direction with both dowels, you are likely slightly off on the disc alignment. If its not a stepped flywheel, there is usually a space around the outside edge of the pressure plate where you can see or feel the edge of the disc. Stepped flywheel makes that harder.
Release bearing is free to slide?
Are you alone? I find a second set of hands makes that job a lot easier.
The release bearing needs to be checked. We had this very issue with a buddy’s ej swap. We couldn’t get it in, and eventually saw the clutch pedal on the floor. He pumped it, the bearing retracted, and we were good.
Dr. Hess said:
Note that I have also successfully used a tree branch at a campground.
Dude, I need more info on that!
In reply to Trackmouse :
We were camping at Sturgis with friends. One rode a Low Rider and his wife had a VW trike. The trike started making horrible screeching sounds when she shifted. She was all upset. It was also running like E36 M3 after the chrome dizzy install and getting crap for gas mileage. They had 5-600 miles to ride home. So, next morning, we pulled the motor. We suspected a throwout bearing, and had purchased one the day before. My friend stripped all the fiberglass and covers off, we undid the 4 bolts holding the motor on, got 2 big guys, one on each side, to grab the header tubes, out it came. On close inspection, there was not a pilot (spigot) bearing, but a bushing, and the bushing was berked. 2 bushings in the end of the crank, actually, one on top of the other. Pulled the clutch off. Another trip to the auto parts store on Main Street and a big WTF? on a bushing in the end of the crank. No one had ever heard of that one. Back to the campground, pulled the totally hosed one out, beat the other one into about round, threw some grease on it, put it back together. Not having a clutch alignment tool, I went over to the fire wood pile, selected an appropriately sized branch, chopped it to about the shape I wanted with my handy hatchet (also used on the bushing), eyeballed "center" on the clutch disk with it, locked it down and the transmission slid in like butter. Next up, loosened the dizzy and twisted it until it sounded about right at idle. Complete success and she was a happy camper. I test rode it around Sturgis, first trike I've ridden. Pulled some wheelies with it. She rode it back home and for a couple years after that until she died of a brain aneurysm. RIP Cos.
THANK you all for your input and help! Sorry I've taken a bit to post an update; I only get a little time out in the garage and it's taken a couple days to resolve things.
@Wheelsmithy: Good suggestion, but I am using the engine and transmission both from the 2003 so they were together before the project started. The SMT ("auto") trans has been converted to a manual 6-speed but that's all control side stuff and *shouldn't* effect the trans>engine engagement.
I used DrHess's suggestion to cut off the heads of some long bolts to use as alignment pins. That still wouldn't get me installed, it hit a snag at the same spot about 1/4" apart, but it sure made getting things slid together easier. So I used Robbie's suggestion of testing fit without the clutch disc in place. And sure enough it hit the same resistance at the same point. Turns out one of the alignment dowels is a really tight fit. I probably would have been OK forcing it but I'm really glad I didn't just so I don't have any questions about it down the road.
So I put the clutch back in, got the thing lined up just right by eye, and really humped it in there as Tyler H suggested. Success! It's together, all the bolts are in there finger tight and I'm ready to start torquing things up, making connections, and installing the shebang tomorrow.
Only question right now: Would you guys go ahead and replace a clutch slave cylinder that's got about 130k miles on it?
Also, DrHess, that's a good story!
It reminds me of when my cousin picked up a $250 Volvo 240 wagon that I found for him. He got a ride up here from Tennessee and was driving it around to shake it down when it quit starting. We diagnosed it as a bad fuel pump relay which on that year 240 is a custom Volvo two-stage thing. (Two relays in one box.) We checked junkyards and parts suppliers and the only thing we could find was a significant fraction of the purchase cost; I believe like $100. He had some spare standard Bosch relays so I drilled a hole in the relay casing, cut the stock relays out, and soldered wires to the board and out through the case to two standard relay sockets mounted outside the case. It worked 100%. I told him he should replace the relay when he got home for peace of mind but he considered it an upgrade and drove it like that for years, selling the car on with the upgrade in place much later.
Wasn't me on the home-brew alignment pins, although I've done that for other things like a Lotus TC water pump pulley, cylinder head, etc.
Yeah, I'd at least put a kit in the slave cylinder.
Also, whenever possible, I am switching clutch hydraulics to DoT 5 fluid. Can't on the RAV4, as there is no separate fluid reservoir (shares it with the brakes). Everything else has been getting DoT 5 and I've not lost another clutch hydraulics since.
Cool. Exedy has closeout slave cylinders for $18 so I ordered one. I’ll look into dot5 thanks for the tip!
In reply to Dr. Hess :
Why is that for DOT5? Never heard this, And am running a RAM hydro bearing, so not easily accessible.
