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Post by silverdragon on May 21, 2014 7:00:18 GMT
To be a mini mechanic, you needed the hands of a child and the strength of two gorillas. I've noticed. To change the clutch, I had to buy a special Rover clutch puller and had to use my smallest nut runner, there was no room for professional tools at all. When I feared that my nut runner would break, I stopped and called an expert if I am missing a detail or two there. He gave me the advice to put my head where I can't see the puller or clutch and laughed. So I had continued tightening the puller. Well, the brick wall next to the car had a big mark on it and the original Rover puller looked like a piece of weird art but the clutch was finally removed. I asked the professional how they do that without breaking a €40 Rover tool each time. He said that taking out the engine is cheaper since you can use real tools afterwards. You make no mention of the Blow torch?..... Ok, so, you have the blow torch to hand anyway, because to remove the bell housing without cracking it, you MUST have warmed it up slightly.... To remove the mini clutch, that "Heat-welds" its self on, its better to warm it slightly with the blow torch.... This is ok, because you are doing the three-in-one of plate/thrust bearings at the same time anyway, so nothing is going to get damaged that you were not throwing away..... By the way, what method did you use to get to the clutch, remove engine or twist it slightly to get that end up whilst under the bonnet?.... Both require un-plugging various bits, but the twist method is quicker.... I can do a clutch in under 2 hrs easily. Or used to be able to. I still have my NON Rover clutch puller in my workshop, covered in grease, and scorch marks. |
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Post by c64 on May 21, 2014 12:51:52 GMT
You make no mention of the Blow torch?..... Ok, so, you have the blow torch to hand anyway, because to remove the bell housing without cracking it, you MUST have warmed it up slightly.... This I didn't know. But the car was hot from driving a long distance anyway when I had started. By the way, what method did you use to get to the clutch, remove engine or twist it slightly to get that end up whilst under the bonnet?.... Since the engine mounts were broken as well, I had removed that odd thing known as "the bone" and put a hydraulic car jack under the gearbox. (I think that was where it went. This was a long time ago) Both require un-plugging various bits, but the twist method is quicker.... I can do a clutch in under 2 hrs easily. This was work for 2 DAYS. The major defect was the broken rubber pieces that keep the engine in place. The engine had bounced around quite far destroying a lot of stuff which had to be fixed. So the clutch was just done "on the fly" working at a gazillion other problems. I wouldn't want to try that ever again! I am spoiled by my original Passat 35i. You have to remove the engine OR the gearbox to change the clutch, it's your choice. If you pick the gearbox, it's the most convenient way when the car is on a rack, but you have to take extreme care not to de-adjust the stick shift pulleys. They are highly sensitive and won't forgive you any error. It's a nightmare to properly adjust them. For the engine, you either need an engine crane or the special VW "bridge" you put on top of the engine bay. It sits in mounts in the crack of the bonnet and you can use a pulley to lift the engine - even at the shoulder of a road if you have to! This is my method of choice since I don't own a car rack. I haven't used this more than once for the clutch but you sometimes need to remove parts which also keep the engine in place and attaching the engine to the bridge makes sure it won't move into any position where you can't reinstall the parts. Owning such a bridge has another great advantage. The engine bay is designed for maximum crash safety. The engine can roll under the passenger cell maximizing the crumble zone. Even with the short "snout" and the firewall reaching into the engine bay quite far, this car has an excellent head-on collision protection. And I figured out that if you tie the engine to the bridge, by just removing the starter and the heater hoses, you can rotate the engine by about 45° so you can service it from all directions, this is important if you need to work on the manifolds tucked between the firewall and the engine. |
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Post by c64 on May 21, 2014 12:58:41 GMT
Here is a neat video about replacing the starter. He has a homemade version of "the bridge". Mine is also home made but taller and tougher, it allows to hang the entire engine onto it and lift it quite far, enough to replace almost anything without taking the actual block out.
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Post by the light works on May 21, 2014 14:50:10 GMT
that makes me nostalgic for the old days. the first time I changed the plugs in my dad's old pickup, I did it sitting on the fender with my feet on the front wheel well.
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Post by c64 on May 21, 2014 15:32:43 GMT
that makes me nostalgic for the old days. the first time I changed the plugs in my dad's old pickup, I did it sitting on the fender with my feet on the front wheel well. In most modern car engine bays, it's hard enough to get a hand in! |
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Post by Cybermortis on May 21, 2014 16:53:18 GMT
Mod Hat on: Please continue this off topic conversation in the Car Discussion thread on the Hobbies board.
Thread locked until I have the time and inclination to trim it.
CM
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