After doing the clutch on the 'Scort, I'm find the gearbox a tad more of a challenge to get back in place.
The car's on axle stands at the mo, with the engine supported by a jack.
Anyone know of a place relatively close to Glasgow that will provide some sort of lifting gear to get the box back in? If need be, I'm prepared to remove the engine, mate the two outside the car, then install as a complete unit.
Ta, G.
I once used a homemade airbag (not the accident kind) under the Volvo gearbox to get it in place.
You just need a mate to give you a hand makes it easier.
Do you have a trolley jack? I find these can be useful to take the weight whilst making it quite easy to move. If you are working on a rough surface eg uneven concrete, a bit of sheet ply or even hardboard should make moving easier. Don't forget to use a clutch plate alignment tool or an old input shaft otherwise yo will be there till christmas trying to get it fitted.
Good Luck
Bob
When I need an engine hoist I usually use HSS (any hire shop'll do) and hire a hydraulic crane for the weekend. It's around £20, and worth every penny. I'm getting too old to be lifting cast iron engines in and out using a fence post and washing line ;)
I just wish there was an easier way of getting them up and down my cellar steps... :(
Ah, this brings me back.
Years ago now, the combination of constantly s**te weather, lack of staying power on my part, lack of days with decent weather coinciding with days when I had time to work on it, and the sheer difficulty of getting the gearbox back up to mate with the engine, meant that it took me 2 months to do the clutch on my Mk3 Escort :-)
Peter
And not only that, but be aware that 12Nm, or whatever the torque is that they specify for the bolts that hold the clutch housing to the flywheel, is not a particularly high torque, and easy enough to just nip it up and do it by feel. Worthwhile getting hold of a torque wrench for that extra peace of mind though.
Me - I chose to just tighten and tighten it until I snapped the bolt head, meaning I had to jam a big lever in one of the teeth on the flywheel, so I could remove it, drill out the remainder of the bolt, and then put the flywheel back on, for which I purchased a torque wrench, as I considered having all 5 bolts evenly torqued up (particularly, as at every 72 degrees, none are directly opposite each other) on something like a flywheel to be pretty important.
Peter
The message from "AstraVanMan" contains these words:
Why would that matter especially?
In fact, scrub what I said, it wouldn't. Even a simple configuration of four evenly spaced bolts could be potentially lethal on something crucial like a flywheel if things weren't evenly tightened up.
Peter
ROFL! Funny you mention it, the 'Scort has been sitting out there for 5 weeks now...
Ta, G.
3 of us and a very crammed bay, with lack of decent lifting gear made it a wasted exercise. It's one of those things where you regret taking it on, but if I didn't, I wouldn't learn.
Ta, G.
Unfortunately, I don't have such facilities available :-(
Ta, G.
I tried them today, there's a place just down the hill from me, but it was shut so I'll need to go during the week at some point.
Ta, G.
That's life for you! In the end a couple of guys from next door helped us do it, along with a home-made lifting device made from a couple of lengths of wood and some rope.
Peter
trolley jack would be my choice, or if you need to take the lump out don't most hire places do engine hoists?
Sounds a bit extreme for a clutch swap though...
Good grief, I have put these in by hand on my own, lower the engine so you can get a good angle, get the box on your chest and lift it on.
mrcheerful
The message from "G-Man" contains these words:
I've always eyeballed 'em, too. Never needed a wossnametool.
The nice man at HSS will rent you a stair climber :-) More usefully, keep an eye on ebay for a 3 wheeled trolley, they make heavy things on stairs a lot less aggro.
It's finding the good angle the first time you do one that's the tricky bit.
yellow pages, tool hire?
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.