Question for the fluid drive gurus

[Doug&Deb]

I’m sending the clutch assembly to Tennessee Clutch for rebuild. I have two concerns. The flywheel part of the fluid coupling has some light scoring and surface rust. I’m leery of trying to remove it for fear of damaging the seal. Also do I need to replace the bushings in the coupling? According to the parts book there are two. This also looks like removing the nut that holds the flywheel to the coupling. Can I lightly sand the rust off and be done or do I remove the flywheel? If so how best to do that?

[MarcDeSoto]

Maybe put some navel jelly or evaporust on the rust to remove it.  Or maybe lightly sand it off.  I don't know why you would have to take the FD apart to do this?  If the FD is leaking you may have to replace the bushings.  I have a FD but I have not done anything to it other that replace the FD fluid in it, so I'm not an expert.  Was your trans. working fine before.  Mine was that's why I'm not doing anything to my M5 trans or FD for my restoration.  

[Doug&Deb]

I’m not sure if I’m using this at all. I bought a complete engine and trans for my 52 Coronet. I’m going to rebuild the engine. The trans and clutch in my car work fine but I’d like to have a new clutch in case it’s needed. My current engine has a rear main leak so it’s possible that the clutch is oil soaked. I’m probably going to try a light sanding on the flywheel.

[Dan Hiebert]

You can lightly sand the flywheel with no adverse effects.  If you were to get a spankin' new one, the manufacturer would recommend that be done anyway to remove the shine.  Same as new brake drums or rotors.  Do it yourself, and you won't need to remove it from the FD unit.  Just ensure you seal everything up to keep the sanding detritus out.  Light scoring shouldn't be an issue unless the clutch tends to grab, then it may be too deep.  But if scoring goes away with the sanding, it'll be a non-issue.

[Merle Coggins]

When I did the clutch on my truck I wanted to get the FD driven plate / clutch mounting plate resurfaced. I rigged up an H-bar puller to remove the plate from the FD. I didn’t know any better at the time that I could have caused damage to the seal, but it pulled rather easy with a proper tool. I took it into the clutch shop along with the clutch. They surfaced the plate there and sent my clutch out to be rebuilt. When I got the plate back I carefully set it back in place and tightened the nut. It’s been working fine ever since then. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe it’s not as sensitive as some make it out to be. 

[James_Douglas]

What I fail to see in the photos is no blocks to keep the plate from rocking. There are a lot of threads about the blocking the plate against the coupling and the failure to do so can cause the carbon seal to crack. It often does and can start leaking immediately or a six months later.

 

NEVER pull a trans out and/or handle a coupling where one has not made wood wedges and placed them between the plate and coupling housing with bailing wire around the wood blocks to keep them in place.

 

Once installed with the transmission in, you cut the wire and pull the blocks.

 

James

[Doug&Deb]

Don’t worry James, the wedges are still in place on mine. What do you recommend about resurfacing the flywheel side of the coupling? 

[James_Douglas]

If it needs to be surfaced, I would make a puller or barrow one from someone that has one. Take it off and have it surfaced and then put it back on. As long as one is careful it is not a big deal. If one is not careful then it can be.

 

James

 

PS. The factory correct Miller Tool pullers show up regularly on eBay.

[Dodgeb4ya]

If you do buy the Miller puller...get the right one. There are two different ones.

A 9-1/4" puller and a 10" puller.

As for removing the two pilot bushings

...special tools are needed to remove them.

The smaller roughtly 5/8" diameter bushing is approximately 4" down in the coupling and the larger  say 1-1/4" bushing is right below the clefully measure those bushings to utch driven plate nut requiring the nut removal.

I would carefully measure those  bushings and input shaft to be sure they need replacement.

Of course special meausuring tools need3d to do that unless you have a loose used input shaft to test fit.