Eyelise's TVS install

[Eyelise]

I bought the OEM engine support brackets listed in the manual and the bolts.

[Eyelise]

next I worked on removing all four engine mounts. I used the directions that came with the innovative replacement mounts to direct me. The front mount is a bit of a struggle but eventually I got it off. The others weren't difficult. Once the engine mounts were all out the engine twisted in the bay and came very close to pinching a brake hardline.

[Eyelise]

The drivers side requires you to remove the coolant reservoir.

[turbophil]

Glad to see you're making progress!

Here's another solution for supporting the tranny... Sorry for crummy iphone pic and size... 3 pieces of tube. 1.25 tube slides right into the rollbar uprights, FWIW

Take care,

TP

[Eyelise]

After removing the mounts I prepped the tranny for removal. The shifter cable braket needs to be removed as well as the slave cylinder and the ground cable. I basically followed the directions in the manual.

[Eyelise]

Hey I like that I may modify mine a bit.

Originally Posted by turbophil

Glad to see you're making progress!

Here's another solution for supporting the tranny... Sorry for crummy iphone pic and size... 3 pieces of tube. 1.25 tube slides right into the rollbar uprights, FWIW

Take care,

TP

[Eyelise]

The exhaust needs to be unbolted from the manifold

[Eyelise]

Next you unbolt all the bell housing bolts as described in the manual. The bolts have very different torques with the upper most two the hardest I used a breaker bar with success. I screwede up with the two around the starter and ended up taking the starter apart instead I'll have to order another as I don't think you can get it back together.

[Eyelise]

The tranny has two "guide" pegs you have to initially get past.

[Eyelise]

I thought that would be it but you need to separate the tranny housing from engine block a Huuuuge amnt before it will drop. This requires you to tillt the engine in the bay more than you might expect.

[Eyelise]

I didn't get a good picture but the input shaft in the tranny housing is quite long and the limiting factor in obtaining clearance for the tranny to drop. This is where I had the greatest challenge. It wasn't pretty and I'm concerned I didn't support the tranny on the shaft when removing. I hope I didn't throw it out of "true". I'd be more careful had I known what I was dealing with in advance. It comes out easier if you support it near the block and at the end trying to relieve any torque from unsupported weight. You also need a lot of tilt in the engine to get the clearance laterally that is necessary. The brake line lives there so be careful not to damage. We live and we learn.

[Eyelise]

Next you remove the clutch pressure plate by slowly unbolting the 5 bolts to remove release the spring pressure making sure not to let the friction plate drop out when it comes apart.

[Eyelise]

I'm replacing the flywheel so I'll remove that next. The directions talk about matching "marks" on the pressure plate to marks on the flywheel for assembly of the OEM clutch. I didn't see any marks anywhere. Can anyone advise?

[Dragon]

The shaft with the splines on the transmission is known as an Input Shaft.. Axles are the shafts that come out of the transmission and drive the wheels... Just wanted to help you out with your part names.

The input shaft is supported by bearings etc and it would take a LOT of force to do any damage to it so I'm sure your fine.

There are holes in the pressure plate that sit on dowel pins on the flywheel. They are offset so it will only fit one way. Be sure to use an alignment tool when installing the clutch so that the input shaft will slide threw and in to the pilot bearing with out a lot of effort.

Also don't forget to use locktight when installing the flywheel bolts. You should also put in a new throw out bearing as well. They are about $35-40 and it sucks when you swap everything out and then it goes bad a few thousand miles down the road.

[Eyelise]

Tx for the correct nomenclature. I sound like such a noob. There were two orientations that lined up with the pins on the flywheel so I was unsure. I guess it must not make a difference. I do have the alignment tool and a new throw out bearing. I bought the ARP bolts for the flywheel. I'll have to pick up some locktite. Any particular type? I was going to look for high temp stuff.

Originally Posted by Dragon

The shaft with the splines on the transmission is known as an Input Shaft.. Axles are the shafts that come out of the transmission and drive the wheels... Just wanted to help you out with your part names.

The input shaft is supported by bearings etc and it would take a LOT of force to do any damage to it so I'm sure your fine.

There are holes in the pressure plate that sit on dowel pins on the flywheel. They are offset so it will only fit one way. Be sure to use an alignment tool when installing the clutch so that the input shaft will slide threw and in to the pilot bearing with out a lot of effort.

Also don't forget to use locktight when installing the flywheel bolts. You should also put in a new throw out bearing as well. They are about $35-40 and it sucks when you swap everything out and then it goes bad a few thousand miles down the road.

[turbophil]

high temp is good on the bolts-- You can get loctite in lipstick tube now. Makes for a much nicer application of it...

One thing to be a little careful of is your rear idler pulley... It has a tendancy to get knocked around into the frame while you're cursing the transmission and the engine

It's so easy to remove that long bolt that hold it in, that it should be part of the instructions in the manual...

Also, regarding the coolany resivior, you can leave all the lines hooked up, including the recirc pump, and just remove the 2 bolts that (an 8mm and 10mm) that hold that whole assembly to the frame and just lower it with the engine... I can't tell for sure if that's what you did or not...

I'm still up in the air as to whether it's easier to pull the engine or the tranny for this job. With the clam off, it takes me just under 2 hours to pull the engine and it's easy work--espeically with the stock oil pan... There's a lot more bloody knuckles involved with pulling the tranny, IMO...

Keep up the good work!

Phil

[Eyelise]

The stock flywheel came off pretty easy. You need a 14mm 12 point socket and an extension bar for leverage. You also have to use a scew driver to "lock" the flywheeel in place while loosening the bolts.

The Fidanza flywheel is not fitting well. The center hole which is supposed to slide onto the end of the crank just doesn't fit. It is too tight. I tried to use the bolts to tighten it in place but it took too much torque. The manual says the aluminum flywheel has to go on tighter due to the fact it expands at twice the rate of steel when heated. It even suggessts heating the flywheel up on a hot plate. Give me a break. No way this will work, it was way to small. I'm just going to remove a bit of material best I can to get it on.

[turbophil]

Hey Jeff,

I've installed a couple of them and they pressed on using the mounting bolts and torqing in a star pattern. Just little by little as to maintain squareness on the crank. A little grease on the surfaces would help too...

If it just won't budge, throw the fidanza in the oven at 200* for 30 minutes minutes. Then it would probably just slide right on.... It would be best not remove much material unless on a lathe to ensure that there's no chance you don't loose the hub-centric quality of the part...

Chat later,

Phil

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by turbophil

Hey Jeff,

I've installed a couple of them and they pressed on using the mounting bolts and torqing in a star pattern. Just little by little as to maintain squareness on the crank. A little grease on the surfaces would help too...

If it just won't budge, throw the fidanza in the oven at 200* for 30 minutes minutes. Then it would probably just slide right on.... It would be best not remove much material unless on a lathe to ensure that there's no chance you don't loose the hub-centric quality of the part...

Chat later,

Phil

You sure you wouldn't want to put the fly wheel in the freezer (so it will shrink...) Heating it up will cause it to expand and fit even tighther...

[turbophil]

Originally Posted by Dragon

You sure you wouldn't want to put the fly wheel in the freezer (so it will shrink...) Heating it up will cause it to expand and fit even tighther...

Pretty sure... I believe in this case the hole would expand "out word", as the whole part would grow... Freeze the crank and heat the flywheel.... kinda hard to freeze the crank though

The webbing on the flywheel is big enough that it might expand inward, but it wouldn't in a traditional sense of press fitting something on... Would think it would be just like pressing a bearing into an engine case, i.e. heat the case and freeze the bearing...In any event, I always use the bolts to suck 'em on to the crank

Later buddy,

Phil