The Ford Barn

Tom Wesenberg · 06-16-2013, 07:56 PM

I like to dial in the flywheel housing while the engine is out and mounted in the engine stand with the front pointing down. If you are dialing in the flywheel cover with the engine in the car, as I did yesterday, then be sure the crankshaft is always pushed forward for all the readings, or pushed rearward for all the readings. Otherwise you have the crankshaft end play which can mess up the readings on the dial indicator. Yesterday I was reading my indicator while another guy hand cranked the engine while pushing hard IN on the crank. Luckily the readings were perfect, but the pressure plate and disc were bad.

RockHillWill · 06-17-2013, 05:33 AM

Here are some archive photos that might be of some interest. I have had a series of good fortune by having the flywheel housing Blanchard ground (make sure that they shim under the base before making the first cut) then buying two flywheel/block shims. They are much thicker than the originals and the .010" shims will be useless. Use one for the housing and cut two 'shims' from the the other. The mounting bolts are all the same size bolts, so even tightening will result in even compressed thickness.

I have included these photos to show what was originally provided.

If you prefer to use the original upper shims, you may find a lower gasket that looks and compresses like an original, by scouting around for a grocery store paper bag. They are not all the same thickness, but the thin ones are not hard to find.

Note that the original shims were made from the bottom layer of a surplus head gasket, and were .009" thick, making me assume that the paper gasket compressed to that thickness.

3wc88 001sm.jpg

3wc95 042sm.jpg

3wc102 001sm.jpg

CLUTCH SEMINAR05 sm.jpg

CLUTCH SEMINAR06 sm.jpg

CLUTCH SEMINAR07sm.jpg

06-16-2013, 07:56 PM	#21
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Flywheel Shim Question I like to dial in the flywheel housing while the engine is out and mounted in the engine stand with the front pointing down. If you are dialing in the flywheel cover with the engine in the car, as I did yesterday, then be sure the crankshaft is always pushed forward for all the readings, or pushed rearward for all the readings. Otherwise you have the crankshaft end play which can mess up the readings on the dial indicator. Yesterday I was reading my indicator while another guy hand cranked the engine while pushing hard IN on the crank. Luckily the readings were perfect, but the pressure plate and disc were bad.

06-17-2013, 05:33 AM	#22
RockHillWill Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Rock Hill, S.C. Posts: 985	Re: Flywheel Shim Question Here are some archive photos that might be of some interest. I have had a series of good fortune by having the flywheel housing Blanchard ground (make sure that they shim under the base before making the first cut) then buying two flywheel/block shims. They are much thicker than the originals and the .010" shims will be useless. Use one for the housing and cut two 'shims' from the the other. The mounting bolts are all the same size bolts, so even tightening will result in even compressed thickness. I have included these photos to show what was originally provided. If you prefer to use the original upper shims, you may find a lower gasket that looks and compresses like an original, by scouting around for a grocery store paper bag. They are not all the same thickness, but the thin ones are not hard to find. Note that the original shims were made from the bottom layer of a surplus head gasket, and were .009" thick, making me assume that the paper gasket compressed to that thickness. 3wc88 001sm.jpg 3wc95 042sm.jpg 3wc102 001sm.jpg CLUTCH SEMINAR05 sm.jpg CLUTCH SEMINAR06 sm.jpg CLUTCH SEMINAR07sm.jpg __________________ Uncle Bud says "too soon old, too late smart!"