Flywheel housing-horseshoe engine shims

[Tim Warren]

I am FINALLY reinstalling my rebuilt engine. Engine in; drivetrain/tanny all in. There is no way to fit the shims that fit at the throttle linkage. The housings are totally mated. Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[Charlie Stephens]

Did you remember to install the gasket between the engine and the flywheel housing?

Charlie Stephens

[jw hash]

first like Charlie says did you install the gasket. I like to put a little extra RTV around the cam opening, and you you NEED to deal in your flywheel housing to the flywheel, or you might end up with a miss alignment problem.

[Tim Warren]

Gasket in. Just no gap for the shims. Loosen bell housing and jack car at the oil pan to try and recreate a gap, or let it alone?

[MAG]

Follow what Post 3 says. Do what it takes to dial it in.

[Ernie Vitucci]

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Good Evening to all...When we do them here in the desert, we either use the shims and the gasket or go without the shims and without the gasket...We don't see much difference...then we have a fellow who puts a few Donkey Hairs in the RTV around the Bell Housing...says that's how his Grand Father did it...Go Figure...Ernie in Arizona

[PC/SR]

I assume the throttle linkage is not tightened down. You should be able to get a screwdrive in and pry it out a touch and drop the shims over the linkage bolts.

[Terry, NJ]

Tim, Two of the craziest ideas that Henry Ford ever had was 1) splitting the bell housing into two pieces (bell housing and Flywheel housing) 2) Those two shims! OK, here's what you have to do next! First, make sure you have a gasket in between the engine block and Fly Wheel housing to seal the oil from the cam. Next, put those two shims ( .010) into place. Then with a magnetic fixture (Or something else on the fly wheel,) get an indicator reading on the surface where the bell housing mates. It can't be more than .006 out. Tighten where it's high and shim if it's low. You'll have to take the spark plugs out and spin the engine with the hand crank. I know, you've never done this step on a engine before and it seems weird, but that's way it's done on a model A. If you find that the .010 shims are too thick make them out of thinner shim stock. but don't go without them. Failure to do this will cause a misalignment of the input shaft on the transmission and she'll jump out of gear. Good luck with it!
Terry

[redmodelt]

The engine and transmission are installed in the car and so is the gasket. Read post No 1 and 4.

[Tim Warren]

Thanks everyone for weighing in! Left the shims alone and went to other projects, (carb hook up, alternator, etc. Gave the shims one last try and PRESTO both slipped in. Absolutely no idea what I did...I need to buy a lotto ticket!

[redmodelt]

Sweet!

[James Rogers]

Originally Posted by Tim Warren

Gasket in. Just no gap for the shims. Loosen bell housing and jack car at the oil pan to try and recreate a gap, or let it alone?

Flywheel housing warped. I find most are after many, many years running without the shims.

[Terry, NJ]

I know how they went in, those two bolt tab/bosses on the flywheel housing are machined .010 below the rest of the FW housing. That's how the FW housing gets warped, by backyard mechanics not knowing about the shims and and the .010 gap, pulling them down with a F.B. Wrench! (F..king Big) Almost forgot, you're still not off the hook yet. You still have to indicate the surface of the FW housing!
Terry

Originally Posted by Tim Warren

Thanks everyone for weighing in! Left the shims alone and went to other projects, (carb hook up, alternator, etc. Gave the shims one last try and PRESTO both slipped in. Absolutely no idea what I did...I need to buy a lotto ticket!

[Dave in MN]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

I know how they went in, those two bolt tab/bosses on the flywheel housing are machined .010 below the rest of the FW housing. That's how the FW housing gets warped, by backyard mechanics not knowing about the shims and and the .010 gap, pulling them down with a F.B. Wrench! (F..king Big) Almost forgot, you're still not off the hook yet. You still have to indicate the surface of the FW housing!
Terry

I think Terry realizes the engine is in the car. I think Terry is just letting the OP know that he should have dial indicated the flywheel housing and shimmed it to within .006" to make sure the assembly functions properly.
This would require that the engine be removed from the car to accomplish this

Others have danced around the issue that it wasn't done originally and suggested that the shims just be installed and let "good enough" be the result.

It is the owner's choice on this one.
Good Day!

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

"Good enough" is probably good enough, but you will ALWAYS wonder.......

[Terry, NJ]

I suspected as much, but you only have the O.P. to go by. He wants this job done and out of his hair. I was the same way when I first heard of this rather necessary step in reassembling a mod A driveline. "This can't be!" whyinhell would H.F. do something that mechanically screwy. But he did! And he put the trans bolts inside the bell housing. The only other car I ever saw that on was my Jaguar and I hated the Jag engineers for that!
When I first had it presented me I rebelled, Ahh It'll be ok and it was. My next car wasn't so lucky though. It cost me an input shaft after the unpleasantness of it jumping out of gear.
H. F. must have learned too! You can see the progression from the two piece Mod. A to the FW housing being cast in the block, to the one piece bell housing in 1949 (two years after Henry's death). He was a stubborn old man and right about so much, while wrong about so much too.
Terry

Originally Posted by Dave in MN

I think Terry realizes the engine is in the car. I think Terry is just letting the OP know that he should have dial indicated the flywheel housing and shimmed it to within .006" to make sure the assembly functions properly.
This would require that the engine be removed from the car to accomplish this

Others have danced around the issue that it wasn't done originally and suggested that the shims just be installed and let "good enough" be the result.

It is the owner's choice on this one.
Good Day!