Hello...newbie here....changing from a 700R4 (selling) to a Muncie 4 speed, 31 Model A, 350 motor, Munice M20....wondering how deep is the input shaft suppose to be into the pilot bushing? Its my first time using hydraulic T/O brg, and to obtain proper clearance between brg and pressure plate fingers, I need to shim tranny away from bellhousing about .130, which according to my best measurements (& guesses), I will have about .410 into the pilot bushing..is this enough? Thanks!
If it were me I would want at least 1//2 the lenght of the input shaft in the pilot bearing. And I would not shim the tranny to get proper clearence for the throw out bearing. To me that is creating one problem to fix another, get a different bearing.
Interesting, the T/O brg manufacturer says OK to shim tranny From the bell.....(in my case, about .140), so who makes a shorter T/O bearing?
get a longer pilot bushing..commonly used with mid plate mounts. Speedway or some other race supplier should have it.
For my Muncie/SBC setup on my '32 I used a hydraulic throwout bearing that came with a set of shims to get the proper clearance. I don't recall the brand I used offhand, but a buddy that circle tracks picked it up for me. I'm with the others that say shimming out the tranny is Mickey Mouse. Sounds like you need a shorter throwout bearing with the shim set.
yes,,,this RAM brg came with shims also, but those are for going in the opposite direction, meaning, moving the brg closer to the PP fingers form proper clearance..in my case it is too close with no shims, hence the need to shimming the bell forward. Did a quick search for a "shorter brg" didnt see anything yet....considering milling down the tranny front cover to move the brg back some .160
Maybe you have the wrong bellhousing. I know with small block Fords, you can get a truck bell that is deeper than the car bell.
its lakewood bell, but dimensions appear the same as stock.....I just did some more measuring/investigating....this T/O brg comes with a stud, which you install in place of one of the 4 hold down bolts for the front cover on the Muncie. Then the brg housing has a slot in it where this stud slides in to keep the brg in place....if I take the measurement from front of brg face to mounting face of bell, and then slide the brg OFF of the stud, and let it slide back down the input shaft, it sits .100 lower!!! Which pust me in the clearance range! The stud has a shoulder near the bottom which is barely holding the brg up......of course this is still with the .125 shims I have between the trranny and bell....but at least I can shave a bit off of the stud shoulder and get the brg to sit down all the way!
What style pressure plate are you using? Sounds like you do not have the correct combination of parts. Also, some of the HTO bearings only cover a specific throw range - one for track clutches and one for stree style clutches. You should not have to so much work to get it right.
Are you using a " block plate " between the Bell housing and block? I would NOT shim the trans from the bell housing, something else is wrong/missing from the equation here, TR
you say the dimensions " appear " the same as stock. I don't believe you can eye ball 1/8" of an inch accurately in this instance, you need to measure, and .130" is only .005" shy of an 1/8".
Jim is correct as well on the P/P being correct or not. When we use the Center Force P/P, we almost always have to use a adjustable pivot for the clutch arm for the correct geometry.
I looked up stock bell, says 6.312 "long", face where tranny mounts, to face where block mounts....this lakewood is 6.325...so should have said..dimensions are the "same"....as far as correct parts, all parts were suggested by Pace Performance, and RAM clutches. Ram pressure plate, Ram disc, Ram flywheel, Ram T/O brg. So I assumed all match....all are stock replacement parts... also, no block plate, which I do understand would make this issue arise...I think block plates are about .125? Maybe thats the solution, add a block plate? If so, where does that leave me as far as enough input shaft into the pilot bushing???
Found the Lakewood block plate is .125 thick, so ordered it. That will eliminate the "shims" between tranny & bell......thanks for everyones input!
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