Hot to check clutch disengagement measurement with blow proof bellhousing

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71DodgeDemon340

71DodgeDemon340

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Has anyone found a good way to measure correctly with a blow proof bell housing? I know traditionally there is an inspection plate. I thought about taking a feeler gauge in the correct thickness and bending it and fastening it to a bendable wire or something to get in there. Also snyone know the correct thickness for disengagement.
 
IMO, best to "sneak up" on it rather than have too much and bottom out things. Starter hole a possibility for access?
.060" per MP book. Kind of a starting point I feel.
 
You can drill a 1 inch hole in the bottom.

I quit fretting about air gap several decades back. I also run just enough free play that the fingers don't hit the T/O bearing. Maybe a quarter inch.

All that air gap stuff is useless unless you are using an adjustable clutch and it don't sound like you are. Set the free play and let it go.

Now thinking about it...if you have modified linkage or some other oddball situation, you need to be careful that the fingers don't hit the disc.
 
Stock style setup with zbar ball stud and adjustable clutch linkage. Clutch disengages about 1-2" of pedal depressed. I was just curious as we set it kinda by feel. Its not been adjusted in 3 years.
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Stock style setup with zbar ball stud and adjustable clutch linkage. Clutch disengages about 1-2" of pedal depressed. I was just curious as we set it kinda by feel. Its not been adjusted in 3 years.
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hi, first, do not drill hole in bottom of bell. it's not legal. I use a gas welding rod, I bent it at 90 degree angles , to fit through the fork opening I flattened the end to .060. you can ease it in and slip between plate and flywheel. john calvert told me how to do this. air gap, is not limited to adjustable clutch.
 
Do i need to check it with pedal all the way to the floor? What would be the best process to adjust it. Im mechanically inclined, just want to make sure i do it the proper way
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Do i need to check it with pedal all the way to the floor? What would be the best process to adjust it. Im mechanically inclined, just want to make sure i do it the proper way
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clutch needs to be all way to floor, it takes a helper to make it work. once measured, release pedal, adjust clutch rod in or out, depends which way you need to go, out will give you more gap. lengthens the rod. also free play is required. at top .
 
Ok so depress clutch, then using a .060 gauge put it between plate and flywheel, if to much gap release clutch and adjust rod accordingly then re measure till the .060 gauge slips in freely but without any play. Then adjust pedal free play to about 1"?
 
.050 to .060 air gap is for a Borg Beck and long style pressure plate, diaphragms pressure plates are .030 to .040 air gap, just for reference.
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Ok so depress clutch, then using a .060 gauge put it between plate and flywheel, if to much gap release clutch and adjust rod accordingly then re measure till the .060 gauge slips in freely but without any play. Then adjust pedal free play to about 1"?
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after setting air gap, free play will be what ever it is. if you try to adjust it , you will loose your air gap distance. just make sure you have some free play is all. the clutch rod, affects air gap and free play, at same time. most setups, have more than enough free play anyway.
 
perfacar said:
hi, first, do not drill hole in bottom of bell. it's not legal. I use a gas welding rod, I bent it at 90 degree angles , to fit through the fork opening I flattened the end to .060. you can ease it in and slip between plate and flywheel. john calvert told me how to do this. air gap, is not limited to adjustable clutch.
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So here are the rules, since I just went 15 rounds, toe to toe with NHRA's division 6 guy and some other guy in Glendora.
You don't need a scatter shield unless you go 11.49 or quicker. That means you can run an OE bell housing and go 11.50 and no one can say ****. I don't suggest this, but that is the rule.
The next thing follows the same thinking. If you are running 11.50 or slower, you can do almost anything you want to the scatter shield and no one can say ****. You can put a hole anywhere you want. Or two holes. Or cut part of the bottom out and make your own cover. And no one can say boo about it. The issue becomes once you modify your scatter shield, you are married to it. Lakewood charges $275.00 to install a window with cover and recertify the can and pay the freight back to you. If you do any more than drill a 1 inch hole, Lakewood won't recert it.

So if you are that worried about air gap, you can drill a hole in it. It is legal and will recert. If you have a pressure plate that is adjustable for static pressure, you can drill a 1 inch hole in the face of the bell housing. You would drill this hole from the face where the gear box bolts on out from the center so you can get an Allen wrench in there to adjust base pressure. As I understand it, you can drill one hole or the other, but not both.

Like I said, if you are that worried about air gap, drill a 1 inch hole and go.

The best deal is to send it to Lakewood and have them put a window in it. Then, if you ever step up to an adjustable clutch you will be able to tune it. If you want, I have the direct phone number to the guy at Lakewood (I'm ASSuming you have the Lakewood) and you can call him and set up shipping.

Hope this clears up the muddy waters.
 
Nothing crazy its a street car. I just want to save my feet with the blow proof bell housing, also i have a sfi certified flywheel so im more than covered. Using a zoom diaphragm clutch. So .030-.040
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Nothing crazy its a street car. I just want to save my feet with the blow proof bell housing, also i have a sfi certified flywheel so im more than covered. Using a zoom diaphragm clutch. So .030-.040
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I agree. I almost never run anything buy a scatter shield. But they are a PITA, especially if you use an adjustable clutch. That's why my can is going out to get a window put in it and then be recertified. When I was younger, and my car was dedicated race car, I could drop the trans and can in less than 40 minutes. Then adjust it and be back and running in another hour. At the track, I was screwed. Had to run what it was.
 
Thanks for the input guys, i have a feeler gauge set, going to se if i can rig up a tool to snake in there. Also on the note of the blow proof bell housing, my dad is actually the one one who bought it for me, he would absolutely not let me run the aluminum bell. Housing. I thank him for looking out for me.
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Thanks for the input guys, i have a feeler gauge set, going to se if i can rig up a tool to snake in there. Also on the note of the blow proof bell housing, my dad is actually the one one who bought it for me, he would absolutely not let me run the aluminum bell. Housing. I thank him for looking out for me.
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You dad is on the money. If you ever see what happens when one lets loose you'd never run anything else.

But at the moment I am violating my own rule and using an OE bell.
 
j par said:
Hold the fort! Am I to understand your slow junk is race ready ??
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Nope. I am doing the unthinkable. I took the scatter shield off and put the stock bell back on for now and I hate it. I just don't have the time to wait for Lakewood to put the window in it and I need to be able to tune the clutch. So I did what I did.

As long as I don't go 11.49 I'm ok. I suspect I'll be lucky to get to 13.50's so I SHOULD be home free.
 
Hold the fort! LOL I would figure that $22 a quart torco oil would get you at least into the tens! LOL:poke:
yellow rose said:
Nope. I am doing the unthinkable. I took the scatter shield off and put the stock bell back on for now and I hate it. I just don't have the time to wait for Lakewood to put the window in it and I need to be able to tune the clutch. So I did what I did.

As long as I don't go 11.49 I'm ok. I suspect I'll be lucky to get to 13.50's so I SHOULD be home free.
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HA! I wasn't planning on using the expensive oil. I want to keep it in the 13's. If I pour the good stuff to it, I'll have to install a cage. And a Dana 60. And then I'll slip on a banana peel, hit my nugget and flop for a tunnel ram and dual quads. Then I'll have to call KB racing and tell Jason Line I can drag his ***.

I can keep going but that ought to keep you busy....
 
I thought you talked about a Dana 60 recently ?
And who is Jason line? You name droppin son of a gun. You always do that to me.....:wtf:
yellow rose said:
HA! I wasn't planning on using the expensive oil. I want to keep it in the 13's. If I pour the good stuff to it, I'll have to install a cage. And a Dana 60. And then I'll slip on a banana peel, hit my nugget and flop for a tunnel ram and dual quads. Then I'll have to call KB racing and tell Jason Line I can drag his ***.

I can keep going but that ought to keep you busy....
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Sorry 71 Dodge Demon 340 I don't have any good answers on how to set those adjustments but it's much more fun for me to give yellow rose a hard time anyways so Excuse me while I do.:popcorn:
 
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