7 replies to this topic

[Pooky]

1989 Verto/pre-engaged clutch.

After I had an accident in my Mini the clutch would not work. (the car wasn't driveable anyway due to a sheared steering arm bolt and damaged subframe).

I have stripped removed the flywheel/clutch today and found nothing obviously wrong although the flywheel bolt came off very easily. Nothing was broken/damaged etc. Release bearing was fine. I will check the master cylinder when the car's back from the body shop.

I just wanted to know if the flywheel bolt should be renewed as a matter of course due to the locktab?

Ta!

[Cooperman]

You should be OK to re-use the old one and when you tighten it back up it is likely that the bolt will sit in a slightly different position, so the lugs can be knocked into the slots. Make sure you use 'Loctite' and that the threads are clean, dry and oil/grease-free.
The bolt needs to be 'FT' (that's very tight!), 150 lb.ft, then it won't come undone. One more tip, lap the flywheel onto the crank with fine valve grinding paste to ensure that the flywheel sits accurately on the crank. Clean off the grinding paste thoroughly before final assembly.

[Pooky]

Nice one. Thanks for that.

The flywheel tail is pretty smooth and came off with relatively little effort. It has only been on a couple of thousand miles though.

How exactly is it lapped in? I envisage a very large valve lapper stuck onto the flywheel

[Guess-Works.com]

I use the inside piece of an old verto clutch and a little fine valve paste. make sure you clean it when you're done...

[GraemeC]

Would using an old one, rather than what you are about to fit, negate the point though John? Surely the idea is to match the crank and boss together?

In torqueing up the bolt I usually take it to torque then rap the bolt head a few times with a heavy mallet/hammer and suitable drift to seat things and then re-torque. It is suprising how much further the bolt will then tighten up before the torque wrench clicks again - I repeat this until there is little difference in how much the bolt tightens (usually about 5 attempts).

[Pooky]

I'm afraid the current verto boss is the only one I have Will it be ok to use this?

[Ethel]

Yes,

The mating surfaces can suffer from "fubbing", where they vibrate to together under high load causing metal to transfer between (leaving pock marks and blisters), much like friction welding. Lapping should reduce any high spots so spreading the clamping force more evenly over the surface

[Cooperman]

You should always lap in together the two parts you are using. That way you know they are seating corretly.