LT1 and a T56 in a 55 Chevy

Do you know how they measure the actual air gap when there is only a small access
hole like you would use with an optic probe? Maybe eyeball estimate is good enough?

Put the floor, etc. back together...
Now to look at the clutch pedal and linkage....
55HTclutch51s_Mar2019.JPG


The chalk mark by that lower bolt is 2.7" down from the pivot...
55HTclutch52s_Mar2019.JPG


Which is where I think I want to put the clutch
master cylinder push rod...
55HTclutch05s_Jan2019.JPG


I think that this gives me the max. amount of leverage that I want to try for,
but should give me lots of foot pedal travel and a fairly light
pedal effort. If I move the attachment point further down, it
will increase foot pedal effort but give me a faster action at the pedal.
 
I think that this gives me the max. amount of leverage that I want to try for,
but should give me lots of foot pedal travel and a fairly light
pedal effort. If I move the attachment point further down, it
will increase foot pedal effort but give me a faster action at the pedal.
You better keep it at 2.7 inches with the easier pedal, you never know when the wife might want to take it for a spin ! :)
 
Do you know how they measure the actual air gap when there is only a small access
hole like you would use with an optic probe? Maybe eyeball estimate is good enough?

Put the floor, etc. back together...
Now to look at the clutch pedal and linkage....
55HTclutch51s_Mar2019.JPG


The chalk mark by that lower bolt is 2.7" down from the pivot...
55HTclutch52s_Mar2019.JPG


Which is where I think I want to put the clutch
master cylinder push rod...
55HTclutch05s_Jan2019.JPG


I think that this gives me the max. amount of leverage that I want to try for,
but should give me lots of foot pedal travel and a fairly light
pedal effort. If I move the attachment point further down, it
will increase foot pedal effort but give me a faster action at the pedal.
That Centerforce clutch and Billet Flywheel is $1,000 !
Guessing is Bad.
Your A Mechanical Engineer.
I was at Byron Raceway back 1999.
Arnie Berwick was there with his Tameless Tiger.
Walked up to him in the pits.
He was setting the Clutch disc air gap.
He showed me how to do it. Taught me.
Later he ran 6.999 at 200mph in 1/4.
It was the NMCA Fastest street car shootout in the USA.
HE SET THE FASTEST TIME THAT DAY AND A NEW RECORD !
 
Sometimes intelligent guessing is the only option, it's worked well for me over all these years...

Got the hole saw out and started marking off measurements....
Drilled that hole first from the front side.
Had to pull off the brake MC to get access with the drill for the bolt holes...
Tried to get at the passenger side hole with the drill from underneath,
No Way, so off came the brake MC....

55HTclutch53s_Mar2019.JPG


That "ridge" on the left side of the MC (viewed from the front) needed
to be flattened with a hammer, or a spacer needs to be fabbed....
So made a pattern...

55HTclutch54s_Mar2019.JPG


Had that piece of 1/4" in the scrap pile, so used that...

The pattern looks good to go....

55HTclutch55s_Mar2019.JPG


Gotta cut off the left side where the firewall ridge hits it...

55HTclutch56s_Mar2019.JPG


Cut the big hole first....
Go from there....

55HTclutch57s_Mar2019.JPG


Looks good on the MC...

55HTclutch58s_Mar2019.JPG


Looks good on the firewall...

55HTclutch59s_Mar2019.JPG


Need to fab another 1/4" plate for the inside, with the 3/8" bolts
welded on to stuff through and bolt up from the front side....
 
thank you, I really appreciate the time and effort you took to post the pictures,
showing the custom fabrication work on the spacer,
so few people have the skills , tools, initiative, and ingenuity
 
Everything bolted up quite nicely....
55HTclutch64s_Mar2019.JPG


My spacer worked perfectly....
55HTclutch62s_Mar2019.JPG


The inside plate with bolts also seems good to go....
55HTclutch63s_Mar2019.JPG


Now to take it all apart and paint the parts.
 
Any of you guys ever used a borescope?
How would you get good measurements, such as the clutch adjustment, with something like this
poked through a small hole in the bell housing ?

borescope.jpg
 
Any of you guys ever used a borescope?
How would you get good measurements, such as the clutch adjustment, with something like this
poked through a small hole in the bell housing ?

borescope.jpg
I have one Willy.
A Snap On model I bought back 2010.
Still works. It was expensive.
Wireless model and hooks to a Computer screen or T.V. set also.

Lots of options now.

The Milwaukee Boroscope I like.
Home Depot and Menards has in stock.
$100.00

Amazon sells boroscope kits to use with your smart cellphone.
 
Now I need to find out how much release bearing movement on the tranny snout is required to get an air gap of 0.035" to 0.045" at the pressure plate/clutch disk ?
I submitted a request via email to Centerforce about this, let's see how they respond.

Just to let you guys know, Centerforce never bothered to respond to my request above. I sent an email to their posted customer service address, what, a couple of weeks ago? and they never bothered to respond. Guess they're too important to respond go backyard guys like us....
 
Heading into town today, we have a home depot, will go by and look at that Milwaukee Boroscope, Thanks MM1
 
Just to let you guys know, Centerforce never bothered to respond to my request above. I sent an email to their posted customer service address, what, a couple of weeks ago? and they never bothered to respond. Guess they're too important to respond go backyard guys like us....
I used to use Ram Racing Clutches.
Goes back to 1994 - 2002. Every Ram Clutch I bought and I bought at least 5 of them had Clutch Disc Air Gap Release sheet with the Clutch kit.
Centerforce is not real good with Tech support.
Got an Engineer on the phone one day to find out Hp Limits of Dual Friction.
Told me 800 Hp no slicks and street tires only.
Ram and McLeod true race clutch companies.
Used Ram spec air gap release on my Centerpiece Dual Friction clutch.
It worked.
 
Heading into town today, we have a home depot, will go by and look at that Milwaukee Boroscope, Thanks MM1
Ok....Its Milwaukee M12 12 volt tool.
Need battery or charger.

Buy the M12 Electric ratchet.
I have one.
Use it daily at work and home.
Powerfull.
Light.
No air hose.
You will love for all projects.
Charger and battery included.
Work on Milwaukee Boroscope.
 
With an old TH400 or TH350 Yoke stuck in the T56 6-speed and clutch pedal depressed with Trans in 1st gear the output shaft will turn warm butter smooth.
Reverse gear engaged should click engage instant.
Tip for you .
 
Many Thanks, learning a lot here...
Back when I was racing my other '55, "Patches", a blown Olds powered 425 w a Doug Nash 4+1, I destroyed the front u-joint
and the "eyes" on the yoke, so that yoke (a 400 style) now gets plugged into the TKO600 that's in Patches (got tired repairing the DN, kept blowing out gears...)
(the TKO is holding up ok so far, but just ok, not real happy with it...) or this T56 in the hardtop project....
My local Home Depot had this bore scope in stock, so I took it home....
borescope2.jpg


Maybe I should have fabbed that floor cover over the tranny as a two piece, with a smaller piece over the bell housing and put the access holes there....
More "Hmmmmm....."
 
OK, the plan is to have two small square access holes in the floor pan,
on that piece I made, two smaller holes, looking at 4" x 4", up on top
and directly over two 1" threaded holes right over the clutch gap, so
unscrew the two floor covers, unscrew the plugs, and check the gap
with a couple feeler gages, on the end of a metal rod, so I can probe
the air gap on the clutch and watch, looking for the .035" setting and
see how I like that out on the street. Am thinking I can probably
reset the master cylinder clutch action up or down under the dash
if I need more or less pump action and how the pedal feels....
Driving a solid stick behind a solid motor is always just so much fun!
 
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