Hey guys i have a 71 and i took the engine out too give it a new paint job and detali the engine compartment. now the guy who helped me take it out split out on me, leaving me with no help :mad . I need to know how a clutch works and how to put it back together, i just dont understand it, so if anyone has a web ciet suggestion it would be great. And the other thing is restarting the engine. I dotn know how to build oil pressure, or get everything lubercated. I dont want to burn up the engine on a cold start. Please help me out i want to get it running before i go back to school. Im 19 and its my first project car. Thanks for your help.

 

Clutch: Fill us in on where you are at. I will explain how it goes back together in the event that it is already out of the car, inspected, and any worn parts replaced. You need a special tool to align the clutch disk. You first must install the new pilot bearing and squeze grease into the bearing until it's packed inside the bearing and apply a little grease into the cubby hole behind the bearing, not too much cause you don't want any just running out. Place the clutch disk up onto the flywheel with the springs pointing out, and then slide the alignment tool into the disk. Next lift the pressure plate up onto the flywheel and insert the bolts and tighten each bolt a little at a time, for example get them all just finger tight, then torque to 10ftlb, then 20ftlb, then 30, etc., until you get them to the proper torque. While tightening you will see the spring tines opening up and moving out away from the pressure plate. The clutch operates by pushing the throwout bearing against the tines and releasing the pressure plate away from the disk so that the disk is spinning freely. Next install the throwout bearing and clutch fork into the clutch housing and install the clutch housing. Then put some grease along the smooth shaft of the tranny input shaft (but none on the ribbed section cause that is where the disk will sit, and you don't want any grease flowing onto the disk, pressure plate, or flywheel) and lift the tranny up into the clutch housing...this is the hardest part of any of the jobs I've done on a car. The problem is trying to get the ribs lined up on the disk with the shaft of the tranny. It usually requires someone turning the tranny output shaft with the tranny in like reverse or 1st gear, or turning the engine a little bit to help them line up. It's also hard to get the tip of the tranny input shaft to line up with the pilot bearing...it helps to have someone press on the clutch to loosen the disk, but can be done by using your foot to depress the clutch lever; or, sometimes it just slips right in (right..hehe). After that just hook up your linkage and install the shift lever. Don't forget to install and adjust the emergency brake cable.

Restarting an engine: How long has it been out? Did you pull apart the engine? If it has only been a month then you could just start it without any tweaking. More than a month then you should prime the oiling system through the distributor shaft. you can get a tool which hooks up to a drill and fits down inside where the distributor goes. you must remove the distributor, attach the tool to a drill, insert the tool down into the place where the distributor goes and run the drill clockwise for about a minute...have someone watch the oil pressure gauge to make sure you are getting something there.