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Concentricity issues with my bell housing ?

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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 10:53 AM
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Default Concentricity issues with my bell housing ?

Hello all,
I installed this used Lakewood bellhousing with my then, new tremec tko(old version) about 13 years ago. I had the machinist plane it to parallel but never checked concentricity. Drove it maybe 300-500 miles and a couple times down the track then it sat in storage for 10 years. I changed oil several times and regularly crank the motor but it hasn’t run for 10 years due to I think a mouse. Won’t fire. Never any issues with the tranny. Anyway...

I am redoing many things on the car including the The addition of a McLeod RXT dual disc clutch so that I don’t smoke the clutch again. I had the billet flywheel resurfaced last week but it was previously machined to parallel and balanced with the motor.

I checked concentricity this morning and attached are the pictures. I went around 3 times so I know the measurements are accurate. It appears the opening is slightly out of round vertically. I measured with calipers and confirmed the “hole” is about 1/10 of an inch taller than the diameter is side to side.

should I just put in my two offset dowel pins and move the bell housing to the right? I have .007 pins which would put it within .003 of concentric left to right and its s already within .005 vertically.

should I get a new bell housing?







Last edited by Corvettedave02; Jun 13, 2020 at 12:36 PM.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 11:50 AM
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I had to bend the arm of my magnetic base so it would attach to the flat surface of the flywheel. Those are hardened steel housings I don't know how it could get out of round.










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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 11:53 AM
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Under .001 all the way around






Last edited by gkull; Jun 13, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 12:38 PM
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Thanks George. I’ll go through a few more rotations. I’ll check for any but’s on the lip again too. I sanded down the block saver and bell housing so they are both good with no paint buildup.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 02:08 PM
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I did have issues with the thickness of the bell housing red powder coating. I used a 400 or 800 grit flapper wheel to sand and polish the center all out.

I have sets of the different width offset Allen locking dowels. They used to be about $42 a set. Just shows how worthless our money (USD) has become when they are now $120.

I used to work on 7 disk racing clutch setups. For just driving around I'm just not a fan of multi disk when I can just go buy a 1200 hp model that is easy on the leg and not use a hydraulic pedal assembly. I'm easy on clutches and use the lightest flywheels and rotating assembly. I was racing all the time and I had to take everything apart because I broke the forged crankshaft in my 427 SBC, but my clutch looked so brand new that you could still read the printing on the clutch surface. The 11.5 pound flywheel looked new. I just engage the clutch and let the motor TQ move me. I don't rev and slip it.

Give these guys a call and see what they have.

https://www.advancedclutch.com/

What I ended up with is something like this, I'm out away from home so I don't know the exact part number. But the tko 600 is a 26 spline 1.125 input shaft for ford. You just need to call these guys. This is rated for 950 foot pounds of TQ and 1000+ HP. I have a manual pedal and it is easy on your leg. Very easy to shift


Last edited by gkull; Jun 13, 2020 at 02:10 PM.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 03:38 PM
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Thanks George. I bought the clutch about 8 months so I’m committed. I won’t do too much racing at this point.

I have a bigger problem now...

I think I broke my crank lip with the pilot bearing puller. It kept springing off the inside lip of the bearing so I made it tighter( too tight)

I think I’m going to have to rebuild the motor now unless someone thinks otherwise.

cheap tool, dumb me or both I guess. I’m not happy.














Last edited by Corvettedave02; Jun 13, 2020 at 03:40 PM.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 03:54 PM
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Never mind on the Crank.

I just broke the bearing. Not the crank lip. I was so pissed off I couldn’t think straight, lol.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 04:10 PM
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I have never seen that, I would have thought that it was impossible! Can you get the pilot bearing out? I have used the grease idea before. I machined a dowel down to where it had a snug slip fit in the bronze pilot bearing. I fill the hole with grease and hit the steel rod dowel with a hammer. It popped the old rusted in pilot bearing out.

In a perfect world..... New tranny with very little input shaft side play, Engine crankshaft with only a few thousands clearance on the main barings, and dialing in the bell housing to under the .002 limit. The tranny input shaft should never touch the pilot bearing. It wouldn't even matter if you had a pilot bearing.

So that small support of the broken off end of crank is not a big deal.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 04:12 PM
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I was typing. I use roller bearings in my builds
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 04:54 PM
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i think what you have is a bushing with a bearing inside it. go get a real solid bronze bushing. the only time the pilot bearing spins is when you are stepping on the clutch standing still in gear. you don't need a roller bearing.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...0&gclsrc=aw.ds

Last edited by derekderek; Jun 13, 2020 at 04:57 PM.
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Old Jun 13, 2020 | 07:37 PM
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I have taken out many of these and never seen it either. First roller bearing I have used though. I’ll get it out eventually. It is in tight though
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 07:39 AM
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Take the puller and grind a sharper lip on the catch points.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 08:00 AM
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I’ll try that but the problem is the arms are flexing. I ordered a new puller as well. This bearing isn’t moving.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 08:12 AM
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Get a can of CRC Freeze Off.
Freeze that sucker then pull.
I used a slide hammer type puller.

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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 10:05 AM
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Hammer and chisel the bearing housing out. Go slow to prevent damage to thrust surface. Need to split it. Use the older non-magnetic bushing when you go back.

The aftermarket bell housings require you to dial it in and use the offset dowels to align them. They have always been like that from the beginning.

GM bell housings are typically good to go as-is but not as safe obviously.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 12:48 PM
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Thanks all. I’ll try the when my new puller comes in.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 01:02 PM
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All valid techniques
Also, you can lay a small bead of weld, radially, around ID of what's left of steel bearing shell/race ... that Will usually shrink the shell/race ... pre-torrington; old harley trans had blind races pressed into alum case w/ No relief behind ... had a machinist show me how some 50 years ago. Might seem counter-intuitive ... but there's another "lead"
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To Concentricity issues with my bell housing ?

Old Jun 14, 2020 | 03:09 PM
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I also rechecked the diameter with the bell housing off the car and its 4 7/10” all the way around. The gauge needle must have consistently been bumping someone each rotation. I’ll check it again before I mess with the dowel pins.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Corvettedave02
I also rechecked the diameter with the bell housing off the car and its 4 7/10” all the way around. The gauge needle must have consistently been bumping someone each rotation. I’ll check it again before I mess with the dowel pins.
Spray silicone on the block saver and bell contact. Maybe 6 bolts evenly spaced about hand tight. I did a big write up on here years ago on how to do it. Long offsets or allen locking are the easiest. I measure everything with straight Zero offset dowel pins. Them move up to what is required. I've ground on them to get the more correct offset. Just orientate them exactly the same and move them with twin screw drivers at the same time. It's just a cam lobe .007 or what ever you are using.
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Old Jun 14, 2020 | 06:17 PM
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Will do. Thanks George!
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