SPF going in under the knife today...

[RedBarchetta]

Decided I better stop futzing around and am having a McLeod blow proof bell housing professionally installed. I debated doing the surgery myself, but decided that my time was more valuable doing other stuff and I really don't have the correct set-up (and tools) at home to do this correctly. Driving the car at 7:00am in rush hour traffic was "interesting", especially on a misty So Cal morning.

I think I freaked out a few people as I was driving in this mist, windshield wiper occasionally removing some of the mist as I had one hand on the wheel and the other hoisting my morning cup of Joe. They were probably thinking, "What a crazy bastard."

-Dean #747

[Lowell W]

Uh-uh...They were probably thinking, "What a lucky bastard!"

Good decision. That sucker could save your legs.

Lowell

[Frank Messina]

Dean,
Who's doing the changeover for you? I hope you can get the trans and B/H out without pulling the engine? I had to cut the bottom flange off my McLeod so it wasn't hanging below the frame rails. It's even with the oil pan pan now.
You should have been with us Saturday. Some doofus in a Mercedes was dogging Brian on I-10 on the way home. Brian finally had enough and punched it from third gear to get clear of him. The sidepipe blast about blew the guy into the next lane.
Frank

[trularin]

Dang, I have lots of stuff hanging below the frame.

Dean, Are they supplying the parts or are you?

[RedBarchetta]

Vendor (to be named AFTER the job is done to my satisfaction) provided me an all-up quote including the parts. I'll provide details at a later date. Now I'm just hoping they don't find more wrong (i.e. my aluminum flywheel starting to glaze, etc.). Clutch was working quite well when I took it in, but sometimes you see the beginnings of "stuff" when you tear things down.

Clearance is another issue I'll have to grapple with. Currently at 4.5" on the factory bell housing and I really don't want to compromise that much more.

-Dean

[xlr8or]

Originally Posted by Frank Messina

Dean,
I hope you can get the trans and B/H out without pulling the engine? Frank

It would be easier removing the tunnel on the SPF. Makes for easy acces to remove the trans and bellhousing.

[Lowell W]

It would be easier removing the tunnel on the SPF. Makes for easy acces to remove the trans and bellhousing.

That's fer DAM sure!

The first time you pull the tunnel it's an awful job, but it makes a bunch of other jobs a LOT easier. The first time I pulled the tunnel was miserable, but I've removed it once or twice since (it's out now) and patted myself on the back for biting the bullet the first time. Definitely worthwhile...

There's at least one thread on CC in which SPF tunnel removal has been covered in detail.

Lowell

[thudmaster]

I have a mcleod bellhousing on my spf and it does not hang down and present a problem. I did however have the engine out when it was installed. Good luck with the installation. Its a great product.

[Frank Messina]

Good move having somebody do it for you Dean, that job just wouldn't be any fun with the engine installed in the car. Through the tranny tunnel might be better, but on your back? Forget it. The McLeod can be a brute to fit if the dowel holes aren't drilled right or the starter crescent is welded in cockeyed. I haven't heard any squeaks lately so maybe they got past those issues. Hope so.
Frank

[Blas]

If I had mine opened up like that...I'd replace everything.....It would be like starting fresh.....

[greg schroeder]

It sounds like you're thinking about drag racing Dean?

I have the McLeod bell housing. A local shop, SVC Motorsports Scottsdale AZ, pulled my trans from the bottom a while back to put in a new TKO 600, clutch and light weight flywheel. It did come in and out in about 3 or 4 hours with no problems, but I've heard some SPFs have the frame cross member in such a way that the trans won't come out the bottom.

As a side topic when I was estimating cost before the work mentioned above one local "Cobra shop" told me 20 hours labor because they would need to pull the engine for the job. They're actually the shop that put the engine and trans in the car to begin believe it or not. I walked away. Can you imagine paying over 2000 dollars labor to put in a clutch?

[RedBarchetta]

This particular shop is pulling the seats and trans tunnel to do the work. They convinced me it was the easiest way to move the tranny back/out.

Blas, yeah maybe the blessing will be a new clutch "just because" the other one is getting toward the fringe (even though it doesn't feel like it). I really don't want to fork over the cash right now, but if the recommendation is strong and I see the parts myself (the shop is a 10 minute drive from my office), then I'd be wise to "git 'er done."

Drag racing in my future? Let's just say that the grip on those MT 325's is giving me courage driving this car that I never had before. I'm even powering HARD out of corners trying to induce some oversteer and the back end is just staying planted.

-Dean

[xlr8or]

Good choice. Even if you had to do the job without the lift you can put the trans in and out in a few minutes once the tunnel is out of the way because you can bring right out the top without fighting the cross member.

[jwoodard]

Greg,

Do you happen to have a photo of the under side of your car showing the transmission crossmember? Sure would like to see a SPF where the transmission can be removed from the bottom with the engine still in the car.

[RedBarchetta]

*** UPDATE ***

Well, after some serious waiting (parts were backordered), I finally got this task completed. Custom Motors in Costa Mesa did the work and Rizzo really knows his way around these cars. The install is completely pro, with the bottom of the bell housing expertly cut so that it is at the same height from the ground as the Canton oil pan. All new McLeod inside as well (pressure plate, disc and T.O), with a resurfaced flywheel. To my surprise, the flywheel was all steel (this engine revs quick). No biggie...car runs well either way.

The only "adjustment" that wasn't anticipated was that the braided hose on the slave was too short to wrap around the larger McLeod bellhousing. So Rizzo had one fabricated with a banjo style fitting that made for a clean install. Others should make note of this if you plan to perform a similar swap someday.

Other than a much softer pedal than I'm used to, the car shifts and rides fine. I'm thinking that the new slave and smaller diameter braided hose is more efficient than the previous set-up, thus making the pedal effort considerably easier? I'm confident that Rizzo did a good job of bleeding the system, just not sure if I should re-do it on my own just to be 100% certain?

-Dean

[Archrms]

It wouldn't hurt anything to do it again, and it will give you some peace of mind.

[RedBarchetta]

I spoke to the mechanic and he told me that with the McLeod bellhousing it changes (improves) the geometry on the clutch fork, thus reducing the pedal effort required to work the mechanism. Also, the bore size of the slave (a Nissan truck part) is more optimized, which further reduces the clutch feel. I'm going to put 500 miles on this set-up before I do anything.

-Dean

[Lowell W]

I'm going to put 500 miles on this set-up before I do anything.

So that would be sometime this afternoon, right?



Lowell