<VV> The Latest on my FC Clutch Problem

[NicolCS@aol.com]

Charles - let's hope your next R&R is the last one for a while!  Here are 
some thoughts that  have crossed my mind...
1) The pilot bearing should be snug (not allow much wobble when tested with 
the input shaft) but must allow the input shaft to rotate freely.
2) Soaking the pilot bearing in oil may work, I don't know.  The method that 
I know works is this: Place the bearing on your thumb and fill it with oil, 
then pinch the bearing between your thumb and forefinger.  The pressure on the 
oil will force the oil into the porous bronze.  When the bearing is saturated, 
it will begin to "sweat" oil from the surface.  Wierdest thing you have ever 
seen - make me a believer in quantum mechanics.
3) Look carefully at the pressure plate assy and clutch disc.  If the pp 
fingers aren't an even height (unbolted condition), that means that the diaphragm 
spring is warped and the clutch will drag.  Check the clearance between the 
mounting bolt surface and the friction surface.  There's supposed to be 0.190 to 
0.200 for an early pp and the dimension should be the same all the way around.
4) You are looking for a subtle problem.  Everything between the disc and the 
countershaft "floats" when the clutch is in and the trans is between gears.  
This mass has to slow down in order to shift without "grinding" and the only 
things that slow it down are the synchro blocking ring and friction from the 
gearoil.  It doesn't take much "propulsion" from a dragging clutch or input 
shaft to overcome those elements and cause grinding during shifting.  
5) I understand there are some "thick" clutch discs out there.  The disc is 
supposed to be about 0.330" thick (uncompressed) and 0.305 (compressed). Thick 
discs don't release properly.
6) Once you are confident that the pilot bearing and clutch are right (have 
you considered a substitute pressure plate while you are in there?), confirm 
that you are using the proper gear oil, too heavy or too light will cause 
shifting problems.  Oil that's too heavy will cause the gears to slow too quickly 
(and grind), Oil that's too light won't provide enough slowing of the gears and 
the trans (and will grind). Zillions of cars have been build using the 
hardware, you just have a bad part or two.  Put things (including the oil) back to 
original specs and it will work like a charm.
Craig Nicol

<snip>Now I am positive that it is either the clutch itself or the pilot 
bushing.  I think it is most likely the pilot bushing.

I will have to bite the bullet and pull out the drivetrain again to examine 
things.  As I mentioned before, the NOS input shaft seemed to fit very snug in 
the new pilot bushing.  That plus the fact that I did not soak the bushing in 
oil before installing it(I simply sprayed oil on it) might be why this problem 
exists. Charles <unsnip>