<VV> New Clutch Isnt Working

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

From: Shaun McGarvey <shaun_mcgarvey at shaw.ca>

>It IS the bushing, Steve.
>  
>
not necessarily, imo, unless Steve used the same tool Shaun describes -- 
this is why they make bushing drivers, to drive bushings -- I'd never 
recommend using an unmodified "stub shaft", if that is what I think it 
is, to install the bushing -- just a deep socket would work much better 
than said shaft.  My opinion is that if it is tight enough to bind up 
the input shaft, it should have presented a noticeable difficulty in the 
assembly of the transaxle to the engine.

>When installed, they mushroom slightly, closing up the inner diameter just at the end where you hammer on. When I install them, as a last thing, I pull out the stub shaft I use to drive them, most of the way out and then wallow out the end slightly to restore the proper hole size, checking with the input shaft for no tightness.
>
Steve, did you beat the pilot bushing up during installation?  after 
installation, did you check it for clearance with the tranny input shaft 
you actually used in the assembly?  I experienced similar problems a 
long time back with a damaged clutch hub that bound on the shaft, and 
now I always check the hubs for internal damage and an easy fit on the 
shaft.  Did you have to force the bell housing up to the block by 
tightening the bolts, or did it just  freely all slide home together, 
like it should?  Did you "bend" the disc by hanging the transaxle 
unsupported off the engine (generally not seen on Corvairs when the 
entire drive train is removed).

There are so many things that could be wrong, you will only know for 
sure by doing it over, but first, why did you initially replace the 
clutch? Was it slipping, chattering, or not releasing? Did you do other 
work and just thought you'd replace the clutch while you had it apart?  
If so, what other work was performed?  Is the clutch cable in the early 
stages of failure mode and stretching?  Is a weld on an arm somewhere 
breaking? Is it an early or a late? Is one of the pulley wheels 
failing?  Did you inspect the pivot point in the clutch arm for wear -- 
I've seen them actually worn through.  Et cetera.  Or any of the other 
things that have already been mentioned ...

Maybe post your pictures up to a website and let some more experienced 
folks take a look.  The problem with a do-over for you is that if you 
don't know what went wrong the first time, the likelihood of fixing it 
the second time around is  somewhat diminished.

Godspeed!

Bill Strickland