Clutch indexing

[azopelnut]

I am putting a new flywheel, and clutch in my 2.2 engine
The Opel FSM for the 1.9 engine states that you must index the alignment marks on the clutch assembly???(what marks??) I realize that the flywheel will only bolt up one way but the 4 bolt holes on the clutch assembly allow you to bolt it four different ways.
Am I missing something or is this just some meaningless FSM instruction??

[kwilford]

From the factory, the pressure plate was "matched" to the flywheel with marks. I think mine had the #2 stamped on both. But those disappear when you re-face the flywheel, and of course when you buy a new pressure pate. I don't think it was that important, as I have put a couple of clutches in Opels without the matching marks, and no ill effects.

[azopelnut]

Thanks Keith
Any ideas on how to get the clutch fork off of the ball stud...the spring clip won't slide completely off the lever ball

[opelnut10]

Originally Posted by azopelnut Thanks Keith Any ideas on how to get the clutch fork off of the ball stud...the spring clip won't slide completely off the lever ball

You have to knock the throw out bearing guide out of the bell housing from the inside then the arm will slide off the pivot ball.

[GTJIM]

Before you put a new flywheel and pressure plate on get them balanced as an assembly and get an 'index' mark put on so they can be lined up when he pressure plate is removed for installation. It pays to note which holes the bolts came out of too.

Just pray that the crankshaft was not balanced as an assembly with the old flywheel and holes drilled in the old flywheel to balance the whole assembly .... GM has a nasty habit of firing their motors up on LPG and doing a final balance that way on the assembly line.

[jeff denton]

Yes, but who ever does that? A clutch replacement is always a quick and dirty R&R disc and pressure plate. Maybe a resurfacing of the flywheel too, which can throw it out of balance!
I was shocked at what had to be done to the 'vette clutch when it was bolted to the GT flywheel. Here's how that went:
Crank was balanced with the lower sprocket, small diameter aluminum hub and keys. Machinist calls and says "hey, this is WAY off!" I said "No duh, we played with it on a lathe one night and I took a grinder to it next, you didn't really think an Opel crank was that pretty, did you?" So he says he can fix two ways, one, add heavy metal to the light side, which is expensive, or bolt on the flywheel and drill it on the heavy side, cheap. (That's called "external balancing".) I opted to balance the crank with the heavy metal, I don't care what it costs, let's do it right!
Okay. Crank is balanced. On goes the flywheel. A little drilling gets it all in balance. On goes the pressure plate. Ring goes the phone. "You oughta see how out of balance we are now!" "Okay, I'll be right there..."
In the ten minutes it took me to get there he had welded a little plate measuring about 1" by 3/4" by 1/8" to the pressure plate, and was starting to grind a bit of it off to get the whole assembly back in balance. He said, "let me guess, a NAPA clutch..." "Yup."
Moral of the story is, listen to GT Jim. A pressure plate switcheroo can screw up your balance. Do you care? I do. I kinda believe in everything being as "right on" as possible, especially in a motor we now have a ridiculous amount of money into and want to kick butt with at 7000+RPM.
Trouble is, how do you balance a flywheel/pressure plate assembly? Don't you have to start with the crank, as we did, and keep adding and rebalancing, with each adjustment made to the last part added?