Pivot Ball Setting for 351W / Quicktime Bell / TKO600

[karlos]

I've been scanning a lot of old threads but I'm not sure I'm understanding how to do the initial setup on the ball pivot correctly. I think I basically need to get the clutch fork as far back as possible with the throwout bearing just touching the spring fingers on the pressure plate. The picture below shows the position of the fork with the pivot ball screwed out about as far as I can get it (any further and the fork is gonna hit the pressure plate hat). This look about right?

clutch_fork.jpg

[edwardb]

That looks about right. I don't know about the "as far back as possible" comment. Basically, you want it roughly centered in the opening, or slightly toward the rear of the car, with the throwout bearing just touching the clutch spring fingers. That's about what you have. FWIW, this is my Mk4 from a similar angle. Also with a QuickTime bell and TKO600. This is with a hydraulic setup, but you get the idea. Car has been on the road all this season and clutch works great.

[karlos]

Very helpful - thank you. Appreciate you taking the time to post the photo.

I went ahead and buttoned it up last night. Transmission was a bit of a bugger, or at least the last 1/4" was. Nearly an interference fit between the adapter ring on the bellhousing and the nose flange on the transmission. Even though you're not supposed to do it I had to use the bolts to pull it the rest of the way in (evenly and incrementally, of course). Tremec takes the concentricity thing pretty seriously. By the way, I had to install the 0.007" offset dowel pins to get the bellhousing within spec. In reading your old build thread it appears you got lucky and didn't have to mess with yours. Not that big of a deal except for getting the OEM dowel pin out on the driver's side, which is installed in a blind hole. Good fun!

[karlos]

In case it helps anyone in the future, here's where I ended up in terms of pivot ball height (see photo). Should be at least a good starting point for those setting up a Quicktime bell.

pivot_ball.jpg

[rich grsc]

The clutch arm should be perpendicular to the transmission input shaft, throw out bearing touching the clutch fingers. Be aware that having to use the bolts to pull the transmission in the last 1/4" means you may be doing a removal and repair latter. You should never have to force the transmission into place.

[dallas_]

Be aware that having to use the bolts to pull the transmission in the last 1/4" means you may be doing a removal and repair latter. You should never have to force the transmission into place.

Yep. That can happen. This is what you may find.
Transmisson install 2 019a.jpg

[edwardb]

I too found the TKO600 to Quicktime bell housing an interference fit -- especially the last 1/4 inch or so -- and no amount of pushing or persuading was going to get it home. I made sure it was exactly straight at all times and I too very carefully went round and round on the bolts to guide it in. Agreed it's not recommended, but I'm not sure what you could do at that point to change anything. If you were misaligned on the pilot bearing, granted it could end up looking like the one pictured. But at that point the input shaft was already engaged in the pilot bearing. It was the trans case to bell house causing the interference.

[karlos]

I test fit the adapter ring to the transmission before I installed it onto the bellhousing. It did not fit over the nose housing (slight interference fit) and would have needed some persuasion to make it do so. So I was expecting the last quarter inch or so to be tight, and it was. When all was said and done I checked for proper pilot bearing function by putting the transmission in gear, disengaging the clutch, and verifying that the input shaft spins freely. I usually do this check anyway, but even more important in this instance.

I'd like to hear the story behind that pilot bearing carnage. Clutch installed without the use of a disk alignment tool, maybe?

[dallas_]

I'd like to hear the story behind that pilot bearing carnage. Clutch installed without the use of a disk alignment tool, maybe?

I can't say for certain. I had to pull the motor and found that when I removed the transmission.
When I originally installed it I used a plastic alignment tool. Now I use a steel input shaft for the alignment.