Doug Nash 4+1 Help

[buzzinhalfdozen]

Since Dueces wild called it I didn't respond but yes a misaligned bellhousing can cause exactly the issues you're having. You need to check the alignment and correct it before reassembly, Lakewood makes a nice set of offset dowels that make it easy to zero a bellhousing in it's not hard to do just need a magnetic base dial indicator. You can probably download the directions off their web site. Joe

[Rory McNeil]

Bobby, are you using a bronze pilot bushing, or a roller or needle bearing? When I first switched my 428 FE Ford bracket car from a C6 to a Jerico and McLeod Soft Lok clutch, after a short period of time, I pulled the clutch out, and found the stock style bronze pilot bushing very badly worn, with the hole enlongated. I figured that the sintered iron dust from the clutch disc was chewing up the bushing, like valve grinding compound. I replaced the bronze bushing with a ball bearing, and that worked fine for a few years, until I found out that the pilot bearing had walked out of the crank, which allowed the input to move up & down excessively. The next pilot bearing I installed into the crank with Loctite, and have had no further issues. On my 302 Stocker, also a Jerico/Soft Lok, I use the factory Ford needle bearing pilot, 7 seasons, not a problem.

[randy wilson]

The lazy mans way to line up a bellhousing, is get every size off set dowel, pull factory dowels out, take an input shaft, slide a trans collar over it, slide it through the clutch with bellhousing loose, into pilot bearing, make sure collar enters the snug part of the bellhousing, install the proper off set dowels, and the trans will slide in and out like its not even there. it's a poor mans version of the browell tool, which we now use. Most pilot bearing problems result from misaligned trans. Hope this helps.