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CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

I'm looking for some suggestions as to how to extract a shaft that is frozen in place. If you haven't been following a recent thread ( http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=8997 ), the timing belt tensioner pulley failed on my 931. I've got valve damage and have decided to pull the motor to do repairs instead of leaving it in the car. I got the motor pulled Sunday but I can't get the bellhousing off.

After removing the bolts securing the housing to the block, the manuals say to loosen the shaft's locking bolt (done), then screw in an 8mm bolt and pull out the clutch release lever shaft. Well, it is easier said than done. I've tapped on the shaft (inwards), and I've tried to hammer it out with a brass drift. I've tried to pry it out. I've heated it with a torch and then beat on it some more. I finally got the idea to drop the bolt through a socket and try and pull it out, something like how a gear puller works, but sorta in reverse.

..-..

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I heated it again and used more penetrating oil. I put oil on it and then heated it. I've given up for the day, leaving the little miniature "puller" in place, under tension. With luck, maybe overnight the continued tension and lower temperatures will "crack" the bond. The bellhousing is aluminum and the shaft is steel. I suspect that over time, that "bimetallic bonding" has occured and the two pieces have fused together. Without getting the shaft out, I can't get the housing off to inspect and (probably) replace the clutch while the motor is out.

The only other thing I can think of is to weld an end cap on a length of pipe then fashion a sort of slide hammer out of it by cutting a slot in it that will shoulder around the bolt. Then, using a piece of larger diameter pipe as the slide, maybe I can slowly hammer it out.

Who's got some other ideas I can try? Any and all suggestions are welcome, as freeing up a seated shaft is something that can happen in a lot of automotive applications.
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'79 Eurospec 931

jl924t · Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 214 Location: Surrey, BC Canada

I went and got a slide hammer. I picked up a small one at princess auto. I had to modify a small piece of box tubing to fit on the end of the slide hammer and cut a slot to place under the head of a bolt I placed in the end of the shaft. You will probably have to replace the 2 needle bearings that support the shaft. When you put it back together use lots of never sieze.
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1980 924 turbo

Lizard · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2003 12:55 pm Post subject:

why about drilling/punching out the pin on the other end and just driving it throught, anyone thought about doing this? probably alittle easier, and when done just put in a new pin
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3 928s,

jl924t · Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 214 Location: Surrey, BC Canada

CMXXXI
Have you priced a clutch assembly for a 924 turbo?
Just curious as to prices where you are.
good luck with your project I am sort of doing the same thing right now.
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1980 924 turbo

wdb · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 2024

which would be cheaper, taking the bellhousing to the dealer and havin them remove the rod or buying a new/used bellhousing . i've mangled and mutilated a few parts over the years . sometimes it just makes sense not to spend days f*k*ng with something , just to have it break or become damaged and useless ,and you have to buy a new 1 anyway . but if it helps , I heard that aluminum expands 2 times as much as steel when heated . so mabe you can clean it real well( so the house doesnt smell like a garage) and pop it into the oven to say 400 degress and see what happens , youll nneed gloves or a vise to hold it while you pry on it . GL

gohim · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 4459 Location: Rialto, CA

When I pulled the shaft from the 84 944 that I am/was parting out, after dropping the engine from under the car, I used a screwdriverer stuck in from the other side (to the side of the stop pin) to hammer out the shaft.

After used a liberal amount of PB Blaster (and some tapping on the screwdriver with a hammer), the shaft came loose pretty easy, and I pulled it the rest of the way by hand.

-nick · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 2699 Location: Cambridge, MA

I remember having this same problem just a few months ago...

I did just as Lizard suggests and used a punch to drive it out from the other side. It took a lot of whacks with a BFH to break it loose. After that ordeal I don't see how anyone is able to pull the shaft out the bottom to change the clutch and not pull the engine. FWIW- I think the shaft binds the most on the two needle bearings that are used on the pivot arm. After replacing the bearings and greasing everything up the shaft slides in effortlessly.

ps- I believe www.performancemotorcars.com has the best prices on the clutch parts. I think pelicanparts might have had the best throw-out bearing price. However performanceproducts has a clutch going on now you might want to check out too. I was able to reuse my pressure plate- it was in fantastic shape even though every other wear item on the entire car needed replacing. If you haven't thought of it- you also might consider having the flywheel surface turned, if you feel like you're having too much fun!

best of luck
-nick

Lizard · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 2:02 am Post subject:

I have confirmed that a ford 5.0L mustang or 85-88 ford Bronco clutch works in the 931 w/ the shaft and flywheel, that it going to be THE cheapest way for the clutch disc, as per the pressure plate, go to those other places like thepartsbin.com
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3 928s,

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

Lizard · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 4:01 am Post subject:

hey CMXXXI, remember what I said about the ford clutch disc, $60 as to the $300+ that they want for ours, I might be able to get a picture of the bellhousing and the hole on the otherside, it was probably added the year after yours,
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3 928s,

-nick · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 2699 Location: Cambridge, MA

hmm, i'll take a look the next time i stop over to the garage. i know i drove it out from the top, i seem to remember having to pull out a spring tension pin and you could fit a punch into a hole on the opposite side. take a look and see if any of this makes sense. sorry i can't give you a better description.

i also forgot about the ford clutch disc. seems to have been verified by quite a few folks here. it definately beats shelling out for the factory disc if it's the same.

-nick

jl924t · Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 214 Location: Surrey, BC Canada

CMXXXI
I know what your going through. I just picked up my needle bearings today. I had to use a slide hammer (dent puller) because I had the engine in the car when I did my clutch this spring. I inserted a 8mm bolt and grabbed onto the head of it, 2 or 3 wacks and it comes out. I had to find a slide hammer short enough to work under the car. I can email you a jpeg of the piece I fabricated to grip the head of the bolt it is very simple to make.
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1980 924 turbo

wdb · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 2024

he he , guess i was so focus on the task i lost sight of the bigger picture , the whole point of removing the rod .

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

I stand corrected on the other end of the shaft not being accessible. After reading everyone's helpful suggestions, I looked again, long and hard. The other end is in fact visible through an "inspection port" of some sort.

What looked like a bump cast into the metal was actually the stop pin and the other end of the shaft coated with a buildup of dust and crud and a "frost" of corrosion. I took a bamboo skewer and started poking and scraping around in there and things became visible. Without the descriptions, I wouldn't have known what I was looking at. Thanks guys! time to break out that big brass drift, torch and penetrating oil again...
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'79 Eurospec 931

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

I got the shaft out last night, but it really took a beating to do it. When I removed the bellhousing, the release lever fell out (understandably), but when I looked at it's "feet" (that engage the release bearing), it has some pretty nasty grooves worn into it. I don't think it should be like this...

Comments from those of you who have done the hydraulic-release clutch job before? How much does one of these puppys cost to replace?
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'79 Eurospec 931