josephg Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 So I built my 302 last week put it back in the 280. I also installed a new fidanza flywheel and I am a little nervous about the dowel pins. I didn't press them in place... i just taped them in with a hammer and now I am thinking back over everything I did and that one brain fart seem to just haunt me. I am worried they are gonna fly out doing 90 on I-15 and tare a hole threw my bell housing or damage something catastrophically. I am an Aircraft mechanic so I am constantly worried and conscience about FOD (foreign object debris) am I over reacting or should I tare everything back out and double check my work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacob80 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 You know what they say...better safe than sorry! I mean I would because that piece is emitting some serious inertial force and if that piece came loose...well...I don't even want to know :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 No way to access from a port in the bell housing? Drill a hole and use a punch? Just trying to make it easier... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephg Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 I probably could get some pliers in there and pull the pins out... maybe... im not even sure you really need them but I beat them in good... I didn't realize that they need to be pressed in with a vise until after i finished and stubbled across fidanza's install instructions. As I was doing the install I though they seemed long but i probably just didn't get them seated all the way. I the plan right now is to pull the motor Saturday and check it out... its either a waste of a day or a major save I guess I will find out. Thanks for you input any anybody else that might have a tip for me I would really appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MustangSix Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I wouldn't worry about it. Those things are just tapped in and are snug enough to stay put. The force acting on the dowel is perpendicular to the hole, so there's nothing acting to pull it out. And the pressure plate is also adding some friction as well. They aren't going anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 If you tapped them in with a hammer, they are probably tight enough. I thought you had them in hand tight. I installed mine with a hammer, in the wrong holes (different clutch), and had to pull them out of the Fidanza flywheel. I'll tell you what, they were in there TIGHT. I tried everything to pull them out short of drilling a hole behind them. I had to deform the aluminum holes by pounding on the dowels sideways, to pull the pins out. They don't come out easy at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephg Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 well that is probably true but today when I got home from work I ripped the motor out, pulled the tranny apart and pressed the pins in with a vise. I did all that and put it back together alone in 3 1/2 hours. I think I just channeled my anger and frustration into the work. I feel much better now that I know they are in all the way. I only sank them about 1/16" more than they were (total protruding length of 7/16") but i am much more confident... looking back that was all I thought about all day.... anxiety got the better of me but it turned out not so bad:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephg Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 thanks for your input guys :icon14: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernS30 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I think you are fine, but I would be less worried about your bell housing and more worried about your feet and body if your clutch/flywheel went boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephg Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 too true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 So I built my 302 last week put it back in the 280. I also installed a new fidanza flywheel and I am a little nervous about the dowel pins. I didn't press them in place... i just taped them in with a hammer and now I am thinking back over everything I did and that one brain fart seem to just haunt me. I am worried they are gonna fly out doing 90 on I-15 and tare a hole threw my bell housing or damage something catastrophically. I am an Aircraft mechanic so I am constantly worried and conscience about FOD (foreign object debris) am I over reacting or should I tare everything back out and double check my work? I know how you feel. My friend had a flywheel come loose on him during an autocross event so he told me his method. I used my friend's drill press on the flywheel bolts, then got a pair of swipes and safety wired them together. It takes quite a while and usually several bits to do it right, the drilling. But I'd say its worth it. Feels good to have a pair of swipes in my hands again too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilredZ Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I would ask an expert...some pins are meant to be pressed in ONLY...some won't matter as long as they are seated. I am guessing you know this much. When in doubt, get the right data...a good tranny expert would know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephg Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 Well this is a dead topic sine i pulled the motor and fixed the problem but just for everybody's knowledge and for future searches. Fidanza's flywheel dowel pins must be pressed in because because there is nothing else to hold them in place. I probably would have been fine just hitting them in but I am nervous like that and it was easy to do with a vice. Ford's flywheel dowel pins are wider were the go into the flywheel and smaller were they match up to the pressure plate... so when the pressure plate gets bolted to the flywheel the clutch will hold the pins in place. so if the dowel pins in far enough to install the clutch they are not going anywhere. you can see here on the right is a stock Ford dowel pin (the fat end goes into the flywheel) On the left is a pice of wood that serves as a good analogue for the fidanza dowel pin I don't have available for a picture (it look almost exactly the same just a bit smaller and made from steel) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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