24-01-2019, 09:55 AM
I filled my trousers with gearbox oil.
I was reassembling my clutch without the double spring and new mousetrap springs and decided to do the mod Russell mentioned earlier in the thread while the gearbox was out. That is to add a bolt to the end of the clutch pedal shaft so you can hold it with a spanner in the car to adjust the clutch pedal position.
I didn't want to take it all apart to drill and tap the shaft on the lathe (the sensible way) since those taper pins holding the levers in place don't look like the thing to disturb. So I looked at doing it with the shaft in the box. I picked it up and carried it over to the pillar drill to see if there was any way I could mount it there to drill it. Started the trip with the gearbox full of oil, finished up with my trousers full of it! I'd forgotten I had filled it already and with no lever in place it all fell out!
Pillar drill wouldn't work anyway so (after changing trousers) I realised you can slide the shaft far enough over into the box so the shaft drops into the casing leaving a hole. I machined up a little top hat shaped thing to fit in the hole as a drilling guide. With that in the box I could drill a pilot hole that I then slowly enlarged that going up drill sizes until I could tap it out for a 1/4 BSW bolt. I used an old oil pan bolt since it has a deep head.
![[Image: main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_it...alNumber=2]](http://www.asciimation.co.nz/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11999&g2_serialNumber=2)
Even with the guide I ended up slightly off centre (I blame a blunt drill bit!) but the bolt in there works well. I did it up tight with red loctite so that's not coming out!
![[Image: main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_it...alNumber=2]](http://www.asciimation.co.nz/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=12002&g2_serialNumber=2)
With that done I was able to bolt the box back on the engine. The new mousetrap springs don't seem anywhere near as strong as the old ones and I was able to fit them no trouble, possibly since having done it before I now know how. The seems to be doing the job though. With just the standard clutch springs the clutch is FAR easier to depress. I can do it by hand now whereas with the double springs it was a struggle even with leg power. And now it has that odd Austin 7 on/off feel to it again which I know is correct.
Will be interesting to see when it's in the car again.
Simon
I was reassembling my clutch without the double spring and new mousetrap springs and decided to do the mod Russell mentioned earlier in the thread while the gearbox was out. That is to add a bolt to the end of the clutch pedal shaft so you can hold it with a spanner in the car to adjust the clutch pedal position.
I didn't want to take it all apart to drill and tap the shaft on the lathe (the sensible way) since those taper pins holding the levers in place don't look like the thing to disturb. So I looked at doing it with the shaft in the box. I picked it up and carried it over to the pillar drill to see if there was any way I could mount it there to drill it. Started the trip with the gearbox full of oil, finished up with my trousers full of it! I'd forgotten I had filled it already and with no lever in place it all fell out!
Pillar drill wouldn't work anyway so (after changing trousers) I realised you can slide the shaft far enough over into the box so the shaft drops into the casing leaving a hole. I machined up a little top hat shaped thing to fit in the hole as a drilling guide. With that in the box I could drill a pilot hole that I then slowly enlarged that going up drill sizes until I could tap it out for a 1/4 BSW bolt. I used an old oil pan bolt since it has a deep head.
Even with the guide I ended up slightly off centre (I blame a blunt drill bit!) but the bolt in there works well. I did it up tight with red loctite so that's not coming out!
With that done I was able to bolt the box back on the engine. The new mousetrap springs don't seem anywhere near as strong as the old ones and I was able to fit them no trouble, possibly since having done it before I now know how. The seems to be doing the job though. With just the standard clutch springs the clutch is FAR easier to depress. I can do it by hand now whereas with the double springs it was a struggle even with leg power. And now it has that odd Austin 7 on/off feel to it again which I know is correct.
Will be interesting to see when it's in the car again.
Simon