Engine install, now clutch wont engage, clutch fork?

[supercarrera82]

I have a 1982 Porsche 911 with a 3.0 and a 915, I just recently installed the motor. When I went to install the clutch assembly and cable I noticed the clutch will not engage even when I have correctly installed my clutch assembly with the proper gap. I noticed the clutch fork has a little play when moving it clockwise and counterclockwise. I read about at times the clutch fork not being engaged properly at times when mating motor to transmission and looked into "bumping" the car (depress clutch and start the car in gear) so it pops but I havent tried it. Anyone have any ideas? Can I rock the car in gear before trying to start it? Does the clutch assembly have to be connected to do this? Let me know what you guys think, Im driving myself crazy.

Thanks

[DRACO A5OG]

Have a helper press the clutch as you put your hand inside the inspection hole to see if fork and throw bearing moves. If just the fork then it means the fork slipped off or was not on properly before you mated it.

[supercarrera82]

when I installed the clutch assembly the clutch pedal does not depress at all even when I correct the gap it feels stuck, when I install the clutch assembly its as if its way off the mark like the clutch fork grooves are off its mark

[juanbenae]

that means the omega spring and associated linkage is not installed right. had the same this happen. the clutch fork if not engaged in the throwout bearing it's floppy, not hung up.

[supercarrera82]

how do engage the clutch fork, possible to do it without taking motor out again?

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by supercarrera82

how do engage the clutch fork, possible to do it without taking motor out again?

I think what one of the other people above was saying is you have the spring on the clutch arm mounted wrong and when you try to press the pedal you can't because it's not allowing the arm to move. I could be wrong but that's what I think they were saying and it's entirely possible.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by supercarrera82

how do engage the clutch fork, possible to do it without taking motor out again?

Don't believe so.

run the rabbit on car 311's thoughts.

[yelcab1]

Show us a picture of your omega spring, and the clutch levers

[supercarrera82]

When I get home I'll snap a pic but I'm almost positive that I've put it in correctly after have checked numerous photos and checking the book. It's as if the clutch forks position is off so when i put the assembly together with the spring the 1mm gap is impossible to reach because the clutch fork is moving

[Flat6pac]

If you close up the engine, trans without the fork engaged it possible you spread the fork from the stock 75 mm between the forks to 80 mm and the engagement won't work without replacement of the fork.
Bruce

[garrett490]

I just went through this 2 days ago. I mated the engine to the gearbox without engaging the fork (not knowing that it had to be done). I was connecting the omega spring and clutch cable when I realized I screwed up. My heart sank...time to drop the motor again. $&*#!!!! I left most everything connected....loosened gearbox mount bolts, dropped engine down as far as it would go...slid the engine away from the gearbox until the studs were about to comeout...used a long flat head screwdriver to align the fork with the throw out bearing...watched and guided it as a friend pushed the engine back into the gearbox. Of course this took about 6 hours because for some absurd reason the engine refused to mate the final 1 inch into the gearbox then all of a sudden the stars aligned and it slid right in and I was ready to start the car in no time.

[Walt Fricke]

Remember, this is a "pull" clutch, so the internal fork has to pull the TOB toward the front of the car to get release. If, when mating, the internal fork is too much toward the engine, it will bump into the flywheel diaphragm spring, and you can't mate the engine. So you didn't do that. Bruce has warmed that being too vigorous trying to get it mated like this can bent the fork!

If it is too much toward the transmission, it can't pull on the TOB, because the tips of the fork aren't in the TOB groove. My recollection is that you can mate the engine doing it this way, so it is more insidious, as you may think you have it right - until you find you can't get the clutch to release, and it doesn't feel right either.

Getting the fork mated with the TOB is, to me, the best reason to remove tranny and engine together - because you can much more easily see inside and see that you have things lined up right, and then mated right. With engine in car, you will be glad you have a borescope (not expensive these days) to watch what is going on.

If this, and not how you hooked up the harp spring, is the problem, Garrett490 did what you need to do - you only need to separate the engine from the transmission enough so you can slip the internal fork into the TOB groove.

Here is another check - remove the harp spring stuff. Loosen the four mating nuts (better, just take them off). Pull the two parts apart about an inch. Using the external lever, and some tools to get leverage, see if you can pull the engine back onto the transmission case with the external lever. If you can do that, you have the TOB and fork stuff right. If you can move the vertical shaft by hand about an inch without anything happening, you didn't get fork in groove.

The Tob's groove lips are of two diameters. The one toward the flywheel is wider than the one toward the transmission. This allows you to get the fork just a hair above the transmission side lip, and pull/shove things together. The fork will clear the outer lip, and bump into the inner lip. Usually the bump will pull it down into the groove and all is well.

[supercarrera82]

thanks for all your info ill try it tomorrow

Garrett490, i assume you had to disconnect everything again (gas lines, electric, etc...) when you had to slightly move the engine off the tranny to realign it right?

[2jmotorsports]

Adding for future search results reference. I just ran through this operation on my 83 SC and here's how I got it to mate.

I had the fork in the release bearing groove and the gap between the gearbox and engine was parallel, indicating I should be fairly aligned and ready to mate. It would only engage partially and stop at about 3/4 inches before fully mating.

Someone with more experience than I suggested I put the gearbox in gear and spin the axle shafts to get the input shaft to turn. After pulling the shift rod out and turning both axle shafts the same direction, lo and behold both cases seated with no issues. Didnt even require any tugging of both units or a second person holding the engine.

[Superman]

The first time I mated the transmission to the engine, then put the engine in the car, I learned the fork should go into the groove at the outer edge of the release bearing. I had installed so that the fork could push the bearing. Nope. The fork pulls the bearing. Thhis is why the fork needs to engage the bearing at the outer edge, so it can pull the bearing.