Another FF RF84 assembly question - trans to engine

[george schilling]

Assembling an RF-84. There are no alignment pins where the bell housing adapter bolts to the engine with bulkhead sandwiched in between. My thought is a couple of alignment dowels or a couple of countersunk machine screws through the bulkhead and into the bell housing adapter would make assembly and alignment much easier. Has anyone done this, or am I making this harder than it needs to be. The reason I ask is that the pilot bearing that came out was toast. Makes me think an alignment issue is causing it. Also, when assembling, the bulkhead is not easy to align and adds strain to the bolts when assembling. This is with a 1600 Kent / Mk9 combo.

Suggestions?

[carl correll]

Lola 640 series are like that. I think Reynards of the era are too. You are correct. This is a stupid execution and alignment is junk on an old car. It might have been okay when they were built and retired after a season. The gearbox needs to be concentric with the crank and stay that way. The sandwhich shear plate gizmo defeats the adaptor doweled to the block/gearbox registered on adaptor step scheme. I have seen one adaptor built up with welding and then machined so that it would protrude through the shearplate and register in the gearbox as intended. Don't know if it worked or not. Good luck.

[george schilling]

Thanks Carl.

The block doesn't appear to have had a spot for locating pins unless the were the two near the top that have been drill and tapped for bolts. This looks like a terribly sloppy situation.

Any other solutions out there? Do we just live with this. Is that why an extra pilot bearing is recommended for everyone's paddock kit?

[Don Elzinga]

If the alignment is bad the car will eat the splines out of the clutch disk. I made an aluminum ring that registers on the ID of the adapter and the ID of the bellhousing for my '84 Reynard. That seemed to help.

[george schilling]

I was hoping to have the car together for the Thanksgiving weekend. Now I"m not so sure.

Thanks Don. You wouldn't happen to have documented the solution you came up with? A picture is worth a thousand words.

So, apparently this is a common problem? Any other solutions out there?

[Don Elzinga]

I was hoping to have the car together for the Thanksgiving weekend. Now I"m not so sure.

Thanks Don. You wouldn't happen to have documented the solution you came up with? A picture is worth a thousand words.

So, apparently this is a common problem? Any other solutions out there?

If this works, they're attached. One overall shot of the locator ring and one closeup over by the starter. The part you see is essentially identical to the part of the adapter that is covered by the bulkhead, while the front side has a ridge that's a slip fit into the ID of the adapter.

[kea]

George,
The "ears" on the engine block have (on the gearbox side) a countersunk hole larger than the bolt size. This is for a sleeve, one on each side, to help locate the engine to the adapter. Sounds like the "sleeves" are missing on your motor.

[george schilling]

If this works, they're attached. One overall shot of the locator ring and one closeup over by the starter. The part you see is essentially identical to the part of the adapter that is covered by the bulkhead, while the front side has a ridge that's a slip fit into the ID of the adapter.

Thanks Don. Do you have the adapter in addition to the locator sleeve that kea speaks of? Looks like I see a locator sleeve in the lower right hand corner of the picture.

[george schilling]

George,
The "ears" on the engine block have (on the gearbox side) a countersunk hole larger than the bolt size. This is for a sleeve, one on each side, to help locate the engine to the adapter. Sounds like the "sleeves" are missing on your motor.

Sure enough kea. Mine are missing. Under closer inspection of both the ear on the engine and the bell housing adapter, I can see where they go. The plate sandwiched in between will also accommodate the sleeve. So, now all I need are two sleeves.

Thank you for responding.

[Don Elzinga]

Thanks Don. Do you have the adapter in addition to the locator sleeve that kea speaks of? Looks like I see a locator sleeve in the lower right hand corner of the picture.

Sounds like your car is designed differently than mine. If I'm reading your message right, your bulkhead (or shear plate) is between the engine block and the adapter ring? Mine's between the adapter ring and the trans. The locator pins in my car are there, but as designed the only thing locating the trans to the adapter was the four big studs into the trans bellhousing.

On the lower right of my picture are the shift linkage and the bolt for the lower subframe (where the suspension lateral links and the bottom end of the shocks attach).

[Dick R.]

I think George's car is an 84 Van Diemen. Don's is an 84 Reynard. Right?

Dick
85 VD (no adapter)

[george schilling]

Sounds like your car is designed differently than mine. If I'm reading your message right, your bulkhead (or shear plate) is between the engine block and the adapter ring? Mine's between the adapter ring and the trans. The locator pins in my car are there, but as designed the only thing locating the trans to the adapter was the four big studs into the trans bellhousing.

On the lower right of my picture are the shift linkage and the bolt for the lower subframe (where the suspension lateral links and the bottom end of the shocks attach).

Exactly right Don. Thanks for your time and pics.

[Purple Frog]

Way back when, before Craig Taylor retired, he would build shear plates that were machined to keep all the pieces accurately aligned.