Tremac Trans Spacer?

[428street]

Guys:

I was all ready to start installing my engine & trans this weekend until Doug dropped a bomb on me. "So, you have the spacer for the Tremac?"

I said, "What spacer are you talking about?"

Doug said, "We don't have one," with a smile...

I checked online already for the usual suspects and the only company that even lists it as a purchasable part is JEGS but they have a 4-5 week wait.

Part number is McLeod #673-8601.

Also checked their dealer locater and most are on-line but the ones I checked don't have it.

Certainly I'll call Doug on Tuesday but didn't know if anyone had another source or "by chance" an extra one hanging around.

The thought of waiting another 4-5 weeks is not something I am looking forward to.

Thanks.

[SSSammy]

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...7&autoview=sku

The one I have, and the only McLeod number I know of for the Tremec, is the "8607" - check McLeod's site. Summit's part number is MCL-8607. They say they can ship Tuesday .. I have overnighted things from them at 7 pm on a weeknight and had it delivered before noon the next day. They are great! Good luck!

If you have the Lakewood bell housing, you will want to drill out the threads on the spacer where the bolts go from the Tremec to the bellhousing. The instructions explain. This will give you a little clearance so the spacer does not bind the bolts and prevent an easy mate from tranny to bellhousing.

Sam

[428street]

Sam:

You are 100% correct. I feel like a dummy (well, maybe I am a little bit).

My chickenscratch handwritting has gotten me in trouble.

Thanks for the heads up.

Any install tips on the spacer. Doug said I need to drill out the holes with a 15/32 drill. Other then that it's straight forward he said. Only other thing is I might have to sand down some small flanges on the tranny.

What clutch did you use?

[blykins]

You don't have a short input shaft on your Tremec do you?

[SSSammy]

Street, the holes just become clearance holes after you drill them out, so just make them a little bigger than the bolts. I don't remember the drill size I used. Doug's advice sounds good to me. I drilled them out too small at first, and then the bolts would bind because all these holes are not perfectly concentric. Do use the socket head bolts to hold the spacer to the bellhousing. Not mandatory, just one less thing flopping around when you are trying to shove the tranny up.

I'm using the McLeod Alum FE flywheel, McLeod 12" 26 spline kevlar/organic disc, McLeod 12" pressure plate, and the McLeod 1400-30 slip on hydraulic throw out bearing.

As Brent infers, if you bought the short input Tremec, you wouldn't need the spacer. But if you did that, you're going to have a problem with the ERA frame because the mount holes assume the length of the tranny housing with spacer installed.

Sam

[DonC]

If you're going with an 11" clutch try:
Weber(Phone: 714-630-2171) Note: Weber is now under the McLeod brand name.
Pressure plate: 360501
Disk: 11” Diam. 260871R
Throw out bearing: BCA FA-01477-CA (Napa part number)
This is the 26 spline Kevlar/Aluminum disk.
DonC

[blykins]

I'm not really a fan of adapter plates. I'm sure they work well, but it seems like more room for stacking tolerances and more hassle for dialing in the bellhousing.

I sell Quicktime bellhousings. They offer one that is the right length for a regular TKO with the longer input shaft. I sell way under retail for Club Cobra members. You could always sell your Lakewood since it's new and just bolt up a Q/T without any worries. I also sell RAM and McLeod clutches as well. If you're interested, let me know, I'll beat Jegs, Summit, etc.

[428street]

I buy as much as I can from ERA hence I purchased the 5 speed from ERA and I believe it is not a short shaft tranny. I think I figured everything out for now. Thanks for all the response.

My biggest frustration is never doing anything like this before and I am questioning everything I am doing but it is fun.

[428street]

SSSammy:

Can you give me a RDV of the install of the plate. Got it today. Seems straightforward but I need some training wheels!

Looks like the plate has 4 recessed holes, 4 threaded holes, then two standalone holes in the upper right hand side of the plate.

I have a stock FE bellhousing so you know.

Any help would be appreciated.

[428street]

Update, ok I think I get it now. I have to drill the threaded holes out and the spacer goes on the bolts that are attached to the trans and both bolt on to the tranny. The spacer does not bolt onto the bellhousing but slides onto the bolts for the tranny. Is this correct?

[SSSammy]

You have it, I believe. I do not know how many holes are in the stock housing, the spacer is universal between the OEM housing and the aftermarket ones.

If all you have are the four holes in the housing that mate with the "Ford" flange on the Tremec, then you do not use the counterbored holes that are closer together. Those are to hard mount the spacer to the Lakewood housing, and maybe some other housings, I can't say. But as I mentioned, they really don't matter.

So make sure the lip on the spacer is toward the engine and slips tightly into the large registration hole in the housing. You will want your throwout bearing on the transmission collar as you are sliding all this stuff together.

If you have the mechanical throwout bearing, I put it in the housing first, hanging loosely on the fork, which is clipped to the fulcrum, which is bolted to the housing. Then slide the tranny input shaft through it as you push the tranny up.

If you have a hydraulic throwout, then put it on the Tremec first, feed the lines through the registration hole and pull them out the fork hole as you slide things together. Hydraulic throwouts are an advanced topic. If you are using one of these, I hope you have done your reading Yell if you need help

Sam

P.S. You did install a pilot bushing in the end of the crank before you put the clutch on , right ?

[428street]

Sammy: Only 4 holes in the stock housing...

the TOB is the bearing that goes on the end of the clutch fork correct?

Affirmative on the pilot bushing but thanks for checking!

[xlr8or]

You might want to measure from the pilot bearing to trans mounting surface on the bellhousing and compare that to the length of the shaft from the end of the splines to the mounting surface. This will verify the need for the space as well as how thick of a spacer you need. With the standard shaft and a lakewood housing it should be 1/2".

[blykins]

Yes, the TOB goes on the end of the clutch fork.

Don't forget to dial in the bellhousing/spacer. You will need to do that with the clutch/pressure plate off the flywheel and no fork/TOB in the bellhousing.

[SSSammy]

Street, correct! And you should have no probs with a mechanical TOB. Next possible concern, it may be difficult to get the input shaft of the tranny to slip all the way through the clutch plate hub. All depends on how well you centered it over the pilot bushing. Even if you assembled the clutch with an alignment tool, sometimes the plastic tool will still let the clutch plate sag a little. So if you have a problem getting it to go the last inch .. look at that.

Sam

[Jim Holden]

A couple of comments based upon very recent experience with ERA759:

1. Regardless of what you do (ie grind the trans or drill out the plate) make sure that the plate fits absolutley flush to the trans face. It must not "rock." (We ended up grinding the trans to fit.)

2. With the plate on the trans, check the length of the input shaft to the face of the spacer versus the distance from the crank to the back of the bellhousing. You may have to cut off the end of the trans input shaft by cutting off a small amount of the snout. Doug indicates the distance from the splines to where the snout should be cut is .812 or 13/16".

But please call Doug and have him walk you through it.

Jim

[428street]

ok, I hit a brickwall for now.

I got all my stuff ready to drill out the holes. 15/32 bit, drill press to make sure the bore is straight, etc.

I then scanned the Mcleod plate and noticed that in one of the holes I have to drill out there is another factory hole right next to it, probably a 1/16 or 1/32 away. If I do use the 15/32 bit I will definitely bore into the factory hole already there.

Doug did not mention anything to me about this that I can remember.

Am I being paranoid or is this a valid concern. I don't think it is as the piece is simply used as a spacer.

Any suggestions or comments?

Thanks in advance.

[xlr8or]

It's only a spacer. It doesn't bolt down to anything. It just sits there sandwiched between the trans and bellhousing. Mine was the same way, you are just providing clearance for the bolts to go through and reach the threads in the belll housing.

[patrickt]

Heed Jim's advice and it's almost impossible to install it wrong. Here's a shot I posted yesterday for a clutch fork issue but it also shows my spacer on the Tremec.

[428street]

My last question is not about installing it, measuring, etc. (yet) it is simply about the drilling out of the threads and the fact that one of them has a factory hole close by and I do not want to ruin the piece by drilling something out I should not.

Again, because this is the first time doing this and I did not take it apart it is difficult (for me) to have confidence I am doing it correctly.