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Vintage Rusty M41 clutch fork - how do I get this off?

fatcatbestcat

Professional Hack
Joined
Oct 1, 2019
Location
Mississauga, ON (Canada)
Working on my crusty 144 again. The more I look at the underside of it, the more I think I should just crush it. It's mostly the floors, but definitely some welding will be required in the future.

Anyway, I'm trying to disconnect the clutch linkage so I can pull the bellhousing off the transmission (with the engine).

DSC01372.JPG


But... it won't move. I suspect that the ball-end of the cable is rusted to the fork.

Sorry for the blurry pic - I couldn't see this with my own eyes, I was reaching around the top with the camera.

DSC01374.JPG


I can't get it to move more than a few millimeters before it gets stuck. I tried a hammer.

Any suggestions?
 
I can see one of the adjusting nuts in your top photo.
Follow the cable back from the fork. You can't miss the two adjusting nuts.
 
Wait, so I can just unbolt the engine from the bellhousing and pull it then?

I agree with planetman. It sounds like the easiest option. I've had an easier time pulling the motor out of my 122s by leaving the gearbox in. Then when re-installing the motor I removed the gearbox and attached it to the motor from underneath. I had an easier time getting the input shaft lined up that way.

Also you will have some more room to attack the stuck cable with the motor out of the way. Have you tried disconnecting it at the pedal end to get some more play to work with? That is if you can't get enough play by backing off the adjustment.
 
Also you will have some more room to attack the stuck cable with the motor out of the way. Have you tried disconnecting it at the pedal end to get some more play to work with? That is if you can't get enough play by backing off the adjustment.

I... no. I haven't. I don't have any really good pics of the interior, but let's just say I'd be removing the carpet before touching the pedals... or anything inside the cabin.

If it's just four (or however many) bolts holding the bellhousing to the motor, I'm just going to throw a jackstand under the M41 and pull the motor off from the front.

Might end up taking the whole thing out today.

Thanks for your input, everyone!
 

I mean, I got all those bolts out, but getting to the top two was next to impossible. There was like only one possible angle I at which I could fit a wrench in there.

Now I have a different problem. I can't separate the bellhousing from the motor. I've completely unbolted the engine mounts, but trying to lift it at all just pulls the trans and everything else with it.

There's only six bellhousing bolts, right?
 
If the transmission brace is present there should be 2 more smaller bolts (9/16" wrench) at the bottom of the bell housing.
 
Yeah those are the ones I was referring to. With the 2 starter bolts and 4 bell housing bolts that makes a total of 8. Did you get them all? The dowel pins fit tightly into the bell housing and may be preventing the engine from separating. You may need to pry them apart.

You don't need to remove the brace from the engine.
 
You may not be able to get that bolt all the way out without lowering the back of the trans. You should still be able to get the engine out though. Just make sure the bolt isn't hitting the body.

You will have to raise the engine and trans as high as possible in order to get the sump over the cross member.
 
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