Yesterday, we have tried to verify Jim Bailey's assessment that clutch job on 928 is the easiest job known to man.

Replacement of Master Cylinder took 30 minutes (two men job). However, dropping the clutch was entirely different matter.

Well, after 4 hours of struggle (all per Shop Manual, except those "angles", which could not be inserted due to no gap available and due to pre-existing overlap that "angles" were to provide to prevent expansion), we managed to drop it 1" of center. It is loose, Pressure Plate's pins are out, it moves up and down, AFT and FWD, but it will NOT DROP!!!!!! Since I drove maybe 5K miles with no fork bushing (totally disintegrated), could somehow fork's pivot ball on the housing be jamming the fork?

I would appreciated any advise, since car is stacked as it is.

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The central pilot shaft needs to be withdrawn to the rear to get it past the central part of the flywheel if you haven't done that already. It could be
a bit stuck in the pilot bearing in the end of the crank as well. Try pushing the whole thing back up and then wiggling it back then drop it out.
It is heavy and awkward so be careful. I normally work around the end of my jack up there so it don't come down on my head.

If you need to insert the "shims" you can also use some 1/16" diameter wire bent to look like a staple. Put this under the head of the pin on the pressure plate, 3 places, and withdraw the bolts pinching these in place. If you size them properly so that they don't stick out much beyond the OD of the pressure plate you should be able to spin the whole mess with a large pry bar or screw driver working from underneath and get the whole thing out that way.

Anyway, just some gotchas. Nothing is hard but there are tricks always.

Jay K.

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Thanks Jay,

I think we did pull the assy out till the "small teeth" wheel, the starter wheel, rubbed against the housing wall. Then we rotated the wheel, using screw driver, and of course we jammed the hole clutch (TDC pins jammed against the upper housing). So, with gentle persuasion of a hammer, we put it back to the position where both TDC pins were @ 6:00PM position average. Now the hole assy moved again: forward and back (0.225 - 0.5" clearance), assy did drop maybe 0.5 off center - but still it would not become free.

So, free of the pilot bearing (AFT - FWD movement possible), what could limit the downward movement of the entire clutch assembly to only no more
than 0.5"?

Wojtek

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OK,

But did you withdraw the central splined pilot shaft from the pilot bearing. It slides in the middle of the splined friction plates. You can pull the whole clutch pack back inches without the pilot shaft moving. If you don't move it it is like a drift pin in the middle and hangs the whole thing up.

You also have to remove the two 10mm screws that hold the central guide tube in place.

Another thing is you know you have to remove the upper part where the clutch arm attaches to the bell housing, right? Didn't mention that last email. It can be really tight. If it won't budge by levering the arm toward the slave cylinder then you can remove the air cleaner lower half and get a screwdriver on it from above at the attachment end. Don't break the ball stud whatever you do. Be gentle.

Sorry in advance if any of this is restating the obvious.

Jay K.