Hello all and thanks in advance for any help.
Had a shop build my 400 short block that I completed last year and finally got to fire up. They supplied a resurfaced flywheel and a new 12" 3-finger Borg n Beck clutch package. I have had unending issues with the clutch as I couldn't get enough 'disengagement' of the clutch disk to shift gears with engine running. I have tried the adjustable pivot ball (from min to max), the taller (1-1/2") release bearing, and many adjustments of the clutch linkage. I can still only get 12 thou disk-flywheel gap with linkage set correctly and 22 thou with no play on release bearing.
Finally, after pulling the tranny 7 or 8 times, I decided it had to be the clutch and removed the pr plate & disk. I confirmed I had the low profile flywheel bolts a few threads mentioned, and of course, my disk is not backwards. After a close inspection of the clutch and flywheel, it is evident that the rivets (closest to the disc surface) on the clutch disc are rubbing on the face of the flywheel. (on the very edge of the inner flywheel face center drop off, as the rivets are only half worn down and the flywheel inner edge is shiny and beveled).
So, I went and bought a new 11" diaphragm type clutch package figuring this 12" B & B clutch will not work. sure enough, when I look at my new 11" clutch disk, the rivets are even farther out from the center of the disk than the 12" which would mean the entire rivet will rub on the flywheel.
Can anyone please supply me with the diameter dimension of a factory flywheel's inner depression at the crank? My only possible solution I can see to this problem is an incorrect flywheel.
By the way, I still don't see how a rubbing rivet would stop a clutch disk from 'disengaging' (my main problem!) as it would seem more an 'engaging' problem wouldn't it?
Any help from you experts would save me from buying an automatic ! (kidding!!)