Mc Leod Soft Lok - Manual (Page 4)

Bell Housing Alignment Procedure
When swapping a clutch, bell housing or
transmission it is highly recommended you check the
alignment of the bell housing to the engine
block/crankshaft and to the transmission input
shaft/output shaft. Think of this as a theoretical
straight line running through the crankshaft, through
the input shaft of the transmission and the output
shaft of the transmission. Misalignment along this
path can lead to leaks, poor clutch release, premature
wear of components and excessively noisy operation.
This inspection can be performed with a few common
measuring devices and some time.
Manufacturer’s tolerances of engine/crankshaft
alignment can vary especially if the engine block has
been modified throughout its lifetime or if you are
performing a bell housing and/or transmission swap.
If you find excess misalignment on your engine/bell
housing you can correct the problem with off-set
dowel pins. (Lakewood Industries offers Offset
dowel Pins to correct misalignment conditions). You
will need a dial indicator with a magnetic base along
with some typical hand tools to perform this
inspection. It is critical you pay close attention to
detail when performing this inspection in order to
achieve accurate assembly results.
1) Install flywheel onto crankshaft, using proper bolts and torque to factory setting.
2) Be certain the engine block dowel pins stick out of the rear of the engine block at least 3/8” for
proper bell housing engagement. Check the rear surface of the engine block at this time to be
certain it is free of nicks or burrs that will prevent the bell housing from seating against the block.
3) Install just the bell housing and hold in place with a few bolts. Install dial indicator base onto
crank flange or flywheel face and adjust plunger to contact the register bore of the bell housing.
Rotate the crankshaft and note the indicator reading as you sweep the register bore of the bell
housing.
4) Misalignment can be determined by dividing the change in the indicator by 2. Maximum allowable
runout is .005”.
5) If your reading exceeds .005” off-set dowel pins must be used to correct the misalignment.
Lakewood Industries offers such dowel pins in several sizes.
This alignment procedure will eliminate premature wear on many of the transmission and
clutch related components and will provide smoother operation.
I0029