0453R Rockledge Florida

[jbcollier]

If you tool doesn’t work, as I suspect it may not, simply drill two holes in the back of the bell housing and knock the pins out with a hammer and punch.  Use a proper sized punch, safety glasses and very firm hammer blows.  I would also hold the punch in vice-grips just in case your accuracy is at all like mine...

[GavinT]

JB,
I wish , I had that same though in mind. You can imagine my surprise.

The shaft sleeve that the input shaft goes into and the release bearing rides on is impending the removal. I noticed a big difference in the tc section of the workshop manual. The 16tx book I have with the crossflow it basically falls out. 
   I’ll keep you posted!
Dakazman

Are you sure, D'man?

I don't know anyone that's had to remove the pins just to change the release bearing.
From memory, you move the bearing carrier towards the end of the input shaft and the clutch fork comes out of the peripheral groove that locates the fork fingers.
You do have to fiddle and help, but it does come.

This is with a 336 box.
Is that what you have?

[dakazman]

  If the center shaft can be pressed out of housing it would come out, however it looks like that shaft gets pressed out forwards.
  In  the fully depressed position the clutch fork hits the housing  and the bearing still has another 1inch to clear. The tabs are still in grove.

  I have an 336 gearbox
 
Dakazman

[jbcollier]

Me?  I would trim the housing so the arm can go further.

[dakazman]

   🤔that just might work.

[GavinT]

  In  the fully depressed position the clutch fork hits the housing  and the bearing still has another 1inch to clear. The tabs are still in grove.

Thanks for the memory refresh of your pics, D'man.
You've nearly got it.

Consider the geometry and how the fork and bearing carrier move relative to each other.

As the fork swings forward, the fork fingers rise perpendicular to the bearing carrier. At some point they must come out of their groove.

It isn't clear to me where the fork is hitting the housing, but yeah . . I'd buzz some alloy off with a Dremel or similar.

A couple of other things to be aware of.
The fork fingers wear in operation and form flats and consequently, ridges at each edge of those flats. They can hang up a little.
The groove the fork rides in is fairly snug, so some lubrication will help with the "feel" of how it's going.
Similarly, releasing the large spring on the external lever will help with the "feel", though I don't recall the need to do that.

[dakazman]

   Still can’t get there from here👎👎.  Stops  at  Lower pic .
 
   The drill came out ...😡. Ten minutes later😁😁
 
  I wrote down the location of the drilled holes from the center like of the top two bolts and the center line of the input shaft. The picture is missing the input shaft hole.
Dakazman

[GavinT]

Well done, D'man . . whatever it takes.

(although it now occurs to me you secretly wanted to nickel plate that fork) 

[dakazman]

JB ,
Thanks for that suggestion .

Gavin,
That’s probably correct, LOL. 

 Now the fun part finding some parts ,  return spring and maybe a bearing.
Dakazman

[GavinT]

D'man,

You should start a thread on nickel plating.
I'd be interested in your experiences and expect others would be too.

[dakazman]

  Gavin,  I’m not a master and still perfecting my timing. Material cleaning and buffing after dipping in the acetate bath.
Check out :
 http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=3284.0

Dakazman

[GavinT]

Thanks, Dave,

I must have missed that one.

[dakazman]

    It turned out better than I thought.  Getting the timing and buffing up correct.
I know we won’t see it , but it weighs less😀 and hopefully won’t rust.
Dakazman

[BDA]

It's one thing to make the parts you can see shiny but this is turning into an obsession! 

[Dan C 2624R]

An obsession it truly is but also one that can be "shared".  I am seriously looking at nickel plating some of my parts as well as I progress through my rusty renovation.