I decided it was time to install the pilot bearing extension. As stated in my previous blog posts, the T5 transmission input shaft barely fits in the pilot bearing. We are talking like 1/4″. To combat this, I purchased a pilot bearing extension which will allow the transmission to sit into a pilot bearing and prevent any premature wearing of the transmission. The only part of this installation that was unknown was what bolts to use for the installation. I would have to spend a good amount of time calling parts warehouses to even see what was out there. The engine had to come out because I wanted to install everything out of the car before it was in it’s final spot. This would allow me to iron out all the issues I know I would encounter.
After the engine was removed, the first order of business was to remove the flywheel with the original bolts. The locktite gave way pretty easily and the flywheel came right off. The pilot bearing that was installed was a bronze material with a tapered edge. The pilot bearing was pressed in and was easily pushed out with a socket and a hammer. The extension has a ridge in which the flywheel sits which centers the extension. I tested the extension and it fit perfectly. The extension also has a cylindrical roller bearing which the transmission input shaft sits in.
The hard part about this install is finding the right bolt. With the added length of the extension, we needed to find a bolt with a thread of M10x1.0 40mm in length. We asked a few people about the head of the bolt and whether or not we needed the shallow head and the consensus was that a shallow head was needed. All we had to do now was find a shallow head flywheel bolt with a thread of M10x1.0 and 40 mm in length. I started with Summit, ARP, and Jegs to see who carried what. The closest bolt I found was an ARP 150-2802 flywheel bolt for a Ford 6.0L/6.4L engine. The bolt was the right thread but the length was 5/16″ too long. The bolt was also supposed to work with a washer but I surmised I could just not use the washer. I also was concerned about the extra length but I checked the depth of the where the bolt would thread into and there was more than 5/16″. This was a great find since it had the right thread, had a shallow head, and the additional length wouldn’t be a problem.
There was also a slight issue with the bolts when I had them in hand. The bottom of the head of the bolt had a small radius where the bottom of the head of the bolt transitioned into the shank. This was because the bolt was supposed to be used with the washer. This meant the bolt would sit slightly proud of the pilot bearing extension. This was solved by countersinking the extension a hair. This solved the issue of the radius and allowed the bolts to sit flush with the extension.
I decided to purchase a thread chaser kit in order to clean out the thread locker left by the previous thread locker. I’ve been meaning to purchase one of these kits for some time since fixing and cleaning threads is something I have always been unable to do. Clean threads help with achieving the proper torque values. I used the kit to clean out all of the crud that was in the crankshaft. I blew out all the crud with an air compressor and cleaned the rest with brake clean.
The kit recommended a torque value of 70 ft/lbs and the use of Loctite 242 Thread Locker. The original torque setting for the bolts from the Mustang 2 was 49 lb/ft so I was slightly worried about the higher torque value but I decided I needed to follow the torque value of the bolts. I added the thread locker and installed the pilot extension. This was slightly fiddly since the extension had to be installed at the same time as the flywheel. After some trouble, I finally got it all threaded in.
After a few tense moments with the torque wrench, everything was installed. The bolts were fully seated on the extension and the bolt’s depth wasn’t a problem at all. A perfect install. I installed the clutch to ensure there was no conflict with the pilot extension. I installed the transmission onto the engine and there was no conflict either. So far the installation is working flawlessly. Next up will be installing the external slave cylinder for the operation of the clutch. Motor on.