Georgia Fiero Club Forum

All Things Fiero => Tech Tips, Tech Questions => Topic started by: GTRS Fiero on February 12, 2020, 06:16:04 pm

Title: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 12, 2020, 06:16:04 pm: My Fiero is not entirely stock--partucularly in this area. I have heard that there are inspection plates between the engine and transmission, but cannot find a part number. This does not appear to be in the book, at all. Yes, people still claim to have these. Is there such a thing, or only on some Fieros, different on other Fieros?
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: scottb on February 12, 2020, 08:23:38 pm: Let me look tomorrow afternoon. I have both a four speed and a five out of the car. I believe the bellhousings are solid
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 12, 2020, 08:25:17 pm: That'd be great, thanks.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: Fierofool on February 12, 2020, 10:04:20 pm: The dust shield slips up between the flywheel and engine block and is bolted to the bell housing with 10mm bolts. Sometimes with age, the crankshaft will float and when the clutch is depressed, the flywheel moves forward and will scrub the dust shield. I have two shields that I know of. I don't know what transmissions they came from, but I think they're from a 4-speed and an Isuzu. There is no true inspecton plate as the old cars had where you could see the throwout bearing side of the clutch assembly.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 12, 2020, 10:08:10 pm: Well, if you want to check for a weight on your flywheel...
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: TopNotch on February 12, 2020, 11:53:06 pm: If you have a weighed flywheel, and don't need one, or your engine needs one but you don't have one, the resulting vibration will be a big clue.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 18, 2020, 06:23:42 pm: Quote from: scottb on February 12, 2020, 08:23:38 pm
Let me look tomorrow afternoon. I have both a four speed and a five out of the car. I believe the bellhousings are solid

Any luck?
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: Raydar on February 18, 2020, 07:30:33 pm: Quote from: Fierofool on February 12, 2020, 10:04:20 pm
The dust shield slips up between the flywheel and engine block and is bolted to the bell housing with 10mm bolts.
...
There is no true inspecton plate as the old cars had where you could see the throwout bearing side of the clutch assembly.

This. Exactly.
Although cutting a hole and fabbing up a cover would not be a bad idea, if it didn't compromise the strength of the bellhousing, and didn't let oil or crud in.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: TopNotch on February 18, 2020, 08:41:26 pm: Maybe you can't look at your flywheel, but you can look at your crankshaft. The next time you change your oil, stick a lighted borescope in the drain hole. Here are what the unbalanced and balanced crankshafts look like.

Unbalanced on the left, balanced on the right.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 18, 2020, 08:44:41 pm: I see the images top and bottom.

Why can't you look at the flywheel?
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: TopNotch on February 18, 2020, 08:49:54 pm: Quote from: GTRS Fiero on February 18, 2020, 08:44:41 pm
I see the images top and bottom.

Why can't you look at the flywheel?
The whole thread seems to be about how to look at the flywheel, to see if it has weights or not. I was offering a different way to see if the flywheel needs weights or not.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 18, 2020, 08:54:45 pm: Ah. Yes, indeed. I had thought you were indicating that removing the cover would not accomplish that purpose.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: scottb on February 26, 2020, 07:55:33 pm: finally remembered to take a picture. This a 5 speed Getrag, notice the bellhousing is solid:
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 26, 2020, 07:59:34 pm: So, the inspection cover sits over the bottom right, as pictured?
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: scottb on February 26, 2020, 08:07:19 pm: no, that would be for the starter..... there is a dust shield that is sandwiched between the engine block and the bellhousing, it cant be removed with splitting the transmission from the engine
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 26, 2020, 08:14:58 pm: Interesting. Maybe it's a different cover.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: Fierofool on February 26, 2020, 10:48:57 pm: I'm pretty sure it can be removed without loosening the trans but I think unless the hole over by the starter has been slotted, the starter has to be removed. There are only those 3 bolts that hold it on.

When Don worked on my first 85, he installed a clutch. When he put it back together, the inspection/dust cover was scrubbing, so he pulled it off without removing the transmission. Apparently it got bent during the process.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 26, 2020, 11:22:22 pm: PK didn't loosen the transmission, either.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: Raydar on February 27, 2020, 11:50:47 am: Quote from: Fierofool on February 26, 2020, 10:48:57 pm
I'm pretty sure it can be removed without loosening the trans but I think unless the hole over by the starter has been slotted, the starter has to be removed.
...

This is correct. Normally the starter fits through a hole in the tin shield. People very frequently remove the upper portion of that hole, so that the shield can be removed without removing the starter. Separating the trans from the engine is not required.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: scottb on February 27, 2020, 03:54:35 pm: Reckon I was wrong..... oops
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 27, 2020, 06:24:02 pm: Scott, do you have the cover for that Getrag?

It seems that different covers would be used for different transmissions.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: scottb on February 27, 2020, 06:54:46 pm: no, mustve left it at pull a part
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: Fierofool on February 27, 2020, 10:44:56 pm: I have two covers. They are from different transmissions, but I don't remember which. One is probably from my first 4-speed. The other would be from an Isuzu or Getrag. They are identical. Bellhousings are identical in their mounting face, and flywheels are no different in their spacing between they and the engine, so there shouldn't be a need for different dust covers.
Title: Re: Inspection plate/dust shield
Post by: GTRS Fiero on February 27, 2020, 10:53:52 pm: Hmmm. I had a single-piece cover, but found one online that is 2 pieces. Dunno what's on mine, now.