Hi guys, I am putting my new engine in my 97 FD3S. It has a factory flywheel and an exedy clutch. When removing the engine I elected to unbolt the pressure plate from the flywheel rather than pop the circlip as I didn't really know where it was. While the engine was out, I changed the clutch plate, and reassembled the pressure plate onto the input shaft, and clicked the circlip in to place. The plan was to reinstall the engine, and then bolt the pressure plate to the flywheel through the top access panel, so reversal of the removal technique

I have the engine back in place and the bellhousing bolts are tight. However I can't seem to get the pressure plate to bolt to the flywheel. It's like it is hanging up on the dowels, and it looks to me like it's sitting marginally low, but I can't seem to lift it any higher. I wasn't sure if the clutch pedal needs to be depressed in order to relieve the clutch enough to line things up, but there doesn't seem to be much movement available in the clutch plate at all. The pressure plate and input shaft spin happily, I just cant seem to be able to clamp the whole thing together onto the flywheel.

Is it even possible to reinstall it in this manner, or is the "unbolt the pressure plate" a technique for removal only? I really dont want to pull the engine again....

 

The method you used for removal is for people who make little to no attempt to learn how a pull type works. The method you are using to attempt to reassemble could work but this is not a JZ platform.

Look in the 3rd gen faq, see how the system works, remove the transmission correctly and try again. Please make more of an effort to use the resources here on the forum. Well over 20 years of combined knowledge between 3 cars archived just to be ignored is crazy work.

 

ok I've pulled the engine back out, doesn't appear to have damaged anything. Decided to swap in a beefier clutch while I'm in here so waiting on that now