Need some feedback(trans/clutch)

[Kunzinator]

originally posted this in welcome section by mistake
Hello all, finally getting my first post done on here. Have lurked for quite awhile here and generally I find my answers. Just getting wore down and tired and was looking for some reassurance or confirmation that I do indeed have problem(s?) to deal with.
I bought my first true DSM(2nd if I count my 2GNT) in September of this year (1998 Eclipse Spyder) The car had quite a bit done to it, e85, 2.3, awd, etc. Anyway the clutch fried half way home when I left my brothers place the day after. Still not sure what happened it could have been me, though I have driven a stick for quite a few years but I don't know. To sum it up I have been working on my new car since I bought it and I have the transaxle back in with a south bend SS-TZ clutch kit, resurfaced stock flywheel, oem slave and master cylinders, clutch fork, and pivot ball. Basically everything in the clutch system is new to eliminate me having to have a failure of a part kill my spendy new clutch.
Two questions with photos, first is that piece of metal above the transmission numbers between the trans and engine a glaring screw up like I think it is( I believe it was like that before I dropped it and put back in so I just out back in and didn't notice much until later when it caught my eye and struck me as not looking right at all.
The other is whether or not my clutch fork is okay, I am pretty sure I shimmed the pivot ball a bit much.. I later realized shimming was probably not necessary. I just want a trained eye to tell me if the clutch will work fine with it as it is, from what I've read I would think so but I really want to confirm I am not risking any kind of damage due to the radical shimming.
Sorry for the TLDR first post, Getting close to finally driving ny new car and want to be certain that my work I did was done correctly and will not cause damage. Thanks in advance, Dan.
http://thekunz.com/DSMTP1/1.jpg
http://thekunz.com/DSMTP1/2.jpg
http://thekunz.com/DSMTP1/3.jpg
http://thekunz.com/DSMTP1/4.jpg

 

[luv2rallye]

I'd be worried about that piece stuck between the tranny and the engine preventing the tranny from mounting absolutely square onto the engine. It's actually a mounting tab for that water pipe which is supposed to mount under one of the tranny mounting bolt heads (to hold the pipe secure). With it stuck in there, the tranny is going to tilt the input shaft slightly up causing havoc to your clutch disk (bending it and making it not go around in the proper circle against the pressure plate). I had that same thing happen to me while installing the tranny (that tab rotated and fell down in between just like yours did) preventing the tranny from mounting flush with the engine (which is how I found it). I learned to wire it up before later installs so it wouldn't fall down. YOU NEED TO FIX THIS! Just loosen all the tranny mounting bolts enough so you can pry the tranny back slightly to slide that piece out of there (it slides on the pipe).

As far as the pivot ball shimming, ya you're right at the limit. It's hard to say if it's a little too far towards the engine side. My best guess is you may be just barely ok. This guy did his about where yours is and he claimed it worked ok: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/shim-or-not-to-shim.464859/#post-153278064. Of course he may have a different clutch and step height.]. If it's too far the clutch is not going to completely disengage when you press the pedal to the floor. Adjusting the MC travel (see Jacks Transmissions article) or MC rod or extending the slave rod may correct this but then you risk not getting a full stroke on the slave when pedal is pressed full down (which also may prevent total disengagement). It also depends on your resurfaced flywheel's new step height and any horizontal geometry differences with your new clutch compared to a stock one. Unfortunately you usually won't know until you let out the clutch in neutral with engine running and wheels off the ground to see if wheels stay still or stop turning. FYI the clutch fork where it rides on the pivot ball is what wears the most, not the pivot ball (which is why you should always get a new fork).

 

[Kunzinator]

Thanks a lot for the information you confirmed what I suspected of that mounting tab, I was suspecting that was did in the last clutch, pressure plate had a nasty warp to it.
Both the pivot ball are new, I guess I will test it once in done getting the car together and cross my fingers, had a terrible time getting the trans back in and really am hoping to avoid that process again.

 

[Kunzinator]

Dremel cut the piece and pried it out, problem solved, sits a lot nicer now against the engine for some reason ...