New project. 1987 Lamborghini Jalpa. There's no easy way out.

Waiting on the next attempt of throwout to arrive on monday. Gotta officiate a wedding tomorrow or I'd work on the car more, but I did manage to trim down the pressure plate to fit the flywheel.

Oddly enough, the pressure plate type is the same on a factory pressure plate. Almost no difference except that it is slightly larger on the outer edges and apparently already trimmed to fit. So the BMW m5 pressure plate IS a direct fit.... after you trim the edges. Took me a while but I got it.

As you can see, the band inside the flywheel is in the way.

After trimming the main edges down, it fits, except now the upper portion needs trimmed ever so slightly.

Needs just a skim.

But it fits!

I can't see really well, but what is to the left of your finger in this picture:

It looks like a hairline crack. Don't want you getting everything back together and have an exploded flywheel. I am loving this restoration! Keep up the great work!

PMRacing wrote: I can't see really well, but what is to the left of your finger in this picture: It looks like a hairline crack. Don't want you getting everything back together and have an exploded flywheel. I am loving this restoration! Keep up the great work!

That is the edge of the band where the two ends meet. There is a big metal band that is welded into the stock flywheel.

And i got it!

Nicely done sir! Solving the clutch assembly issue seemed easy compared to everything up to this point

Congrats on the engine build! If you haven't already (and excuse me if you have, I've only been following since mid-thread), you might consider studying up lathe and milling machines on youtube, then buy bench-top machines (about $800/per). I started my projects (building vintage race bikes and a vintage race Alfa) with hand tools, attempting to fabricate bushings with a cordless driver/drill. Sloppy (and dangerous) to say the least. A drill press was like a revelation, but then the mini-lathe and mini-mill took it to the next level. With access to machine tools and welding, there's nothing (below a certain size) you can't make if it's not already available.

Keep up the good work. I'm anxious to see that Jalpa up and running.

Nader wrote: Congrats on the engine build! If you haven't already (and excuse me if you have, I've only been following since mid-thread), you might consider studying up lathe and milling machines on youtube, then buy bench-top machines (about $800/per). I started my projects (building vintage race bikes and a vintage race Alfa) with hand tools, attempting to fabricate bushings with a cordless driver/drill. Sloppy (and dangerous) to say the least. A drill press was like a revelation, but then the mini-lathe and mini-mill took it to the next level. With access to machine tools and welding, there's nothing (below a certain size) you can't make if it's not already available. Keep up the good work. I'm anxious to see that Jalpa up and running.

Once the Lambo is on the road and I can finally take all the cluttered bits out of it, put it in the car, and have room... the plan is to get some sort of bench lathe or press. Now that I've seen all the crazy stuff my machinist has done with his lathe, I feel like my next step in car adventures would be a lathe.

Positive note: The aftermarket throwout is supposed to arrive today. If it does not fit i have sourced an original throwout for a good deal.. Well.. better than uhh the original factory cost "good deal"..

On a semi-related note, I saw an article that Lambo's PoloStorico division is officially up and running and open for business, with support for all Lamborghini's "over 10 years old." To which my first thought was - 10 years!??!! So you're saying if I have a 2001 Diablo (which I decidedly do NOT) until now I was out of luck on finding parts??

Anyway, it went on to say they were stocking 65% of the parts for vintage Lambo's, and could track down / have made / etc. the other 35%.

Of course, I'm sure the bill would be yuge.

NorseDave wrote: On a semi-related note, I saw an article that Lambo's PoloStorico division is officially up and running and open for business, with support for all Lamborghini's "over 10 years old." To which my first thought was - 10 years!??!! So you're saying if I have a 2001 Diablo (which I decidedly do NOT) until now I was out of luck on finding parts?? Anyway, it went on to say they were stocking 65% of the parts for vintage Lambo's, and could track down / have made / etc. the other 35%. Of course, I'm sure the bill would be yuge.

Yeah, Jack Riddell of VintageLamborghini got me in contact with them. But not only is it expensive, it's a huge wait because a lot of the stuff isn't available but "we can make it!" queue months later...

I mean we're talking most of the bearings for my engine for the chain rollers and tensioners were basic SKF bearings that were like $8 a pop. Lamborghini had them listed for nearly $100 a pop. Nothing different aside from them coming in a lamborghini box. The exact same part number. EXACT.

corsepervita wrote: Once the Lambo is on the road and I can finally take all the cluttered bits out of it, put it in the car, and have room... the plan is to get some sort of bench lathe or press. Now that I've seen all the crazy stuff my machinist has done with his lathe, I feel like my next step in car adventures would be a lathe.

On the subject of mini-lathes, I have good experience with this one (no affiliation otherwise): https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5100

So, have you ever driven a Jalpa? Like you, I'm a Porsche owner who's ventured into the Italian exotics. I bought one of my dream cars, a Ferrari 348, without having ever ridden in one, much less driven one. In fact, the one I bought was the first one I'd ever laid a hand on. Seeing it on the showroom floor, imperfect and therefore affordable to me, was too much to resist. The test drive with the dealer riding shotgun was nerve-wracking, I couldn't really enjoy the experience. It was mostly what I imagined an older exotic to be. Some qualities more, some less. Ultimately, the drive home with it as my own, was a really emotional experience for me. I think your first drive in your Jalpa will be, too.

corsepervita wrote: I mean we're talking most of the bearings for my engine for the chain rollers and tensioners were basic SKF bearings that were like $8 a pop. Lamborghini had them listed for nearly $100 a pop. Nothing different aside from them coming in a lamborghini box. The exact same part number. EXACT.

Yeah, that sounds about right!

On a note of reluctance, told my friend i would help him with his econovan. We're talking like an old 60s... with a leaking power steering pump. I'm in my dress clothes today so I'm going to try and do my best but... kiiiiiiinda wanna go see my new parts that arrived. But a promise is a promise and I know he wants to go drive it really bad. Whoever worked on it last was lazy as hell. Had garden hose on a few of the vacuum lines, a carb that was leaking gas all over, and a giant piece of insulation to cover up a big hole... along with some more insulation over part of the van that burned up the interior because of air leaks, because it lit on fire from his crap electrical work. Ohhhhh joy.

On the trimmed pressure plate - might want to have the pressure plate and flywheel assembly balanced. If it was balanced from the factory, trimming it threw it off.

DILYSI Dave wrote: On the trimmed pressure plate - might want to have the pressure plate and flywheel assembly balanced. If it was balanced from the factory, trimming it threw it off.

Yep agreed. I'll have it balanced before it goes on permanently.

Side note: The aftermarket throwout bearing doesn't appear to fit right. It might work. But will require trimming it down. It's kind of odd. it looks like basically... there's a ring that goes around the original, which mates to the fork. Then the factory throwout bearing appears to slide over that, and then puts pressure on the pressure plate.

The way the "replacement cross referenced" fits is basically eliminates the factory sleeve and would just attach to the actual release fork itself... BUT, the length of it appears too short. It was stupid cheap though, like... $15, so I may try trimming it down since the OD on that is maybe 1mm larger than the factory sleeve area, which won't fit into the release fork... and i mean juuuuuust barely. Still, even then, I don't know if that will work.

I may end up having to just bite the bullet and go with a factory TB. Maybe once I do that I can reverse engineer it and have a few made. Surely there's no way something like that would cost that much to be custom made as the factory wants $650 for a throwout bearing.

Supposedly a brand called "A.P." makes a factory equivalent, an "HD2189" but I cannot find this brand anywhere, nor any mention of them, nor any of these listed. Sachs said they don't make them anymore.

Original sachs # is 3163 023 001

The BMW bearing I have looks right, but has a weird plastic sheating on it that appears to be crimped on it. I almost wonder if I could remove it carefully and see if it would fit. Side project for tonight before i go to bed i suppose.

Pics of the throwout and arm would probably help.

AP or Automotive Products was broken up in 2000 and part of it was absorbed by Delphi. The clutch side of AP was Borg and Beck, but some quick searching turned up nothing on that bearing number. AP Racing is still going, but from what I understand they don't do much for street cars.

aftermarket throwout

vs m5 throwout

not even close on ID

The thickness looks right.

I have ordered a used TB, if for nothing else, so i have one available and can use it to make some.

McLeod racing is a strikeout, they offer nothing custom, just stuff in certain dimensions. They pointed me to Aetna bearings. Have sent info there, hoping they get back to me.

Have you tried McGuire Bearing? They're a pretty good industrial supplier around here (Salem, OR).....

I've never tried this but you might be able to pull the original apart and repack it.

Gave the slave cyl a vinegar bath over the last day or so. Appears that there is no pitting in the bore. Looks good. Still soaking. Will try to disassemble tonight. Either way, huge improvement.

Nice...celebrate the small wins!

4cylndrfury wrote: Nice...celebrate the small wins!

I'll take whatever I can get haha. I got some rebuild kits that should fit it. So hopefully I can at the very least, rebuild it. Otherwise I have to get a factory slave as well.