Grinding bell housing

[patch79]

Hello, I've recently fitted a 1.7 turbo engine into my 343, I've lowered the back 3" fitted a 5 speed box and welded the diff, the engines been brilliant but I keep getting a nasty grinding from the bell housing when I pull away, when I change down and sometimes when I change up, I stripped the car to have a look and found it was pushing the shaft the clutch release bearing sits on out of the bell housing? It had also losened all the rivits on the friction disk and melted the inside of the plastic cone for the release bearing?!!! Has anyone any ideas what I've done wrong? The noise is spoiling my car and driving me mad!

[340GLT]

Have you fitted a spigot bearing into the back of the crankshaft, bellhousing side?
Adam

[patch79]

I haven't, with out sounding stupid, do you mean like a crank shaft end bearing, that would be kind of behind the flywheel on the engine side? I'd just asumed the problem was to do with the bell housing, do the bearings in the back of the back section of the bell housing ever go? Sorry I don't know what that bits called, the short shaft bit, there is a bit of play in mine. There all Scrapyard parts, so I could of fitted the reason someone scraped there car to my car Is that your black car in the pic? Looks really good! What's different about the front valance that i'm not recognising? Thanks for any ideas with my car, there appreciated!

[Chris_C]

If you havn't fitted a spigot bearing, it'll be that. (Yes, the one in the back of the crank, between flywheel and crank). The 400 series turbo is in a fwd car, which doesn't seem to use them, I'm sure there has been discussion on here before as to why but I can't remember the reason!

[340GLT]

The 1.7 bellhousing only has a bearing in the back and the bearing that goes into the carnk supports the front of the shaft. If you dont have it it kills clutches and creates a huge amount of vibration.
Yes it is my car in the pic, (its grey though ) It has a volvo front spoiler with a laguna one tagged to the bottom.
Adam

[patch79]

Ah right, I've been looking at cars at work and know exactly what you mean now. It so obvious it stupid but I'd never of thought to even look, the bearings are aparently discontinued according the the local Volvo garage but I'll try Cumbria bearings in the morning. Thanks for the advise, hopefully have it sorted tomorrow

[Ride_on]

I guessing the reason is the flexibility between the engine mounts, rubber driveshafts bits and engine/gearbox mounts. As you try to twist something flexible it wants to curl up, and in the case of a 340 this puts a sideways force on the clutch shaft and crank shaft, hence it needs an extra bearing to hold it in place. FWD are rigidly connected to the diff/gearbox and suffer almost no curling action.