Technical Clutch compatibilities

[Alfadeke21]

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on the following?

I have a 1964 500D. The engine block number is 110F (for a 500F?) but the flywheel appears to be from a 500D as the clutch cover is the 6 spring type & there's a large distance between the cover & flywheel edge.
The gearbox "appears" to be an "F" type as the release bearing carrier is definitely the one for this box & not the old D type. The release bearing is held on by the new style spring clips.
the free travel at the clutch pedal is 1.5" and fits within the figures specified for a D type
1. Could (should) I try to fit an earlier release bearing - indeed will it fit at all?
2. Should I acquire a newer type flywheel & fit a diaphragm clutch to remove some of the free pedal play?
3. Following the "if it ain't broke" principle just leave everything as is, keep calm & carry on???

Any thoughts, gentlemen (& ladies)?

Derek

 

[The Whitakers]

3 sounds the most plausible resolution...…….




How ever if you are like myself and many others on here that clearly wont be happening.....


Personally I have little experience with clutches on these things but many have, they will be along shortly no doubt...

 

[Bigvtwin996]

my opinion....
as you basically have an early car with later engine/box...
i would try to swap the clutch etc to match the engine/box.....
it would make sorting/purchasing replacements easier in the future...
as you would simply be talking F/L parts, rather than trying to work out what hotch potch set up was there....

 

[Franko500]

I fitted a F/L flywheel & clutch assembly to my D engine with F flywheel housing.
The reason Fiat changed it was because the N/D one was pants

 

[Toshi 975]

I fitted a F/L flywheel & clutch assembly to my D engine with F flywheel housing.
The reason Fiat changed it was because the N/D one was pants

I think that it was a guy in Australia that tuned a Giardiniera engine and pointed out that a 126 Bis bellhousing was a straight bolt on and permitted the fitting of an uprated clutch.
I bought a brand new Bis for my wife in 1989 which was an “interesting” car. The clutch went when the car was 15 months old. It was a Sunday morning in the days when spare parts took a while to get. I needed to get to work the next day in that car. I remembered that I had part of an early 500 engine up in my shed. I checked and it still had the clutch so checked and the splines were the same so fitted the very basic driven plate and got the car going. That car, for some reason, ate clutches and on its 4th in less than 3 years but the old used plate lasted the longest after the original clutch. I have heard that there are quite a few clutches from other fiats that fit the 500.