Beta 30 drive plate replacement tight squeeze

[Karen Lea Rainey]

Hi All,

 

I'm after some advice from anyone that has done a beta 30 driveplate change.

 

Basically it's quite rattly in neutral, and almost disappears under load, goes into forward and reverse with quite a clunk.

Anyway I have split the driveshaft, removed the gearbox prm 80, undone the six bolts holding the plate on the flywheel.

Should be now able to pull the drive plate straight out of the bell housing !

I've tried all angles to slide the plate out, top to bottom, side to side etc and Visa versa.

The damper plate is not coming out any which way. It's so very nearly out, but not.

Took a break to think about it,

rang Beta marine help desk. They say because of the age of the engine 2000 build, the drive plate would have been put on the flywheel first , before the bell housing, the engine mount struts are attached to the bell housing and you will have to lift the engine or Jack it up to remove the bell housing.

 

Surely there is an easier way,

Trying grinding the housing to create more space but I'm not having much luck at the moment,

Can anybody offer another solution that works?.

Pictures shown, your help would be appreciated.

 

[Tracy D'arth]

Beta are correct. Silly but that's how they made them

Block of wood and a jack under the engine. Remove the top nuts off the rear mounts, do not move the lower nuts at all. That way the alignment should stay the same.

Jack up engine carefully watching exhaust and cables, release if necessary. Remove rear mounts from the engine beds as soon as possible.

 

Remove bell housing, the bolts on the side rails are difficult.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

Hi Tracy,

 

I'm  a bit puzzled by this, if my bell housing is connected or welded to the long strut supports / feet. How can I then remove the bell housing without lifting the whole engine out.

The long green struts / bars are one continuous steel bar, or is my bell housing part of the long struts in one long piece including the mounting frame for the forward feet, it doesnt make sense!

[Tracy D'arth]

The long angle iron side bars are bolted to the bell housing. You need to lift and support the engine under the sump, then with the rear mounts out you can undo the bolts under the angle.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

Got it, its access to the side bolts, once you've got the mounts out. Tomorrows work now then, what a kerfuffle to get it done.

Thanks again.

[Steve56]

If you are replacing the drive plate just cut the plate with a cutting disc then you can remove it. When you fit the new one just make a couple of flats on the opposite sides then it should fit into th housing quite easily. I seem to remember at one time Beta used to do the same thing on the drive plate.

[ditchcrawler]

9 minutes ago, Steve56 said:

If you are replacing the drive plate just cut the plate with a cutting disc then you can remove it. When you fit the new one just make a couple of flats on the opposite sides then it should fit into th housing quite easily. I seem to remember at one time Beta used to do the same thing on the drive plate.

When ours was changed the old one had two edges cut off, the chap that fitted the new one just trimmed it with his plasma cutter

[Tracy D'arth]

9 minutes ago, Steve56 said:

If you are replacing the drive plate just cut the plate with a cutting disc then you can remove it. When you fit the new one just make a couple of flats on the opposite sides then it should fit into th housing quite easily. I seem to remember at one time Beta used to do the same thing on the drive plate.

Good call!  I was going to suggest a gas axe but thought against it.

 

That method would save a lot of dismantling.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

Get my grinder on it tomorrow, will report back, thanks all.

[Karen Lea Rainey]

Grinder on existing drive plate, got it out easy, it was a CF DS 10, not a lot wrong with it to be fair, rubbers still in fact, just a bit out of cushioning quality.

Anyway, gotta replacement from the local chandlers, no stock of the recommended  22 B 60, so matched one up with the same hole spacing g and the same size, it was a  R and D 22 AM 95 but cost an extra £30,

Cut the plate down evenly on all straights, it went in the housing like a charm.

All back together now and no more rattles.

Thanks for your help guys.