What is an alignment dowel?
Hollow alignment dowels reduce weight and cost, plus simplify assembly. They also maintain precision alignment, ease insertion, absorb hole tolerances, and prevent interlocking — the hooking together of traditional rolled dowels (also called slotted pins) when they’re stored in a bulk bin.
How do you remove a stuck metal dowel?
Pull the dowel pin straight out without angling or wiggling it. Keep squeezing the exposed end of the pin in the pliers. Pull straight away from the hole to try and remove the tight dowel pin. Avoid angling or wiggling the pliers while you attempt to pull the pin out.
What material are dowel pins made from?
Dowel pins come in a wide range of materials, including wood, stainless steel, alloy steel, and zinc-plated steel. Dowel pins are manufactured in standard diameters, and can also be made in custom diameters to meet special needs.
How to get the correct dowel pin alignment?
The good people at Lakewood assembled this offset dowel sizing chart to help you order the correct offset dowel pins you’ll need to achieve proper bellhousing alignment. All Lakewood dowel pins come with detailed instructions on how to achieve perfect alignment. Lakewood Offset Dowel Pt.# GM .625″ Lakewood Offset Dowel Pt.# Ford/Mopar .500″
When do I need to install an offset dowel pin?
Rotate the engine, noting the dial-indicator reader. Misalignment is one half of the indicator reading with a .005-inch maximum runout allowance. If runout exceeds .005 inch, you’ll need to install offset alignment bushings.
Where is the offset dowel pin on a GM clutch?
Lakewood Offset Dowel Pt.# Ford/Mopar .500″ For steel bellhousing applications that are routinely removed for clutch service, Lakewood offers fixed weld-on dowel pin kits for GM and for Mopar/Ford. These pins permanently locate the bellhousing to prevent the need for realigning it every time it’s removed.