If you must remove the bolt in the crank nose and reassemble with the engine horizontal.......First. Pull forward on the flex plate with a piece of a screen door spring or safety wire on each side. This will trap the rear thrust bearing in it's installed position. Then remove the aluminum front cover and perform whatever you need to do.

On assembly glue the front thrust bearing in place with a nice stringy wheel bearing grease. Don't be bashful, slather it on. After completing assembly, use a magnetic based dial indicator to check crank end play. From .0025" to .003" is good. If there is no end play where there was before this tear down, you have knocked the front bearing off its position and crushed it by tightening the big crank nose bolt.

 

The stock front oil pressure relief should be set at 144 PSI unless that spring has broken. You know all of that..........shame on you.

 

Lynn E. Hanover

 

 

Bill,

Thanks for thinking of me but you may regret asking :-).  I have hesitated posting as I have realized that when I do a search, the majority of the questions have been from me and I do not like feeling quite so stupid.