[amc49]

Bear in mind that the snap ring GROOVE will be too wide for the chosen snap ring. That's so that the overall height of the clutch plates together form the bottom of limit for the snap ring. Does that make sense? In other words, snap ring can go no deeper into cylinder because clutch pack holds it up because it's in the way. It will not hit bottom of snap ring groove. Top of limit will be the OUTSIDE of snap ring groove, or side closest to open end of cylinder. When you're checking for clearance then, you must at least lift up enough to make sure that your chosen snap ring contacts that outer side of groove, since in operation, the piston under all clutches will push them up in an attempt to push them out of cylinder, except the snap ring stops that. In operation clutches will push snap ring out until it hits end of groove then it holds everything in that spot. To answer question then, lift up enough to make snap ring contact outside of groove, but not enough to warp snap ring out of 'flat'. I usually use a couple of cheap sets of feeler gauges taken apart so that I can slide individual pieces in to push up snap ring while checking clearance. I steadily increase the thickness until one finally gets tight enough so that it starts dragging going in. Check that one you've decided is 'it' in like several locations all around. You have to kinda average clearance out, since it will not be exactly the same all the way around. I like to use 4 feeler gauges in all 4 corners to make it real obvious how tight it is. Here's another one for you. Depending on whose parts you buy, sometimes they allow for setting that clutch pack clearance by using slightly different width steels or even fiber discs. Some kits do that, and some rely on different thickness snap rings. There's no difference, one could even use a combo of the 2 methods to get clearance. The clearance doesn't care how it got there, only that it's right. I have reused say one old steel that was flat, not burned because it was slightly worn and made my number come up right. I NEVER reuse frictions though. Trans will work better and last longer if you shoot to minimum side of the clearance. That shortens shift time slightly (always a good thing) and allows trans to wear further before it hits the too loose spot past the high end clearance number. Whatever, do NOT go below the magic minimum more than .005" or you will burn clutch pack. I try to not ever go below that number. Take that number and divide by total number of frictions/steels and you get the individual clearance for each disc, you gotta be able to get oil in there to avoid burning it. While thinking all this, remember that frictions will lose a small amount of thickness on initial run in as they defuzz on first use. All this is the easy part, just wait till if you have to reset case preload on the main output gears. That's fun.