Quote:
Originally Posted by jlsanborn
1. Is that clutch a POS or is it him?
2. Can I have the pressure plate turned? Do I have to or can I disassemble the pressure plate for turning? I can snag his 163t flywheel and pressure plate for next to nuthin but I'd need the 621 bell for about $200, new disc and resurface of flywheel and PP.
3. Is there a big difference between the 10.5" and 11" clutches?
4. Any bad reviews on repop aluminum bell housings?
5. Can I use the old forged clutch fork or do I have to use one of the stamped units?
6. Should I just by a 10.5" clutch from Napa and move on, or should I shell out for the 621 (re-pop bellhousing) and fix the "donor" clutch?
Ugh!
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1. Breakage is part of the manual trans landscape. Don't care who makes it, someone can break it. Two of the main problems with clutch assemblies are they wear and high rpm can overpower the fingers/arms. Both scenarios lead to glazed discs caused by the resultant slippage. Once the disc glazes, it's holding power is much reduced and the increased slip quickly warps, grooves, stress cracks and just generally hoses the mating surfaces. The trick is to constantly stay on top of the adjustment and make sure the pressure plate is rated for the RPM it will see. Clutch tech has come a long way since I ran them, but physics is physics.
2. I'm not familiar with a process to resurface a pressure plate. In this day and age of computer aided machines, it might be possible to surface one on a mill or something similar. I can't envision a way to turn it in a lathe without disassembling it.
3. Leverage. Think of the larger diameter as a longer breaker bar. Downside is the increased outward force on the fingers/arms under high rpm which makes them not want to return to a position with full clamping force. To get around this, clutch manufacturers went to small, multi-disc setups to increase the aggregate surface area and reduce the effects of rpm.
4. NHRA frowns on aluminum cans. No protection if the clutch disintegrates... just ask Big Daddy. On anything hopped up, I'd pay the extra for steel. Just my $0.02 worth.
5. As long as the fulcrum placement is proper for the size clutch used, the wishbone and throwout bearing are compatible and you can adjust the air gap and/or free travel, I'd probably opt for forged. But the final decision should be made based on the geometry.
6. Unless you get a high performance setup from NAPA, you'll be repeating history at some point. Have you contacted customer support at McLeod? They might be able to give you options for rebuilding it.
Good luck, John... and as with all my ramblings, YMMV.