Slipping Clutch

[saveloy 8]

Sandy,without the uprated cover,I can't see the point in splashing out for a cerametallic plate.

We fitted one to a friend's 205 many moons ago,with a sprung cover. It managed 7000 miles before it ate the flywheel!

[Sandy 189]

The point is that with an uprated cover it will eat the flywheel faster, be more difficult to use around the bite point (which exaggerates juddering and makes stalling easier) and generally behaves more unfriendly. With a standard cover, as long as you within about 10% torque of what the standard clutch can handle and don't labour the clutch, it'll last just as well as the standard one and won't overheat.

I've done plenty more miles than that on the engines i've fitted with them and have a couple friends running them on daily drivers with no issues.

I think what happened to your friend's one is exceptional and probably due to either the the clutch being used aggressively, not being matched to the torque, the flywheel already being worn or another influence.

 

Cerametallic plates certainly are harder on the flywheel, but 7000 miles is far too soon for that to come up all things being equal.

[gti_al 1]

Nope, that is just a feature of the clutch cable adjustment, nothing to do with it slipping.

 

So provided is it tight, with a mm or so of float at the g/box it should be ok?

 

Out of curiosity, how does the height of the clutch pedal compare to the brake when adjusted correctly?

 

And sandy, which the discussion is getting onto these ceramettalic things, what are their advantages?

[Rob_the_Sparky 9]

The clutch end should never be tight, there should be slack when you pull on the cable as this lifts the pedal. The pedal would be VERY high though to make it tight. Try lifting the pedal by hand to give you an idea of how high it would be before it was so over adjusted that it might cause the clutch to slip...

 

I normally run my cars with the clutch pedal about half an inch above the brake pedal but then I just adjust them until they feel right to me!

 

Rob

[Sandy 189]

Agree with Rob on the adjustment ^^^^

 

Cerametallic plates can handle slightly more torque for the same cover pressure, don't suffer from heat failure (unless you get it hot enough to damage the backing plate, which is difficult), can handle a degree of oil contamination without slipping, last longer than organic plate under the same conditions.

[gti_al 1]

The clutch end should never be tight, there should be slack when you pull on the cable as this lifts the pedal. The pedal would be VERY high though to make it tight. Try lifting the pedal by hand to give you an idea of how high it would be before it was so over adjusted that it might cause the clutch to slip...

 

I normally run my cars with the clutch pedal about half an inch above the brake pedal but then I just adjust them until they feel right to me!

 

Rob

 

Thanks. So if i just tighten things a little it will bring the clutch up to a more normal height? You say yours is half an inch above the brake, which sounds about right to me. The way it is at the moment it has no travel in it, and basically feels wrong.

 

So i just tighten the nut up the cable a bit don't i? This will raise the pedal? (without doing anything else odd...)

 

And i will probably bust out the brake cleaner tonight - if i basically saturate everything, will it be ok? Does it really need to be washed out with a high pressure hose?

[gti_al 1]

After lunch today i decided to investigate the clutch cable more, (whilst fair tanked) and discovered that if i pull it towards the rad i can easily get about an inch of slack... This is obviously the reason why the pedal is so low, so i will tighten things up a bit. I am wondering why things are so loose though - why would the cable have stretched so far in a couple of hundred kms?

 

And i also looked for spots to spray brake cleaner onto the clutch/flywheel, and there isn't brilliant access. If i spray a bit through the hole at the bottom, (hopefully through the gaps in the cover) and a bit more through the flywheel cover is this the best i will be able to do?

 

Happy christmas anyway guys, and thanks for your patience.

[tom_m 0]

And i also looked for spots to spray brake cleaner onto the clutch/flywheel, and there isn't brilliant access. If i spray a bit through the hole at the bottom, (hopefully through the gaps in the cover) and a bit more through the flywheel cover is this the best i will be able to do?

 

Happy christmas anyway guys, and thanks for your patience.

 

sounds pretty much like what i did, i 'think' i found a chink up near the starter motor (but without going out and shoving my head in my engine bay i can't remember right now), but i also think i had quite a bit of pipework out at the same time, so you might not be able to get to it.

 

I had a mate stand on the clutch while i sprayed up it made the clutch very stiff to start with (like matt said some of the grease must have got washed off the input shaft) but that freed up with a bit of pumping and some time.

 

enjoy!

Edited December 25, 2005 by tom_m

[gti_al 1]

sounds pretty much like what i did, i 'think' i found a chink up near the starter motor (but without going out and shoving my head in my engine bay i can't remember right now), but i also think i had quite a bit of pipework out at the same time, so you might not be able to get to it.

 

I had a mate stand on the clutch while i sprayed up it made the clutch very stiff to start with (like matt said some of the grease must have got washed off the input shaft) but that freed up with a bit of pumping and some time.

 

enjoy!

 

That's right - there is a hole where you can look at the ring gear on the top... I totally forgot about that. That should be fairly easily accessible with the afm out.

 

Thanks heaps mate - hopefully this will do the job!

[pug_ham 240 3 Cars]

Pulling the cable will allow the clutch pedal to lift higher than its normal rest position iirc so be careful to keep checking the pedal position when you adjust it so its not to high.

 

Also there is a plastic cover iirc on the front of the gearbox casing that once removed gives better access to whole of the flywheel & clutch assembly. (I think I mentioned it in your previosu clutch topic).

 

Graham.

[gti_al 1]

I've been thinking about this today, and i think i will do it properly and get a new clutch fitted. I think the brake cleaner would have stood a chance, but as i am keeping teh engine i may as well fit something more long term. (and sort this at the same time)

 

As the clutch isn't that bigger job (compared to what has already been done) i may as well do the long term fix.

 

Sandy, how quickly could you get one of those plates you speak of into the post? And how much do they weigh?

[Sandy 189]

Possibly by the end of the week if you Paypal me or something, not sure on the weight, slightly lighter than a normal one

[gti_al 1]

Sorry to revive this, but a quick question...

 

I've been told to get the flywheel machined, but this will prove difficult to do as literally nothing is open tomorrow.

 

So, how necessary is this? I've read that many threads about clutch changes here, but it is rarely mentioned.

 

And i've got the clutch kit, possibly a clutch cable, a rear main seal - what else should i change? (driveshaft seals are only a month old) Sandy recommended the input seal - is this difficult?

[gti_al 1]

Thanks for all the advice guys - it seems a new clutch kit, main and input seals and getting the flywheel machined has stopped the slipping.

 

It turns out the rear main was leaking all over the back of the flywheel, which must have been causing the slipping. (as everything else was dry - including the front of the flywheel when it all came apart...)

[Sandy 189]

Glad it's resolved!