Help Please, Clutch questions, very stange!

antnicuk · September 27, 2005, 08:56:28 PM

Right Here Goes

As some of you know, i have had problems on my TII with my clutch slipping when i give it some stick. Not so unusual i here you say, but the clutch is a new one (as in the first picture) Yes it was cheap but so am I!

Its a 6 puck copper clutch. A few people thought it might be the pressure plate that is defective so i approached Tim who has changed the clutch in his car and he was kind enough to send me his old pressure plate (he is using a TII gearbox) It hadnt done many miles and is an Exedy pressure plate. (2nd picture)

To my suprise it is identical to the one i have in my car, (i bought 2 kits so can compare it to the 2nd one) even down to the engraving on the outside which looks like a Bently badge but instead of a \'B\' it has \'DK\'. The \'fingers\' look exactly the same and first impressions are that they are the same strength.

So i go and find the one i took out of the car when i rebuilt the engine. The car was stock when i bought it so i was suprised to see that the pressure plate was exactly the same as the other two i had in front of me and the clutch plate was a purple Exedy one (3rd pic) I didnt notice when i took it out. It still has a lot of life left in it.

I know another high power TII club member has an exedy organic clutch which i am assuming is similar to the one that was on my car originally and he has no problems with it although i have a little more power than he.

My dilema is that i dont want go to all the effort of changing a clutch if it\'s not going to work and i cant afford 500 quid to buy a new one although i know it will definately work. There is the chance that the one now in the car is defective but i dont want to just stick the second kit in only to do the same again.

Does anybody recognise these pressure plates, can they confirm that it will do the job with the right clutch plate, at least i know it will be clutch plate that is crap. Is the Exedy one that was in the car when i bought it good enough to take 360+ RWHP?

One other question is, I have a FD gearbox, can i fit the bell housing to my TII gearbox so that it uses a Pull type FD clutch which i can get 2nd hand quite cheaply.

I know a lot of you are probably thinking stop messing about and go and buy decent clutch but the car has been built on a budget and i just cant afford to keep throwing money at it.

antnicuk · September 27, 2005, 08:57:23 PM

Tim\'s old clutch (thanks mate)

antnicuk · September 27, 2005, 08:58:19 PM

the original clutch , sorry about the pictures, phone jobbies.

antnicuk · September 27, 2005, 09:07:16 PM

The other thing is that i really want to get it done for Japshow!

g11ary · September 27, 2005, 09:28:49 PM

How do you know its the plates that are crap?
What about the spring ratings that push the plates on, cant you change them for some thing stronger to stop slipping?
Why did you buy 2 cheapies instead of one good one.
On an fd my bonez stockish clucth did 20k hard miles, it hated drag but was great on road and circuit, that was 365 at hubs.

antnicuk · September 27, 2005, 10:11:28 PM

i bought one for me and one for my couzins TII, thats the only reason i have two. I doont know its the plates, a few people a said that they didnt think a 6 pcuk padle would slip so thought it may the pressure plate that wasnt upto scratch. As far as i can see the fingers (springs) on the pressure plate cant be changed with out proper equipment, ie, manufacturer.

cjr · September 27, 2005, 10:24:21 PM

I have seen a fd gearbox with an fc bellhouseing on it. The only thing i can remeber about it was that the drive shaft was not quite long enough( what i mean is more off the spinewas showing than normal) It is the springs in the clutch plate that create the pressure, so I would go with Tim\'s. He didn\'t slip it so I doubt you will. As he is an animal in his own car:)

Martiny · September 28, 2005, 09:02:36 AM

Quote from: cjrI have seen a fd gearbox with an fc bellhouseing on it. The only thing i can remeber about it was that the drive shaft was not quite long enough( what i mean is more off the spinewas showing than normal) It is the springs in the clutch plate that create the pressure, so I would go with Tim\'s. He didn\'t slip it so I doubt you will. As he is an animal in his own car:)

Surely its the springs in the PRESSURE plate that give the grip? the springs in the clutch plate are there to dampen shock.

antnicuk · September 28, 2005, 09:53:35 AM

thats what i thought, is that what you meant chris?

grinder · September 28, 2005, 11:20:44 AM

humm worried now about what you are saying - as i was gonna buy one of those clutches

saying that - i reckon that im only running 240 bhp

if you decide to buy a new one - im happy to buy one of the old ones from you - if there is a good life span left in it

i spoke to exedy only a few days ago about clutch\'s and 2 things came to light

1 - they make OEM clutches ( so good for 200 bhp )
2 - the figures they quote are NM - so when they say 350 - that equates to only 318 BHP at the fly

you may need to go bigger if you are running in the 300 BHP area ??

QuoteI know a lot of you are probably thinking stop messing about and go and buy decent clutch but the car has been built on a budget and i just cant afford to keep throwing money at it.

Welcome to my world matey

cjr · September 28, 2005, 08:45:10 PM

yeah sorry guys meant the springs in the pressure plate. Not the plate itself. Doh

antnicuk · September 28, 2005, 08:47:28 PM

I would like to thank Clive, Tim and Chris (reworx) for there help over the last few days and for putting up my incessant tight ar5e whinging....

After studying all 3 pressure plates for most of the evening i have now figured out a difference. The silver one in Pic 2, that belonged to Tim is an Exedy uprated clutch. The difference is the amount springs. The other two have 2 springs at 3 points around the pressure plate, Tims has 3 springs at 3 points around the plate. So 50% more clamping pressure. When i say springs i am refering to the flat strips of sprung steel that make the pressure plate push against the friction plate. These are not the fingers that the thrust bearing push against.

Now i just need the Harlow Massive to come and give me a hand at the weekend to fit it!!!
Hopefully that may sort my problems, fingers crossed....

grinder · September 28, 2005, 09:03:40 PM

Quote from: antnicukI The silver one in Pic 2, that belonged to Tim is an Exedy uprated clutch. The difference is the amount springs. The other two have 2 springs at 3 points around the pressure plate, Tims has 3 springs at 3 points around the plate. ....

EH

i have looked at the pics over and over again .. and no idea what you are on about !

so whats the plan .. new clutch .. different disc , same cover ??

antnicuk · September 28, 2005, 09:12:33 PM

Quote from: grinderEH

i have looked at the pics over and over again .. and no idea what you are on about !

so whats the plan .. new clutch .. different disc , same cover ??

You cant see them from the pictures, the are seen from the other side, they just look like flat strips of steel about 1 inch wide and 2.5 inches long, there are 3 sets around the outside edge.

The plan now is Tim\'s pressure plate with the new 6 puck friction plate in the first picture.

Brett · September 28, 2005, 09:13:40 PM

Out of interst Tony, do you know how much torque you\'re producing?
How much abuse did the Ebay job put up with before it cried enough?

Help Please, Clutch questions, very stange!

g11ary