[DeTomaso] Help! My clutch is on fire!

[Will Kooiman]

My guess is the clutch isn't fully releasing.  In other words, while you are
driving around, the throwout bearing is resting against the pressure plate.

Is this a Centerforce diaphragm style pressure plate, or is it a Centerforce
3-finger style?  You can look through the inspection hole to see.

If he put on a new pressure plate, and used a 3-finger style, did he get a
Pantera specific pressure plate?  The primary difference is a Pantera
specific pressure plate has fingers that are about 1/4" shorter.  It gives
the throwout bearing a little more room to move before engaging.

If it is a diaphragm style, it probably doesn't matter that much.  They're
already pretty flat, so there's usually plenty of room.

You want to adjust your clutch to allow it to fully release.  There's a
procedure for doing this, but to be honest, I've never followed the
procedure.  I normally adjust the clutch by feel (hard to describe).  Rather
than confuse you, I'll let someone else describe the proper way to adjust
the clutch - or better yet, look in the manual.  It's probably described.

Will.

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of Christopher Kimball
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 9:46 AM
To: detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: [DeTomaso] Help! My clutch is on fire!

I need some help.  When I had my engine out of my '72, my mechanic added a 
new, centerforce clutch which has been working fine for a month or so (maybe

700 miles).  I noticed a while back I would occasionally hear a kind of 
squeaking noise as I let off the clutch, but it didn't feel as if it was 
slipping and once fully engaged the noise went away.

Today, on my way to a car show, the squeaking noise got very loud in first, 
second and third gears, and all of a sudden smoke started rising from the 
engine compartment (it smelled a bit like burning rubber).  I immediately 
pulled over and stopped and turned off the car.  When things had returned to

normal, I tried again with the same result.  I found, however, that as long 
as the clutch was depressed, no noise and no smoke, but when I released the 
clutch when in gear--noise and smoke.

Then, on the way back home, the problem kind of went away except for second 
gear, and (of course) by the time I got home things seemed to be working 
normally again.  Since the car show is an hour away, I don't want to risk 
driving there without first fixing this problem.

I'm pretty sure the clutch must be slipping, but why or how to fix it I do 
not know.

Any suggestions?

Thank you,

Chris


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