[DeTomaso] New Clutch Issues

[sean mundy]

Is there any balancing needed on the flywheel after grinding? 
 


From: JDeRyke at aol.com
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2010 02:28:39 -0400
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] New Clutch Issues
To: seanmundy at hotmail.com; detomaso at realbig.com

In a message dated 4/5/10 8:54:59 PM, seanmundy at hotmail.com writes:

It has 3 springs.  Not sure what type they are.....

OK- so its a sprung disc. Dunno- maybe the disc didn't like the new surface finish of the flywheel. If so, continued driving will smooth any slight roughness or fill in any small depressions. Stock iron flywheels get heat-treated in use, which can make extremely hard 'hot-spots' within the mass of the flywheel. If the guy doing the sufacing isn't paying attention, the grinding wheel will plane over the hard spots, polishing or burnishing them but not cutting the surface at those points, or cutting more on one side than another causing a degree of tilt. Such a flywheel will then cause chatter. A leaking rear main seal or ZF front seal can deposit a few drops of oil on the disc which is like a blotter as far as any fluid contamination. Extremely dirty hands can do it. Again, the heat of use often boils off the contaminates over time- if you can stand the chatter that long! 
Back when I was dirt-poor, I took contaminated clutch discs and brake pads, and stuck them in a basin of carbon-tetrachloride for a few minutes, then drip-dried them in the sun for a day. Those solvent-cleaned parts subsequently worked just fine. Note this last "is for entertainment purposes only. No recommendations are made etc, blah blah..." And depending on your place of residence, it may be impossible to get good chlorinated hydrocarbons for any sort of cleaning. There are other chatter causes, too. Good luck- J DeRyke