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My flywheel was resurfaced about 700 miles ago, along with the replacement of clutch disk, pilot, and throw out bearing.  An oil leak developed around the oil pressure sender which I believe ran down the bell housing and contaminated the surfaces, resulting in a pretty good shudder from a dead stop.  Upon removal, I noticed these hot spots. I can't believe it's warped with that few miles on it, and really don't want to take it off and resurface it again.  Opinions on it's condition? Can I run some emery cloth over it, or do I even need to do that?

I also noticed that there was about 1/16" play in one of the three fingers of the McCloud pressure plate. Could this have contributed to the shudder? No matter, I plan on replacing it, since it has hot spots on it too.

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Last edited by rrs1
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If there are blue spots i.e. temp involvement..the Flywheel to hight probability is EOL. Even some rework will not make it durable, it will "blue out" again providing a shudder. Pressure plate same statement.

Also it looks as if the mainshaft bearing is a Ford Model with needles..(there is an extensive debate on needle or not - vertical & radical forces? - in the forum) BUT the diamter is wrong..to my experience.. please do a measurement,  the mainshaft of the gearbox is 7k USD..so need soft gloves..
(the best is to use oil bronze material) 

Last edited by matg

What I have seen on flywheel wear, that is pretty much a normal appearance of a running flywheel.

IF you can catch a finger nail anywhere on the flywheel you have more of an argument to resurface it again.

 

When we say, "there is a break in period for the clutch", what the clutch disc is doing is setting a pattern into the flywheel by wearing a pattern like that into the flywheel. It is "fine fitting" the surface of the disc to the assembly.

At that point you are looking at, it is slipping ever so slightly at 98% of full engagement. That doesn't matter much UNLESS you were attempting to "drop the clutch" while drag racing it. Then it will get worse and depending on the lining material you selected simply because it hasn't fully seated itself yet for maximum friction.

There with maximum traction and maximum engine torque you are just going to overwhelm the clamping ability and it will slip.

With any kind of a hard lining like a Centerforce dual friction, it takes easily 1,200 to 1,500 miles to get it to work right. The components need to wear themselves together. You WILL see shiny spots and areas void of that. That has to do with the ability of the pressure plate to apply perfectly equal loading pressure to the disc and apparently that is next to impossible?

 

What you are showing in that picture is not a slipping clutch in my view. It's more of a "chalking" effect that impurities in the clutch lining and possibly additives to the engine oil that has leaked have caused.

I would change the clutch lining, clean up the pressure plate with about an 80 grit sandpaper.

 

It certainly won't hurt to resurface it again but you just don't need it. Look at the brass rivets on the disc. If they show scuffing, wear, polished at all, even on, replace it.

Those things tend not to absorb oil into the lining but there is no guarantee that they won't hold spots or pools of oil that will interfere with the grabbing ability of the lining.

The organic materials of "standard" discs are the best at recovering from getting doused with oil and linings like the "dual friction" are the worst because one side is so metallic.

The flywheel side is the "hard side" and oiling that is like oiling a bearing.

On my dual friction clutches you can actually catch your finger nail on the flywheel where the disc is cutting itself into the flywheel. It actually grabs better on an iron flywheel rather then the forged steel flywheel.

 

Everyone is going to have different perspectives on why and how these things work. These are just my observations of 40 some odd years of my experiences and mistakes.

I think you learn more from the mistakes made. I suppose that means for me, learning never ends?

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by panteradoug

Took the ZF out again. Replaced the 3 finger McLeod, for a Diaphragm type. (less pedal effort, I like it.) New disk again, cleaned everything thoroughly. Replaced the throw out bearing again. Put it all back together, same thing, more than a light shudder when taking off in 1st gear. Reverse too. Wondering what else it could be? Never any problem getting all the gears, no grinding what so ever. I thought maybe the rear brakes were grabbing, no. I expect the car to crawl forward with just letting the clutch out, no gas, and for it to be smooth. My other Pantera's do it. I understand there could be a break in period, but this feels excessive. Driving 500 miles in stop and go traffic will take a year.

I just can't believe anything is wrong in the bell housing. Still, I will take it out again, if I know what to look for.

Last edited by rrs1

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