Mangusta Clutch Help please!...

Maybe it's my bad language but I dont understand everything you write.
Have you photo's from the broken parts ?

Simon

Paolo, the good news is that the clutch components are common; The pressure plate is for a 1968 Ford Mustang, the disc is for a Chevy. The flywheel is also from a 1968 Ford Mustang. The throwout bearing is common with Pantera.
The slave cylinder can be from a Fiat X1/9 and the master is a common Girling master cylinder, easy to find. Be careful to shim the top end of the X 1/9 slave cylinder, the X 1/9 piece will leave a gap to the bellhousing and if you torque down the bolt it may stress the slave cylinder.

Paolo, also, you will not need to remove the ZF to remove the slave cylinder and the pin. This is not a difficult job to do.

LeeA, I believe '68 mustangs have different sizes presure plate ?

All depends on the engine size , also from the Chevy disc.

When you was planned to remove the ZF for inspect the clutch , be aware of the spacer between the price axle and crank .

Paolo, most if not all Mangustas have a 1-1/16"- 12-spline clutch disc (Chevrolet size) while all Panteras use a 1-1/8"-12-spline clutch disc (Ford size). So the slightly larger Pantera disc WILL fit on the Mangusta but will be a sloppy, noisy fit.

The steel extended pilot bushing support is vital to allow the ZF input shaft nose to enter the pilot bushing. Very early pushbutton Panteras use the same transmission & clutch disc as the Mangusta, but not the same differential case, making for confusion on the subject. You may have trouble removing the bushing or bearing (either will work) from inside the adapter but it's well worth the trouble to do so. I modified a couple of the adapters to allow small screws to be used to force the bearing out from the backside, once removed from the crankshaft. I also drill thru and thread the inside of the adapter to allow a larger screw to force the adapter out of the crank hole. Good luck- J DeRyke

Do NOT remove the ZF to fix the pushrod in the slave cylinder. Just remove the broken pieces and make a new one. Do NOT put a Pantera clutch disc in either.

Has someone recently put a very stiff pressure plate into your car?

Dick Ruzzin

About 10 years ago the ZF
lever that moves the throw out bearing that connects to the slave cylinder rod that the pin goes though both the lever and rod broke on my 72. Wilkinson sells a stronger replacement unit. No need to pull the trans. Back then it was about $120.00 for the part.

Hello Guys, thank you so much for your answers, I'm waiting to have the Mangusta on the car lift at the shop to look underneath again next week so that I can make some pics and give you a better idea of the problem... As far as I understood the piece that broke it's the one that connect the slave to the internal part of the ZF. thanks Paolo

Paulo,

While the car is on the lift, activate the clutch lever manually to see that it moves freely!

IF IT DOES NOT MOVE FREELY DO NOT FORCE IT!!!!! You'll bust more expensive parts!

Now to tell some truths here!!!

1)The stock slave cylinder was used on Fiat MULTIPLA and some Maseratis. IT IS A MIRROR IMAGE of a FIAT X1/9! You can use X1/9 slave cylinders for parts to rebuild your original. The pushrod can also be used.

2) THE CLUTCH DISC IS NOT FROM A CHEVY!!! It has a special hub clearanced on the engine side so that it clears the special pilot bushing adapter used on the Goose! IT uses a CHEVY spline count.../size....

3) the FLYWHEEL and PRESSURE PLATE CAN BE from a MUSTANG as stated. I used a 10.5" diameter disc....but you may find a 10" disc in your car according to the parts book.......

(If the clutch was working fine before this pushrod broke, the disc is probably not at issue. The pressure plate may have issue.....but check to see that the main lever moves freely as suggested above.)

Hope this helps!
Steve

For reference...some pictures of clutch disc sides and adapter for pilot bearing!

S

Other side....

Pilot bearing adapter

S

Here's a picture that illustrates the clearance issue! You can sorta see the lack of space at the front of the splined center up against the adapter....and why this section was shortened! (Actually a different clutch disc center piece was used.... than stock Ford...to account for this lack of clearance, and the "Chevy" spline pattern on the ZF input shaft.)

At this venture, I was using a bronze insert as the pilot bushing. I forget what happened exactly, but I needed to pull the trans and engine out for "round two" and discovered that the bronze has loosened in the bore. Likely I didn't have enough interference fit this round. I had "touched" it with a lathe.....

At assembly time....I went back to the original needle bearing design. The actual needle bearing is common, and very inexpensive as opposed to what you pay for a generic Ford replacement for the 351C! Somewhere around $5...adjust for inflation and bad memory....

In the original design, I believe there was a leather seal that went in the adapter after then needle bearing was pushed in place. Check your parts books for this, or was it in the early Pantera books....?! I found a tiny lipped rubber seal and used it...along with some synthetic grease. (I hope I posted this info elsewhere....at the time!) The idea was to keep the grease in the bearing and not on the front of your clutch disc!

Here is a pic of a -1 Pantera adapter in place after a LONG time. Note leather piece!

Seems to have survived nicely!

Here is my adapter, which is NOT stock, but with the needle bearing and seal installed. Extra seal shown, AND the little tool I had made up to push the bearing in place with.

Adapter installed, taking measurements to be SURE that I was not going to bottom out the seal on the nose of the ZF!

Two pic's of my final clutch disc that I had made up. Lining is synthetic "Kevlar like" material and is very smooth! Wear on flywheel and pressure plate is minimal if any!

I had a bad ZF input seal which hosed down my previous disc with a batch of 90W with "Friction reducer" (for posi clutches)....was not a good move! Good for trans discs...VERY BAD for clutch discs!!!! Of course, over filling a Goose ZF isn't a good thing either!!!!

One side.....

Two side.....

Note difference in this design of the center section, from the ones I posted above (from another car I had briefly, which had been apart for a LONG time, finally going back together!). Imagine about 25-30 years of time passing in clutch development..... to this.

No machining required to remove nose. Simply rivet friction plates in place....install!

And just for kicks and giggles....here is a shot of the stock Ford pressure plate!

One side...

Two side.....

Note that this was after about 15k miles if memory serves me correctly, on the synthetic disc I first installed with the Boss engine.

Sadly, the guy that was building these beautiful clutch discs, passed away far too soon. I've found no one here locally doing the same sort of work...or even close....! No more custom discs for now!

BEST WAY--
have your original clutch disc refaced by a competent specialis.

DR

Dear All,
i'm on the way to resolve the clutch on my Mangusta, I've ordered a new kit and I'm now adapting it!... Hopefully will work, I'll keep you posted.
Another question... I need to replace the rear suspension, I did buy new ones few years ago fron the Mangusta International website (now that is gone)the suspension were very low so I added a one inch alloy rise ring which worked fine (till recently!)now one of the suspension broke and I need a replacement...
Any advice where to get a modern good pair of them with the regulation at the end?..
Thanks a lot again,
all the best,
Paolo Italy

Paolo, what broke?

quote:

Originally posted by Paolo MA646:
Dear All,
i'm on the way to resolve the clutch on my Mangusta, I've ordered a new kit and I'm now adapting it!... Hopefully will work, I'll keep you posted.
Another question... I need to replace the rear suspension, I did buy new ones few years ago fron the Mangusta International website (now that is gone)the suspension were very low so I added a one inch alloy rise ring which worked fine (till recently!)now one of the suspension broke and I need a replacement...
Any advice where to get a modern good pair of them with the regulation at the end?..
Thanks a lot again,
all the best,
Paolo Italy

Your suspension fix may vary depending on the use case of the vehicle. For example, if you don't intend to drive much and originality is an desire then you could reach out to Springbok in Germany for original equipment.
Otherwise, perhaps find a local suspension/alignment guy and have them make repairs to the existing stuff.
Both of my rear 'A arms' cracked one resulted in catastrophic failure. Luckily the car was only being pushed across the driveway at the time. They were welded over with some larger diameter tubing as a fix.

Here a picture of the broken suspension, I added an alloy 1" thickness at the spring to raise the car a bit more and have more clearance. They are a pair of QA1.

Paolo, I am far from being an expert on this...but if the adjustment was this high on the threads and you were also using a 1" spacer, if you want to keep the same ride height I suggest getting a longer QA1 shock and spring...I am guessing the shock was operated beyond its designed ride height. Going to a longer spring and shock may be the solution for you.. https://www.jegs.com/p/QA1/QA1...ocks/743895/10002/-1

--Lee

Hi Lee,
thanks a lot, I ordered a pair of QA1 shocks and also the spring from Jegs in a longer version, hope it will be right!
Thanks a million, I'll keep you posted about the development...Best, Paolo

Paolo, good luck. The advice I received as 10" springs with a 1" spacer (thanks then to Steve)--Lee