So last night I broke the third freakin' clutch in 6 months...

[sillycar chick]

LOL@compression lockups

Eddie, sucks to hear of your misfortune. Maybe try a different brand clutch? I am getting an Xtreme heavy duty clutch from Sleeka Spares in SA, i think it was posted today so will post up pics when I get it so you can compare. Also, as you know i'm getting ARP flywheel bolts soon, when I receieve them I'll check they will fit the T series as suspected and report back.

Maybe a combination of a different clutch and ARP bolts can help. I am sus on your gearbox though. I have flogged the crap out of my standard clutch over the past year, while my car doesnt have the power yours does, my heavy ass flywheel probably has a lot to do with why its so torquey, and I still havent killed it yet. I think its on its way out though.

BTW: I think you should update your avatar ...... on second thoughts, maybe since your car is constantly off the road with broken clutches, its more appropriate

[TheToyman75]

Eddie,

What your doing to those clutches is doing my head in. I was massive fan of high rpm roll backs and clutch dumps once apon a time and used to compression lock the car into the driveway on a daily basis ( it got the rear end out nicely ) I never once had teh problem you have there with any of the RPM clutches I used.

I have sent off and email re your issue and will see what I can find out.

Fingers crossed for your new clutch. Did you get any pics before it went in ??

[DX20VT]

I have been looking at the picture of the clutch with the bent strap.

They strap to me looks to me as though they are only there to stop the pressure plate surface from rotating in relation to the part that bolts to the flywheel,
and is nowhere near strong enough to hold it in the reverse direction.

Now there should hardly ever be any force in that direction should there?
From what i can see the only time you could bent the strap like that is when the car is driving the engine, as in crash starting the car, compression lockup's or super hard engine braking of somesort....?

Does that make sense or am I completely on the wrong track.

[TheToyman75]

The only way I can see that you can bugger a pressure plate like that is if your doing hi RPM down shifting, like 5th to 3rd with no mechanical sympathy. Basically if you abuse things they break so you learn to drive or you over engineer things to try and suit your driving style.

Eddie,

To be honest I think you should upgrade your clutch and flywheel assembly to the Larger 1G-GTE flywheel and clutch. In the bigger diametre range I can get you a more substancial item. Otherwise you can try the RPM product from clutch indistries if you intend to stick to this size clutch. Part number for the pressure plate : RPM800-600

The simple fact is that the clutch is not designed to do what your doing to it.

[shelldrake]

I think the main cause of the clutch failures was the reuse of flywheel bolts, combined with my lightened flywheel. If this latest bunch of changes still has no effect in keeping my car in one piece for an extended period of time, I will step up clutch/flywheel assy. I will have to check what pics I have - Will post anything valid. I will be coming to toyfest this year Rod, so perhaps you can evaluate my driving then. I don't think I'm too harsh on the thing, I am at least a few steps back from no mechanical sympathy.

[shelldrake]

You guys are not going to believe this....

I think I have done it again. In between 3rd and 4th in what appears to have been a missed gear again. I actually don't think I missed the gear, but it felt like it was in neutral when the clutch was released and I put the power down...I will pull the box off tonight and suss out what exactly has happened this time, but I anticipate the same deal as last time...Really need to work out what is the deal. The only thing that wasn't changed/reinforced last time was the flywheel itself. Even though it has been balanced twice before....

[EldarO]

dear god man, this is incredible.

Elmo.

[sillycar chick]

Shelldrake, if you need some ARP flywheel bolts, talk to Forcefed6 he'll get you some. Sucks to hear that this has happened again. Honestly dude, hope you work this out soon, pulling a gearbox out isnt hard, but a pain in the ass when you have to keep doing it constantly

[TheToyman75]

You guys are not going to believe this....

I think I have done it again. In between 3rd and 4th in what appears to have been a missed gear again. I actually don't think I missed the gear, but it felt like it was in neutral when the clutch was released and I put the power down...I will pull the box off tonight and suss out what exactly has happened this time, but I anticipate the same deal as last time...Really need to work out what is the deal. The only thing that wasn't changed/reinforced last time was the flywheel itself. Even though it has been balanced twice before....

Thats not cool at all dude

[sillycar chick]

Also, just curious to know, how does one tell when flywheel bolts are loose? What symptoms do you get?

And how do you know when you've bent those straps again?

[Rodger]

Loose flywheel bolts show up as a rattle from the back of the engine mainly at idle. The flywheel rocks back and forward on the bolts. This one caught me out with my recent (what I thought) big end problems. It sounds like a major rattle such as big ends or a stuffed gearbox input bearing.

The first time I had flywheel bolts loosen was when one of my TAs was coming back from Dubbo. A fast run along between Forbes and Cowra, it began to rattle on the downshift run to the intersection just before town.

Can also tell if you put a spaner on the front pulley bolt and rock the crank back and forward. You will hear and feel the flywheel jump.

You feel and hear a loose flywheel long before it can come apart unless you ignore the noise of course. The bolts are strong enough not to snap suddenly.

Regards

Rodger

[sillycar chick]

Hmmm cos I have a strange rattle noise on idle, usually when the revs are lower than they normally sit on idle (like when its cold, it often drops under 1000rpm till it warms up).... the flywheel has only been in a day or two, BUT the input shaft bearing was making noise before this new flywheel went in, I think the new flywheel might be accentuating it on idle, making it a lot louder, cos its so light. The noise goes away if you put the clutch in on idle And im using ARP flywheel bolts, loctited in and torqued up to specs in the manual.

I probably shouldnt but Im trying to avoid this input shaft bearing as its my daily at the moment and I really dont have any more time to fix it with uni exams. From what I can tell, replacing that bearing requires stripping down the whole box to get the shaft out, and take the shaft somewhere to get it replaced

[Rodger]

Go get the spanner out and try the rocking method in neutral. If nothing, then put it in gear and try again, the gearbox will hold the flywheel steady and the crank will move slightly before locking.

Either way this will eliminate the input bearing from the noise. If no discernable bump sound then assume all is ok with flywheel.

Regards

Rodger

[sillycar chick]

Will do that rodger, thanks for the help.

[sillycar chick]

Sorry for the hijack shelldrake, but im seriously having problems with mine now Hopefully people in this thread have some ideas to share.....

Had this rattle on idle as mentioned, but driving home tonight from work the thing started to vibrate through the driveline down the highway and in certain areas of the rev range. Checked the flywheel via the crank bolt and got no play, went so far as pulling off the starter motor and cannot feel any movement in the flywheel. So I really think its the input bearing in the gearbox. Only other option I could think of is the spigot bearing in the back of the crank

Discussed it with my mechanic father in law, he suggested driving tomorrow and see if theres any noticeable shudders through the clutch, might help eliminate any possibilities with it being clutch/flywheel (I cant recall any vibration with the clutch engaged), and drop the gearbox oil when I get home and look for signs of bearing fragments.