Clutch mega problem, need expertise.

[Zolpidem]

Hi mates, I have a big problem. I’ve just bought a complete clutch kit for my coupe’ 2400 from Dinoparts.

The problem is that the new pressure disk doesn’t have the holes for the three “align male pins” present on my original flywheel. Impossible to drill the holes on the pressure disk because of their position. Check the picture out.


Every kit I find around do not provide those holes. The only possibility I actually have is to cut the three pins on the flywheel and make it ready to mount any modern kits.

Problem number two: the new kit is way lighter than the original one. Does this make any difference in the balancing thing? The color of the springs of the clutch disk is different from the original one ( thus their load): is this correct?
Thanks

[Benz 116 w]

Hello, Read the post by Georg and me about "Clutch pressure plate". Last time from Nov/2022. I hope you can find something useful in that converstaion.

[ThomasK]

You don’t have to cut the pins they are pressed in and can be pressed out. When I remember it right, I have taken out these pins when I renewed my clutch as the 6 screws are holding it on the flywheel.

[Georg]

There has been a reason why FIAT has placed the centering studs on the flywheel: to guarantee a perfect balancing.

Taking off the studs and just centering the pressure plate may result in a slightly off center position. This may increase centrifugal forces, which will result in stress and wear of crankshaft and gear box bearings. Bear in mind, we are talking revolutions up to 7000.

I would rather assemble a correct and original pressure plate.

Georg

[Georg]

There has been a reason why FIAT has placed the centering studs on the flywheel: to guarantee a perfect balancing.

Taking off the studs and just centering the pressure plate with the srews may result in a slightly off center position. This may increase centrifugal forces, which will result in stress and wear of crankshaft and gear box bearings. Bear in mind, we are talking revolutions up to 7000.

I would rather assemble a correct and original pressure plate.

Georg

[doublegarage]

This is the thread from last year referenced above.
http://www.fiatdinoforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=1713

The machine-shop that balanced my engine also did some work on the Superformance clutch pressure plate. Pretty simple, they enlarged the 3 available holes for the Fiat flywheel-pins - and left out the other smaller pins. Thus I now have 3 pins to center the plate, instead of the original 6.

However, now the gearbox is assembled with the engine/clutch, I am unhappy with the way the actuator-lever engages - too far rearwards/near the gearbox. It's because the pressure plate 'fingers', where the throwout-bearing engages, are closer to the flywheel than original (the plate is thinner). Maybe the cable/mechanism can be adjusted - but I don't like it. Picture below shows the lever in the position where throwout bearing just engages with the clutch plate. So it would have to move further than that to disengage - but see how it's already close to a gearbox nut.

My experience is that clutches are tricky, anything that looks like it might not work probably will not work.

You'll see in the thread above that Georg recommends to have the original plate refurbished, in his case he did it at ZF in Germany. I tried to find someone in the USA to do this work but all shops listed have shut down or stopped offering this work.

But, I'm very dissatisfied with the way the Superformance "full replacement kit" fits the engine, so I will re-try to get the old one refurbished.

Note that Dinoparts and MrFiat both appear to sell the identical parts, also for Fiat 130. Stefan2000 in the other thread made the kit work on his Fiat 130 - surely somebody on this forum has tried to use one on a Fiat Dino before?

Thanks,

-Richard