Video from Sandown Sprint today

[Andrew Bose]

Frank,

Alfa checked this out and I'm told, and it was only a problem on right hand drive cars, the wheel well on the left makes a decent footrest compared to the tiny one on our right hand drive ones? But to be fair I have worked in Alfa Warranty and remember the phrase "Commercially Acceptable" being used on more than a few occasions. How many clutches have you worn the fingers out on? I'm currently on number four and the third clutch fork, but the gearbox I had fitted when I bought my car is still pretty good.
Andrew

[Frank Musco]

Andrew,

I have never had an Alfa clutch fail on a car that I was driving, though have bought a few suds/33 not going to use as spares for the race car, and on two suds I have found the problem of the fingers collapsed where the thrust race contacts. Bloody nasty. On one I found the clutch plate was in very good condition, which made me think that only the clutch plate was changed?? I stuff around with my cars too much so they never even get close to that stage of wear.

In the race car I used to run a 3 puck?, solid center, looks like cintered brass?? clutch plate with the original pressure plate. This was sort of good, plenty of grip, no slip, BUT, get the gear change wrong, and extremely harsh on the transaxle. So after breaking 2 tranny's in six months, I replaced it with the original clutch plate. Grouse.
I removed it before the Mallala 6 hr, last month, just as a precaution because I could hear a rattle. So I found that the 4 springs that I think are use to dampen, where not tight, slight loose, so I put it back.
The pressure & clutch plate came from the white 86 Sprint which I began sprinting seven years ago,(R.I.P), so its bloody good!

What do you mean, four clutches and three forks, Surely not from the same car?

[philpot]

Last clutch in 33,  had 6 of the 18 'Fingers' or 'Prongs' of pressure plate worn completely through. This is a year or two after I bought it. Only clue was the thrust bearing was making a small amount of noise when the clutch was pedal was depressed. Lining still had plenty of meat, the thrust race bearings just age then start to drag on pressure plate fingers. Noise it made wasn't that bad considering it was close to letting go...Glad I didn't put it off any longer!

[Andrew Bose]

Frank,

Bought car with a stuffed gearbox gearbox and put one in when I put a reco box as I did not want to pull it out again, then I had an issue with the clutch pedal pivot wearing out and the pedal missing the stop so it was pushing the clutch too far and collapsed the thrust race which cost me two by breaking the spring fingers due to me not noticing it when I changed a clutch.

May of been  due to slave cylinder leaking and it not extending fully at the time. That one only lasted a year because shortly after I replaced the slave cylinder and with good hydraulics it and a worn pedal and I remember sitting at the lights when the pedal sunk to the floor as the fingers bent and it started to creep forward.

I gave the car to Bruno that time (I had the shits with it) and he fixed the pedal for me, repairing the fork and used a Valeo clutch which is still going strong and is much nicer to use than the ZF one I had used previously. so now I have a lovely smooth one and good slave cylinder. Bruno did say he had never seen one that bad that was still driving, so to date the only time the car has stopped moving under its own power since I got it going was when I ran out of fuel 50 yards from a servo on a steep hill, my own fault/lazyness.

Strangely enough I still have never worn out a friction plate just the fingers on the pressure plate. This is my fault because I drive to and from work in large steel capped boots in traffic so I know I ride the clutch as I can't feel a thing in them and cannot use the footrest.

[Frank Musco]

Philpot,

Thanks for taking the time to post the photo. Thats what I have seen. Spot on. For a second I thought you have been in my garage because it's virtually identical, a failed pressure plate with a very good clutch plate.

Andrew,

I know what you mean about the boots. I hate wearing them so I actually put my runners on when I drive to work and then put the boots on. I also have the habit of pushing the brake at the same time as the clutch when I'm attempting flat changes through traffic (with boots on), wakes me up in the mornings!

Cheers