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Re: smooth ride, clutch stuff

To: jay_welch@juno.com
Subject: Re: smooth ride, clutch stuff
From: Timothy Holbrook <tjh173@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 09:23:01 -0700 (PDT)
Jay,

Sorry, I am not aware of which disks are compatible with which pressure
plates.  In theory, I would think that it doesn't matter which disk you
use, the disc simply has to fit the gearbox input shaft and the
flywheel.  I think that any disk which fits a TR6 should be compatible
with any pressure plate which fits the car, but I'm not 100% sure. 
Anyone know for sure?  Dick T. ...?

Tim Holbrook
1971 TR6


--- jay_welch@juno.com wrote:
> Thanks Tim.  I also have a Laycock pressure plate that I believe is
> in
> good shape.  Do you know if any of the disks available today are
> compatible with this pressure plate?  Does anyone have any experience
> with LUK clutch setups?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jay
> 
> On Fri, 27 Jul 2001 08:49:05 -0700 (PDT) Timothy Holbrook
> <tjh173@yahoo.com> writes:
> > I have the magic clutch in my car, and pedal pressure is extremely
> > high.  I didn't notice this so much when I first put it in, because
> 
> > I
> > have always used Borg and Beck pressure plates in the car, and it's
> > what I was used to.  However, I bought a 2000 Honda Civic Si
> (please
> > keep the boo-ing to a dull roar, it really is a fun car!!) at the 
> > end
> > of December to use as reliable daily transport now that I have
> > graduated college and entered the working world.  When I got back
> in 
> > my
> > TR6 on Memorial Day weekend (car had been in storage since late 
> > August
> > 2000), I couldn't believe the amount of force required to disengage
> 
> > the
> > clutch.  I also became more aware of the fact that the clutch in my
> 
> > TR
> > is either on or off, it bights right off the floor and there it is 
> > very
> > tough to smoothly engage.  Luckily these cars have bags of torque, 
> > my
> > Honda would stall immediately if it had the same clutch setup.
> > 
> > Late last year I read a great article in a VTR magazine (or 
> > something
> > like that) where someone had done research into the clutch problems
> > that we TR250/6 owners are facing.  It seems that the Laycock OE 
> > clutch
> > was of a much better design and had lower pressure, but is
> > unfortunately no longer available.  He also theorized that the high
> > pressure of the Borg and Beck clutches may be responsible for the 
> > short
> > life spans of the t/o bearings.  He also said that the high
> pressure
> > may be causing problems with master and slave cylinders, increasing
> > wear in the bores.  This, he claims, is why we often see our clean
> > fresh hydraulic fluid turn black (mine is always black, even after
> > replacing the cylinders/hard pipe/flexible pipe with brand new
> units
> > and bleeding the system).  The aluminum master/slave cylinders wear
> 
> > and
> > aluminum is ground away and deposited in the hydraulic fluid, where
> 
> > it
> > subsequently oxidizes and turns the fluid black.
> > 
> > Obviously, we don't need such high pressures on our pressure
> plates. 
> >  I
> > have driven high performance Mustangs and such which have softer
> > clutches than the magic clutch on my '6.  Unfortunately, we don't 
> > have
> > many choices available to us.   Therefore, we have to use heavy
> duty
> > t/o bearings from the Toyota.  It is very unlikely that a clutch
> > manufacturer will build a proper pressure plate just for our 
> > relatively
> > small market.  Maybe one day someone will find another pressure 
> > plate
> > (that currently fits a Ford, Chevy, Toyota, or whatever) which is
> > better suited to our cars.  
> > 
> > Tim Holbrook
> > 1971 TR6
> > 
> > 
> > --- jay_welch@juno.com wrote:
> > > Hello All,
> > > 
> > > First and foremost, thank you all for the wealth of information
> > > shared
> > > through this list,
> > > 
> > > Secondly, just my 2 cents regarding the clutch problems with the 
> > TR6
> > > models.  After reading many articles, talking to a number of 
> > people
> > > and
> > > my own experiences with this car it appears that the spring 
> > pressure
> > > of
> > > the after market pressure plates are to blame for many of the
> > > inherent
> > > problems associated with the TR6.
> > > 
> > > I have compared the pressure required to actuate my clutch with a
> 
> > car
> > > recently purchased by a friend.  His 72 appears to be very 
> > unmolested
> > > and
> > > don't have any idea what clutch recipe is used in his car.  His
> > > clutch is
> > > very smooth and easy to depress and doesn't affect how positive 
> > the
> > > clutch operates.  My car has a Borg and Beck disk and pressure 
> > plate
> > > that
> > > I reused when I swapped engines but I did install the Toyota Land
> > > Cruiser
> > > T/O bearing because of the bad press surrounding the after market
> 
> > T/O
> > > bearings from the big 3.  The clutch appears to work fine except 
> > that
> > > it
> > > doesn't feel like it has completely released the disk from the
> > > flywheel
> > > thus sometimes grinding of gears.  I still need to check the red
> > > plastic
> > > hose to see if it swells when the pedal is depressed.  I am 
> > probably
> > > also
> > > losing a little bit of leverage as the Toyota T/O has a larger
> > > diameter
> > > at the pressure plate contact point than the T/O that was
> removed. 
> > 
> > > 
> > > I have compared my clutch to other's cars and their's is also 
> > quite
> > > stiff
> > > as compared to my friend's.
> > > 
> > > My feelings are that the added pressure of the Borg and Beck type
> > > product
> > > could be blamed for early crank shaft thrust washer failure,
> > > expansion of
> > > the red clutch slave pipe, enlargement of the clutch rod pivot 
> > holes
> > > on
> > > the clutch and overdevelopment of my left calf muscle.
> > > 
> > > Could someone describe the force required on their "Magic Clutch"
> 
> > or
> > > Sachs setup when compared to other's cars.
> 
> > > > --------- Forwarded message ----------
> > > > From: Timothy Holbrook <tjh173@yahoo.com>
> > > > To: 6pack@autox.team.net
> > > > Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 12:00:42 -0700 (PDT)
> > > > Subject: Re: smooth ride, clutch stuff
> > > > Message-ID: <20010726190042.23586.qmail@web4602.mail.yahoo.com>
> > > > 
> > > > The stock-grade throwout bearings have been complete junk for 
> > the 
> > > > past
> > > > few years.  No matter how you press them onto the sleeves, they
> > > fall
> > > > apart in just a few thousand miles, if that.  I went through 4 
> > t/o
> > > > bearings in a few months during 1997, and finally put in one of
> 
> > the
> > > > heavy-duty bearings made for Toyota Land Cruiser.  Haven't had
> a
> > > > problem since.  TRF sells this bearing as part of their "magic 
> > > > clutch"
> > > > kit with Sachs components (probably the same part that your
> > > mechanic 
> > > > is
> > > > using).  Several TR parts suppliers are selling this kit.  I 
> > would
> > > > caution anyone who needs to replace a t/o bearing, don't use
> the
> > > > standard grade bearings.  I have heard nothing but complaints, 
> > and 
> > > > had
> > > > several problems myself.  
> > > > 
> > > > Tim Holbrook
> > > > 1971 TR6
> > > > 
> > > > --- RPVanLuchene@lbl.gov wrote:
> > > > > Well I got my car back the other day and the car drives
> > > > > beautifully. Immediately noticed it as I drove away from the 
> > shop
> > > 
> > > > and
> > > > > onto the Bay Bridge. It is amazing how tight it feels. THe 
> > tube
> > > > > conversion kit was the one-piece bracket type with KYB gas
> > > shocks. 
> > > > I
> > > > > also had new inner U joints put in and new diff mounts 
> > installed.
> > > 
> > > > Up
> > > > > front I got new shocks and new upper ball joints. Along with 
> > my
> > > > > recently
> > > > > restored wheels with new Coker redlines, the car is one
> smooth 
> > 
> > > > ride,
> > > > > with perfect stiffness. I don't know how I have gone this
> long 
> > 
> > > > with
> > > > > my
> > > > > old worn-out setup - I guess I diddnt know what a "right" car
> 
> > was
> > > > > supposed to feel like -
> > > > > 
> > > > > I'm also still having clutch disengagement problems and
> talked
> > > > > to the mechanic about it. He's been working on TR's for 30 
> > years 
> > > > and
> > > > > never had a problem with TR clutches until recently, about
> the 
> > 
> > > > last
> > > > > 2-3
> > > > > years. The throw out bearings have been bad - he said he 
> > talked
> > > to
> > > > > someone at TRF about it and they told him he was intalling
> the 
> > TO
> > > > > bearing into the sleeve incorrectly (he uses wood to do this
> I 
> > 
> > > > think)
> > > > > he said well OK you guys put the bearing in the sleeve your 
> > way
> > > > > and send it to me and he'll install it in a car. Well the 
> > bearing
> > > > > ended
> > > > > up failing and they wouldnt take it back! I told him someone
> > > needs 
> > > > to
> > > > > talk to the manufacturer about this, b/c I know of a lotta 
> > others
> > > 
> > > > who
> > > > > are having the same problems. More recently he has been using
> > > > > a Japanese TO bearing made by a company called AP with a
> Sachs
> > > > > pressure
> > > > > plate and standard or Sachs clutch plate. It seems to have 
> > been
> > > > > working
> > > > > well for his other customers. 
> > > > > I'm going to try it out in a few weeks - hopefully this will 
> > be a
> > > > > solid
> > > > > fix. Will update the list more on this as it progresses.
> > > > > I hope to have it finished before the Monterey weekend. I
> plan 
> > on
> > > > > going
> > > > > to the Concorso Italiano and maybe some of the races.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > 
> > > > > Ryan
> > > > > 6/71 Sapphire
> > > > Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! 
> > > > Messenger
> > > > http://phonecard.yahoo.com/
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