[Shotimes] Lowrider's down (again) but not out....got a question....

[George Fourchy]

Well...

Made one uneventful good trip to work and back yesterday, after getting the new fuel
filter, but today was another story.  After about 15 minutes of driving, I started
hearing scraping sounds over the music, and felt things in the floor and pedals,
especially the clutch.  It sounded like a metallic whipping sound, and got worse
when I pressed the clutch in.  After slowing down, it got better as the engine revs
decreased.  I turned around and took Slorider to work instead.

All day I was thinking about what it was, and whether Eva was finally correct in
saying "He's tired, let him retire.....you're just greedy!!!"  LOL!!

As I'm arriving home tonight, I realized what it was.  I was all ready for it to be
the TOB....ceramic and all.  It has about 100k miles, and had started to get rough
the last few weeks, and a bit noisy.  But I don't think that is what it is, because
it works OK when going slow.  I think it is a strap that has come off the pressure
plate.  (I've heard about enough of these things, but never seen one.)  At higher
revs it sounds like it spins out and whips against the inside of the bell housing,
but when going slow it stays away and is quiet.  The clutch engages and disengages
fine....no chattering or other malfunctions....just the noise at high speed.  I
actually started for work again this morning after turning around one time...it had
quieted down on city streets.  But on the freeway it started again.  So home I came,
and it is in the garage.

So....since I spent all that money on it last year getting a new rear half, I think
a (half) clutch change isn't beyond reason, especially if I can get a deal on the
labor from my friendly clutch guy in town.  It doesn't need a disc, or a TOB, unless
they are obviously damaged upon inspection.  It only has to go a few thousand more
miles, and I have a couple of bucks.  I'd be glad to try it myself, but I just don't
have time.

So...the question....

Is that pressure plate repairable, or must it be replaced.  I don't hotrod the car
at all anymore....the most revs it sees is maybe 5500 getting ahead of some idiot on
the freeway when I merge into traffic.  The rest of the time it cruises at 3000 or
less.  (Not much less!!)

Thoughts?     I'll be asking Josh T. about another pressure plate....I don't suppose
this one is rebuildable.

George