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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Pressure plate / flywheel

Posted by: ammason Apr 23 2005, 10:30 PM

So I'm swapping the clutch and have found that my pressure plate is toast and my flywheel has three broken teeth. I have another pressure plate and flywheel that have only spent about an hour on the road in a car from Santa Cruz, the only problem is that the hour was in 2003 and the car was totaled and left in the elements. The clutch disc rusted to the flywheel and pressure plate, pitting both of them nicely.

I was told that the flywheel can't be resurfaced because it's been resurfaced before, so I may have to spring for a new (to me) one, but the pressure plate is in great shape, save for the pitting on the friction surface. Do you guys know if pressure plates can be resurfaced? Anyone know a good shop in the bay area to do this and to check my other flywheel to see if I can get it turned down again?

Anyone got a good flywheel for cheap? I have a buncha parts to trade off the '72 incuding a complete non-running, leaf-covered 1.7L engine...

Posted by: davep Apr 24 2005, 09:04 AM

The flywheel can be resurfaced until the friction disk hits the bolt heads, so an expert has to determine the possibility. The PP mounting surface has to be machined down as well so that the height difference btween the friction surface and the PP mount surface remains constant. Theoretically, you could surface the PP and remove more from the flywheel. Basically the gap for the friction disk must be at the factory spec. Then the ball for the throwout fork must be move out an equivalent amount. Hard to say if that was done correctly previously, and with a different flywheel you would have to figure it out anyway. A tricky business to do correctly.

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Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Apr 24 2005, 12:03 PM

If both were new/reconditioned before they were installed, they could easily be glass bead or sand blasted and be useable. Just protect the seal surface and the mating surface on the back of the flywheel, and wash all the media out of them when you're done. Flywheels that have been turned once can still be turned again if the first cut wasn't extravagent. I would have that checked against a known good one. Many people grind the lip off the bolts to gain a little disc hub to bolt clearance. Not a bad idea, IMO. Be SURE to install a second flat washer under the release arm pivot ball stud. Use one of the stock ones from a tranny fastener, they're nice and flat. You can replace it with any old 8mm flat washer. The Cap'n

Posted by: ammason Apr 25 2005, 11:53 AM

Rusty - It's not that there's just surface rust - I cleaned off most of the rust with a wire wheel, and it's seriously pitted, maybe max depth at the worst spots of 1mm or so. Both definitely need to be machined...

davep - the PP is brand new, and I think I've found a flywheel that's never been surfaced, so I should have enough metal to play with...

Does anyone know of a good machine shop in the Oakland or San Rafael / Novato (CA) area that could handle these?